Emerging young artists Haven and Denise Julia talk breakups, their new soulful single
September 5, 2023
In the realm of music, heartbreak songs often hold a transformative power that connects and heals the human soul through vulnerability.
The same goes for young Asian acts Haven and Denise Julia, who bonded over their recent breakups through writing the ’90s R&B-inspired track “No Hard Feelings.”
Haven, a 19-year-old Singaporean pop musician, and Denise Julia, a 21-year-old Filipino R&B artist, sat with NextShark to celebrate their song and process their emotions a few hours before their latest track was released on Friday. The three-minute soulful single captures the messy journey of healing through reminiscing about a past lover to then pretending to be over them before finally setting oneself free.
Haven revealed that the song started off as a petty and sarcastic way of saying “I’m fine” after going through a hard breakup. In her healing journey, she noted listening to numerous heartbreak songs before eventually wanting to move on and manifest better opportunities for herself.
“Throughout the months, I really connected even more on what the song truly meant for me,” Haven tells NextShark. “In a way, creating this song helped me heal as well. I think now I’m already at the state where there are really no more hard feelings.”
As for Denise Julia, she revealed having broken up with her first boyfriend after hearing the demo. The artist says she felt that the timing of the song was perfect, leading her to feature on Haven’s track and spill her emotions in the song’s second verse.
“I just felt like I had to narrate what happened to me,” Denise Julia says. “I’m literally just taking you through what I went through. Reminiscing everything and finally healing. It’s a song about when you just really wanna forget and heal.”
Haven, who has cultivated a loyal fanbase across Southeast Asia with her bubbly personality, chose to feature the viral Filipino artist on her track after being captivated by her 2022 hit song “NVMD,” which blew up on TikTok. Haven flew from Singapore to Manila, where she and Denise Julia spent three days recording the R&B track.
“She just broke up and I just broke up,” Haven says. “So this was the perfect two besties who had just gone through a breakup, writing a song about ‘No Hard Feelings.’”
The track marks the first time Haven has ventured into the R&B genre. Having stepped out of her comfort zone, she was awarded with a song that she says is “one of [her] favorites.”
If “No Hard Feelings” gets over a million streams, Haven promises to fly back to Manila to shoot a music video with Denise Julia. “No matter which stage you are going through your grief or breakup or friendship, this song can relate to all of us in some way or another,” Haven says.
Watch NextShark’s full interview with Haven and Denise Julia below:
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