Filipino rock icons The Dawn are back with their gripping new single “Sa’n Ka Pupunta,” a masterclass in tension and release that proves the veteran band still hits harder than most newcomers since the release of their last single “Missing Hearts” in February. Released via Sony Music Entertainment, the track wraps its emotive vocal performance in shimmering guitar textures and a deceptively smooth shuffle rhythm.
Guitarist Francis Reyes reveals the track’s evolution from Bim Yance’s original demo to its final form, a process that saw the band “Dawn-ify” the composition through their signature collaborative alchemy. “Jett suggested editing out a couple of bits from Bim’s original demo so the tune flows better overall. I think it was JB himself who suggested a shuffle-type thing for his drum parts to give the tune a bit of propulsiveness.” The result walks the tightrope between ‘90s power ballad grandeur and the band’s distinctive alt-rock edge. The song is familiar yet fresh, nostalgic but never derivative.
What begins as an intimate confession builds into a cathartic release, with Jett Pangan’s vocals shifting from weary murmurs to full-throated pleas. The arrangement mirrors this emotional arc: spacey verses giving way to choruses that crackle with pent-up energy and the classic Dawn guitar tones that would make loyal fans reminisce about their classic sound.
Already igniting crowds at live shows, “Sa’n Ka Pupunta” showcases The Dawn’s enduring gift for transforming personal angst into communal catharsis. As Yance puts it: “That even in frustration and silence, music can remind us to reach out and be there for each other.”
Forty years in, the band still understands that the heaviest rock anthems aren’t about noise, they’re about the weight it carries.
