Sponge Cola, Morissette Break Hearts in Unexpectedly Fresh Collab, ‘So Close’

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If you’ve enjoyed reading “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez or “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera, you probably have a penchant for complicated relationships and thought-provoking tales.

Drawing inspiration from these literary gems, Sponge Cola vocalist Yael Yuzon wrote “So Close” in an attempt to capture the essence of unfulfilled longings. The song is one of his band’s newest offerings, featuring Asia’s Phoenix Morissette.

In a press release, Yuzon shared that the song “talks about the possibility of a mirage in our poetic memory, a ‘what if’ that may have been nothing more than a light radiating from a dead star. We might just be romanticizing things.”

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The lyrics of the mellow piece bear a poetic touch, with lines like the ones below portraying a relationship that can never be realized despite the deep connection being shared.

Close your eyes now
And look above
You’ll see the same dead stars at night
The same stars that never led the way

Propelled by minimal guitar instrumentation, light beats, and infectious finger snaps, the song deftly blends the two OPM acts’ distinct musicality.

While Yuzon imbued the song with a certain emotional rawness typically associated with rock-leaning tunes, Morissette lent a bittersweet glow with her masterful vocal control — one that knows when to be restrained and when to be unleashed.

The tastefully layered vocals add not just sonic depth but a poignant and resonant atmosphere to the song’s story as a whole.

In a social media post, Morissette shared how she “loved working on [the] collab with Sponge Cola,” calling the project “ unexpected yet so fresh and enchanting.”

“Everything just fell into place. We wanted to work with her, and she was free that day,” Yuzon meanwhile revealed during their Wish Bus guesting on August 3, a few hours before the single dropped on online streaming platforms.

“So Close” is one of the 19 tracks included in Sponge Cola’s recently released ninth studio album, “Hometown, Part 2.”

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For the band’s latest outing, they “explored new ways of expressing familiar feelings with renewed perspectives incorporating different production elements, arrangement choices, and improved approaches to performance,” as lead guitarist Armo Armovit described it.

Apart from the tracks that were originally part of their “Hometown” album released last year, this newest offering also comprises a remix of “Kung Ako Ang Pumiling Tapusin Ito,” featuring Matthaios and Clien of ALLMO$T, and an acoustic version of “Siguro Nga” with Kai Honasan.

Meanwhile, the production is courtesy of long-time collaborator Joey Santos of Love One Another Studios, who has previously worked with syd hartha, Ang Bandang Shirley, and Coeli.

In celebration of the record’s launch, Sponge Cola held a free show in Eastwood City Central Plaza on August 12.

Listen to “So Close” and the rest of “Hometown, Part 2” below:

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Watch Sponge Cola’s Wishclusive performances of “Hometown, Part 2” tracks below:

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Written by Emmy Borromeo

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