Tune in to this week's episode of Face to Fame featuring the incredibly talented Filipino singer-songwriter and rapper, JOSH CULLEN!
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MusicTranscript
00:00So I was always hiding in the darkness, trying to, you know, fortitude myself, my emotional, of course, capacity and everything, just my knowledge in life, in my skills, and just in general.
00:23Hi, how have you been? That's the first question I want to know.
00:28I've been doing really great, I think I'm doing great, but you know, lots of work, and I've been having no sleep at all lately.
00:41Yeah, as long as I'm having fun, then I think I'm great, I'm doing okay.
00:57Yes, hello everyone, hello Shopfest, this is Josh Cullen, I'm from the Philippines, and yeah, I'm an R&B, hip-hop, no, I actually do a lot of genres, so it's kind of current too, you know.
01:11But you can listen to my music, it's available on all platforms, YouTube, Spotify, and everything.
01:16So Philippines, it's not that far from Malaysia, so have you been to Malaysia though?
01:21Yes, I just went to Malaysia like a week ago, I think, or maybe well, yeah, I went there for the inauguration of the Central Resort, it's a Filipino, actually, cultural establishment.
01:38Do you ever want or ever consider to come to Malaysia for a concert or, you know, a fan meet here with your fans?
01:47Yeah, definitely, I would really want to, you know, meet the fans, and of course, do a lot of collaborations and try, you know, some great food out there, because I didn't get to roam around, because I just went there for like a couple of days, I think, two days, and then went back to, you know, my country for some schedules.
02:10But I would really love to have a concert in Malaysia very soon.
02:17Congratulations on your Kona, I've heard the song, it's wonderful. So tell us a little bit about the song.
02:25Well, it is, honestly, a breakup song. Well, it is all about, you know, having to the point that where you could not, like, endure everything, the heartbreaks, the arguments, and all those stuff ongoing with your relationship that you have to give it up,
02:45even though you love the person, but you have to, at least, are you thinking that, you know, the sanity of yourself.
02:56In the song, you mentioned, you know, the feeling of exhaustion and also confusion in a relationship. Do you personally deal with these feelings or emotions in real life?
03:08Well, you know what, I've had these kinds of situations before, so I'm not gonna lie.
03:16And that's where I told myself where, well, maybe I could write the song about it because not a lot of people talks about it.
03:28But, you know, I think it's one of the songs that you wouldn't be able to, like, dance while listening to the song that it's, oh, it's a heartbreaking song, but you want to dance into it.
03:43So, I worked with my producer and tried incorporating all the things that has been happening on our minds. And then, yeah, it's just magic, you know.
03:57I think the final output of the music was really nice because we started it with, you know, the sounds of, like, bottles, even bottles breaking, glasses falling, and those kinds of clock tickings.
04:15We managed to even put it in the music video as a reference for the audience to see how it looks like in a toxic relationship. How would you visualize a toxic relationship that you would want to give up?
04:31Besides, you know, your feelings, your emotions, what's the most unexpected or unusual source of inspiration you've drawn from when writing music?
04:43Just anywhere, honestly, just anywhere. Even when I breathe, even when I sleep, even when I eat, I can think of anything, you know.
04:52Everything is an inspiration, I think, to every musician and every writer out there.
04:59You just have to really be authentic, like something, you know.
05:07You won't be able to replicate the experiences that you've had.
05:14Sometimes you can, of course, ask for your friends' opinions and their experiences and write them as, you know, someone who would narrate their stories.
05:25But yeah, I get inspirations just from everywhere, even when I take a bath or even when I wipe my face off. It's just fun.
05:36The little, little things, the simple things in life that gives you inspiration.
05:41If you had to choose one song to represent your life's journey so far, what would it be and why?
05:48A song that would represent my journey?
05:52It wouldn't be anything. It would be Wild Tonight, still.
05:58Why?
06:00Because I wrote that song, you know, I don't really show off anything about myself.
06:06When I was not writing music before, so during Wild Tonight, my debut single, I wrote the line where I said,
06:19In the darkness, hiding. So I was always hiding in the darkness, trying to, you know, fortitude myself, my emotional, of course, capacity and everything, just my knowledge in life, in my skills, just in general.
06:38So yeah, right now, I think I'm getting there and I'm more confident to show myself to the world.
06:46If there's, you know, one skill or any talent outside of music that you've always wanted to master and what is it and how do you think would it influence your music career?
07:00If there's anything, any skills that you've always wanted to try?
07:04Yeah, I think it would be playing piano.
07:08I know how to play piano, but it's one of the frustrations that I've been having ever since.
07:18So I really, I could really use, you know, all the knowledge to play piano so I would be able to produce better because I do it digitally.
07:27And if I don't know how to, you know, do music theory with all those complicated stuff, I ask for friends, like my producer friends, my other producer team to play it for me.
07:43But if I have the certain knowledge just to be good at piano, it would be really helpful for me.
07:52I mean, you still have time, you can learn.
07:54I know, I've been trying, you know, I've been trying, so just keep on learning.
08:01Talking about your fans, what is, you know, other passion or hobbies that fans might not know about you?
08:10Let's get a VR, I have to think, maybe I can answer it later.
08:14Okay, we'll answer it later.
08:16Okay, so we're playing a game.
08:18I'm going to give you a statement.
08:22So you got to tell us if it's shock or not.
08:26So if it's not shock, then you say tak shock.
08:30Example, how about singing loudly in public?
08:39Shock.
08:41Okay, that's shock for you.
08:44Okay, a taco, do you eat it sideways?
08:50Is it shock?
08:52Yeah, a taco.
08:54Do you eat it sideways?
08:56Tak shock.
08:58Really?
08:59How do you eat it?
09:00I don't know.
09:02Wouldn't it fall sideways?
09:04It will kind of fall, but it fits in your mouth better.
09:08Okay, gotcha.
09:10So it's shock shock.
09:12You're just like me.
09:15Okay, wearing a pyjama every day, including to a wedding?
09:22Tak shock.
09:24It's comfortable, I would.
09:27Well, I mean, I would wear it on a wedding day, but not every day.
09:36So I believe that hot dogs are sandwiches.
09:41Are they sandwiches?
09:43Hot dogs.
09:45Okay, what about wearing flip flops as a formal footwear?
09:51Shock shock.
09:52Okay.
09:54Oh, you're good.
09:56You know how to use la correctly.
10:00Spaghetti with a spoon instead of a fork?
10:05A lot of our dishes with our bare hands, we just end up eating it.
10:11With spaghetti, I think it could work, but I prefer with a fork.
10:19Okay, last one.
10:21Ice cream is an acceptable breakfast option.
10:26You eat ice cream for breakfast.
10:28Yeah, shock.
10:29I agree.
10:30Shock.
10:31Definitely.
10:32Okay, you still owe me another hobby or passion.
10:45I think one of the hobbies that I had is I like buying second-hand things.
10:53Drifting?
10:54Yeah.
10:56Drifting.
10:58There are lots of money that we have been wasting in brand new stuff.
11:04There are lots of treasures to find in drifting.
11:08Now that we're at the end of the interview, what do you want to say to all your Malaysian fans?
11:14Oh, hello, everyone. Hello, my Malaysian fans and everyone who has been supporting me ever since.
11:22I really, really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
11:27Even though I don't go there often, you still support me.
11:32I really want to meet you guys in the future and perform.
11:37I haven't performed in a public event there yet, but I can't wait to see your faces, your smiles.
11:44I just love you, everyone. I love you all.
11:48Let's have fun soon.
11:51Bye.