By Lara Charmaine Lagorra
OPM band The Juans filled the room with music and emotion during their sold-out “In the Room Live” event held at Creative Studios, Ayala Vertis North, last April 22, 2025.
The intimate showcase marked the premiere of their latest single, “Ngiti,” alongside a short film-style music video that highlights themes of hope, healing, and second chances.
In an interview with the Philippine Star, lead guitarist Japs Mendoza shared that the track focuses on the gradual process of healing rather than instant recovery.
“Makikita natin na hindi tayo agad lumalakas. Unti-unti. And just give it time. And that’s Ngiti,” he said.
Echoing this sentiment, keyboardist and leader Carl Guevarra said the song reflects the band’s mindset of finding joy even in difficult situations.
“As a group, we always find a reason to laugh and smile, no matter how tough and challenging situations we face. In that very basic sense, we live by the song in small moments. You can always find a reason to smile,” he said.
Carl also added that one of the key messages of the song is to value life, especially in the face of adversity.
“If there’s one lesson that I want people to get from it, it’s to value life. We see the characters in the music video who went through an accident, and their reason to smile is because they believe they still have a chance at life,” he stated.
The short film’s main leads, starring former Pinoy Big Brother housemates Dustin Yu and Bianca de Vera, collectively known as “DustBia,” also shared their sentiments and experiences working with the band.
“It’s really an honor. Of course, it’s our first time working with The Juans and grabe, such a breeze working with them,” Bianca said.
Dustin also praised the group’s passion for their craft and their fans.
“Kakaibang experience nung paggawa nila ng mga kanta nila, may hugot at nararamdaman talaga namin. Nilagyan talaga nila ng puso ang kanilang trabaho. Grabe kung paano sila magmahal sa mga fans nila. Sobrang nakaka-inspire,” he shared.
The two also noted how hands-on the band was throughout the creative process of the music video.
“Besides na mapangiti sila, sana some of them [the fans] can sort of relate to the story. Sana rin maka-hugot sila ng inspiration. I hope this music video also gives them some sort of hope,” Bianca added.
As “Ngiti” continues to gain traction online, The Juans are also gearing up for a major milestone in their career on their upcoming Europe tour, set to begin on May 31.
“Finally, to be in the room with them face to face, we look forward to sharing moments that we will all remember for the rest of our lives,” the band shared.
Bassist Chael Adriano assured fans that they will bring both heartfelt and uplifting performances on tour.
“Asahan niyo na gagawin namin yung best namin para hindi lang kayo saktan sa mga hugot songs na ginagawa namin, pero mapangiti din tayo sa happy songs namin,” he said.
The short film music video for “Ngiti” is now streaming on The Juans’ official YouTube channel.
