Soul Supreme KZ Tandingan on Love, Up Dharma Down, and Roadshow Gig

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Soul Supreme KZ Tandingan has surely come a long way since she bagged the top prize in the Philippine franchise of X-Factor back in 2012. From releasing hit songs and catchy, unorthodox covers to appearing in various TV shows, she is unstoppable in taking her career to greater heights of musical excellence.

This is why it came as a surprise to the people behind Wish 107.5 when they learned that her recent Roadshow gig is a wish-come-true for the sassy singer.

“When TJ (Monterde, KZ’s beau) boarded the Wish 107.5 Bus, I really thought the concept was cool. It’s a roadtrip, literally — you get to sing, chat with the jock, and there are people watching from the outside,” she quipped in the vernacular.

The OPM star invaded the FM-on-wheels on August 1 to promote her upcoming projects — a sophomore album and a concert with fellow divas, Yeng Constantino, Rachelle Ann Go, Kyla and Angeline Quinto.

During her Roadshow stint, she wowed a huge crowd along Commonwealth Avenue with her top-notch live renditions of Royals, Rolling in the Deep, and Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako.

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'Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako'

Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako is KZ’s biggest hit to date. An entry she interpreted during the 2014 Himig Handog: P-Pop Love Songs, the single went on to grab an Awit Award for Best Ballad Recording.

Asked about what would she answer to the song’s title (translated in English as “The One I Love or The One who Loves Me”), she picked the former in a more serious tone.

“If we’ll not end up being together or if he won’t love me back, at least I did my part. I won’t regret that I did not do anything about what I feel,” she further elaborated, but later clarifying that “really, we shouldn’t choose between the two.”

“I believe that there is someone whom you’ll love and who’ll love you back. You just have to wait for the perfect time,” the singer-turned-love-guru shared.

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Up Dharma Down as her biggest music hero

Not only did KZ captivate the listeners with her wit, talent and musings, she also imparted a moving story why Up Dharma Down is one of her biggest music influences.

The band, whose music was once described by Time Magazine as “genre-defying,” helped her when she was about to give up her passion for singing, the Davaoeña diva said.

“When I was about to quit music, my bestfriend asked me to listen to a song from a band who was still new that time. The song was Oo. When I heard it, I realized that I don’t need to belt out high notes, I don’t need to do this or that,” KZ told Wish, adding that when she met UDD vocalist Armi Millare around a month ago, she cried and said, “Your song literally saved me.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGPDUl-pTAQ/?taken-by=kztandingan&hl=en

Back in her junior year in high school, KZ suffered from a throat problem, hindering her vocals to reach high notes.

Off-air, she capped-off her epic Roadshow jam and thanked her impromptu audience through a tribute performance of UDD’s Tadhana.