Trev
"I show conflict as a recurring theme in my music, I show the good and bad parts about me as a person because as people we all have our own flaws."
- Trev
Cebu-based Hip-Hop Artist TREV has recently dropped his apologetic, emotional tune "Stars", a track that touches on the regret we feel when we make mistakes in a relationship, apologizing for them, and trying to come out of it with optimism. "Stars is an apologetic song admitting that in whatever relationship you may have with another person you both hurt each other but through time just like the stars, everything will be all right", TREV says in his own words.
Best known for singing and rapping on his own R&B/Hip-hop tracks, TREV states how this song is a continuation of his recent releases, "Damage" and "Fallin' Off", TREV elaborates on this, stating that "In Damage, the story of the track was more of using my pride against someone that I cared about just to prove a point...in "Stars", I take a more apologetic tone saying that I know we both hurt each other, but through time everything will be all right".
Production-wise, the artist worked with his close friend Francis Snare, a.k.a Snare along with mixing engineer Carlisle Tabañera and mastered by Camilo Silva. The main production element of the piano really ties in the emotional element of the song, and TREV mentions how "the tone of the piano has this rather sad but hopeful tune to it which matches the theme". As a listener, I could identify this element immediately, welcomed with the nostalgic piano chords as the song starts, it sets a mellow and heart-felt tone for the rest of the track and pulls you in emotionally.
Becoming a part of the Warner family this year as well as working as a writer under Beat This, a sub-project of the label has helped TREV to meet and work with a lot of those in the music family. "Being signed to Warner as a distribution artist was a really big thing for me", he adds.
Releasing catchy tunes for the last few years and eventually joining the Warner label, TREV has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. This is evident with his success milestones, such as being interviewed on MYX, the popular Philippine music channel, making it on Spotify playlists like the Viral Top 50, Beats & Rhymes, and landing on multiple radio channels. This artist is sure to have an exciting career ahead of him.
"The way I see my songs is sort of like the story of my life, when you listen to my releases in chronological order you will see how my life has been for the past 3 years. Mostly I write about relationships and different life experiences that I had such as when I lived the party life and then having an antisocial phase right after." - TREV on his journey with music.
The cohesiveness of how this artist likes to paint a story with each release is something to be admired and TREV plans on dropping his next track "Telephone" in September, following with "Lost Me" in November, a song that will conclude the story of these songs, he states.
When asked where his inspiration lies, TREV expresses that "there are a lot of artists that inspire me my music taste, [stretching] from 60's music to 80's music all the way to today's current generation of music." TREV is a great example of how artists nowadays can combine and mesh genres to create their unique sounds, because of their ability and open-mindedness to listen to different types of music. Aside from putting his energy into creating a story with his music, the artist states how "the art only feeds the soul not the body," and fellow musicians should "learn the business if [they] want to succeed in this industry."
In discovering TREV's music, I have found that his sound and ability to display his emotions help to make his music feel relatable and honest, an element which listeners truly look for, music being a tool of coping and a way to soothe for many, if not all. "I show conflict as a recurring theme in my music, I show the good and bad parts about me as a person because as people we all have our own flaws. Learn to accept it and deal with it" he very poetically proclaims.
With his discipline and strong work ethic alongside his passion for music and the portrayal of a story of emotion and journey, TREV is sure to continue his journey up the ladder of music success. Be sure to check out his newest track "Stars", a beautiful song about forgiveness and rising out of the deep end with positivity for the future.
About The Author
For Stephanie, her passion for writing has always been there, whether it was writing poetry, songs, essays or articles. Over the years, her involvement as a Singer-Songwriter in the Philippine music community combined with her passion for a wide variety of music makes her a great ear for hearing which arising artists stand out. She is currently making music with the pop electronic band SYLAS.
