Filipino singer-songwriter Gab Cabangon is bringing one of his most personal songs to a wider audience with “ngayon at kailanman,” a track he originally wrote as a gift for his wife and never intended to release publicly.
The song eventually became the surprise bridal march at their wedding before finding a place on Cabangon’s upcoming EP. Its release comes as the singer-songwriter, recently nominated for Best New Artist at the Awit Awards, continues to develop his introspective, guitar-driven folk-pop sound.
Written as both a wedding vow and a love song, “ngayon at kailanman” centers on the idea of choosing a partner despite the imperfections and uncertainties that come with a relationship.
Cabangon cites Johnoy Danao’s “Ikaw at Ako,” Ebe Dancel’s “Cuida” and TJ Monterde’s “Palagi” among the songs that influenced its understated approach.
“I want my listeners to feel like they are in a warm, tight embrace whenever they hear the song,” Cabangon says. “I also hope my listeners learn through the song that love and relationships are never perfect.”
“We are all people, and we all go through our own stumbles and challenges. But we try to choose each other even when things are difficult. Because I think we also become better individuals when we find love that is assuring and earnest.”
That idea shaped the track’s deliberately restrained production. Working with producer David Lina, Cabangon kept the instrumentation sparse to place greater emphasis on the lyrics, taking inspiration from the intimate musical approach of Joseph Solomon.
“I always imagined ngayon at kailanman as a wedding vow being done in a very private, intimate space, so I wanted to preserve that vision by keeping the production very simple with more emphasis on the lyrics,” he says.
Like his earlier song “Pieces,” “ngayon at kailanman” was initially not intended for public release. Cabangon eventually decided to include it on his forthcoming EP, where it forms part of a larger narrative about falling out of love and rediscovering the people, experiences and passions that once mattered.
“The upcoming EP is really going to be about going through the process of falling out of love and finding our way back to the things that we were once passionate about,” Cabangon says.
“Based on the first couple of songs that my listeners have experienced, I think my audience can expect that introspective singer-songwriter feel that’s very common with a lot of the tracks.”
Following “Pieces,” “Kama” and “Ikot Ulit,” the upcoming EP traces that progression from disconnection toward rediscovery. “ngayon at kailanman” marks the point where that broader story turns toward commitment and the possibility of loving again.
For a song conceived for a single moment at his own wedding, its message is deliberately straightforward: relationships are imperfect, but choosing to remain present through those imperfections can itself be an expression of love.