DETERMINADO

 

Determinado.

In English, determined. One simple word that could turn one's life upside down. Having this will bring you to places, lift you up, and help you reach your ultimate goal, but everyone has this in them. It is because one's determination could easily be shattered by external forces. Constant rejection, the doubts of the people we thought would believe us and the harshness of the world can easily crash the tower we built for ourselves. But let's remember, we have the power not them.

Pablo played with this word in his second single when he released his theatrical song full of references and wordplay accompanied by a hard-hitting beat. Determinado is that song that will make you get up from bed and fix yourself knowing that you have a long day ahead of you. On those days when I feel like ignoring everything around me and locking my room, listening to this song always gives me the push I need. It tickles your heart and mind, helping you realize many things. Now, it's time to give it the spotlight it deserves so let's dive into the playful lyricism of our mighty Alpha.

Layunin kong iligtas ang nilalaman ng isipan ko

Sasapat na nga ba'ng lahat ng ito

Kung determinado nga

Pero 'di naman makabasag ng plato

This part talks about staying true to one's self and having the guts to push through. Pablo sometimes replies to tweets and comments saying that if we want something, we have to work for it. During their fan meet concert, messages from each SB19 member, and Pablo's message to always protect our beliefs. It's the one thing that no one can take away from us. No matter what happens in our lives, our beliefs will always be with us as long as we don't allow the world to change them.

Dami nagtanong ba't 'to ang gusto

Tahakin na landas halika rito

Takbo ng utak ko ay malayo sa iyo

Maniobra palayo sa kakitirang 'yon

Kargado't napuno na rin ng galit 'to

Pero 'di ako magpapalunod sa lait niyo

Patuloy ang andar kahit na bali-baliko

Sa'king daanan sumpang 'to ay mababali ko

Ano ba'ng sabi ko

In this part, we have the reality. Growing up, people will ask us what we want to be in the future. Of course, as children, we'd say things like being a doctor or police, but as we grow older, our childhood dreams would change. When that happens, the elders who were so pleased with us will suddenly change. They will begin to question everything we do, everyone will. Even those we would encounter along the way would have an opinion about our decisions in life. Many of them would do everything they could to discourage us from pursuing our dreams. Others would try to kick us down with their hatred and insults to try and break from within. At these moments, we must realize that their words and negativity will only have power over us if we allow them. We can stir away from them, block them out of our lives, and zone out their noise.

Every song that Pablo wrote is just about deep meaning and substance. He loves using references, idioms, metaphors, and wordplay, and it's amazing how he relates them to real-life experiences and lessons. One of the most iconic songs of SB19 is Mana which is short for mananaggal, a local lore monster believed to be a human in the daylight but by nightfall, this monster's body would split in half. Its upper body would have wings and would fly around looking for prey.  All while its lower body would remain on the ground, hidden. He used this terrifying monster as a definition of humility.

In Determinado, it's not just Pablo who showcased his lyricism. His brother, Josue collaborated with him to create this masterpiece. The first metaphor used in the song was: 'Di makabasag ng plato, which is normally used to describe someone timid, quiet, and shy. The first wordplay they used was: 'di terminado, a play of the word determinado. Terminado, or in English, terminated (stopped, ended, expired, canceled). When we connect the determination (determinado) and terminated (terminado), we get the message that determination makes us unstoppable. Nothing or no one can end our journey, or cancel us. 

Then we have the line: Aking sentido bumabasag ng mga bungo, which could mean his way of thinking baffles shallow minds. The word berdugo translates to executioner in English. If we relate it to the message of the whole song, being determined means you execute those who would try to stop you from reaching your ultimate. That means you won't let anything stop you or pull you down. They used Ipo (Ipo Makunouchi) as a reference to describe strength and stated that: Bawat suntok ay may bigat na mala-hippo, which means his strikes are as heavy as a hippopotamus. The brothers also used Aeolus, the Greek God of Wind to describe invincibility against those who would try to pull them down. 

Then they used dempsey roll, a boxing technique popularized by Jack Dempsey, which is an effective move to generate power hooks and uppercuts. In the song, it refers to being unable to get hit by the attacks of the naysayers. 'Di ako isang anito means they are not gods nor do they have supernatural power. Ako'y 'di hamak lang na isang mortal nga na bagito refers to them being considerably new in the music industry compared to the legends and the famous ones.  Apoy ko'y imortal 'di halintulad sa palito is about having that fire (courage, determination, perseverance) to reach their dreams. That fire is so strong, blazing and roaring, not like that of a match stick.

Nagpapalit 'to ng anyo 'pag nakipagbasag-ulo mga pabibo refers to them being humble and down to earth, but whenever they step on stage, they become whole different people. They devour any stage they step into. Ako ang Prometheus ng musika tapos ka is a declaration with the use of the Titan, Prometheus, which means Forethinker, the God of Fire, and is commonly known as a master craftsman. He is also associated with the creation of mortals. Using the Greek God in that line declares them as two talented artists at the forefront of the new generation.

Nagliliyab mga kutha 'gad magigising ka. In this line, Kutha could be a Javanese word that means city or town. With that being said, the line could be translated as 'you'll immediately be awakened as the cities are burning'. It means their fire is so strong that it spreads and it would be impossible to ignore them. 

Can you imagine having this many references, that most people don't even know about? The minds of these brothers are unparalleled. They don't just write songs for the sake of it. They are artists who deliver masterpiece after masterpiece, and we can certainly expect more from them.