Tilaluha

Tilaluha is the debut song of SB19. A ballad written in Filipino that was meant to capture the hearts of the Filipino people. Sadly, this song didn't get the attention it deserved because of the prejudice that many people have against the group. So, let's dive into the emotional song that is Tilaluha.

First, the title. It is a combination of two words: Tila and Luha. In English, luha (loo-ha) is tears, while tila (tee-la) has two meanings. When someone says: Sa pagtila ng ulan, it translates to when the rain stopped, but the word can also be used in a sentence like this: Siya ay tila bituin sa langit, which translates to She's like a star in the sky. The word tila in that sentence was used to compare a person to a star. In the song, Tilaluha, the title translates to stop crying.

This is not an ordinary love song that tells you to keep holding on to that love even if it kills you, because the truth is, that is not love but fear. The fear of being abandoned and alone, and the fear of uncertainty. When it is true that loving means giving your all and fighting the hardest battles for the people you love, it also means knowing when to let go. If you truly love someone, you would know if it is their best interest that you have in your heart, which means you would know when to walk away. It is not defeat or weakness, but strength that even if it tears you to pieces, you will gladly let them go to make them happy.

At the beginning of the song, one asks the question of how to move on when loving the person is all that he knows. What happens to all the dreams they built together? The hopes and goals they set for each other? Why does it have to end? Can't they stay in each other's arms? It is a terrifying thought for someone who dedicated his whole heart to one person. Like removing the air around you or the light that guides you. It would feel like death, but worse. With these terrifying thoughts, you would start to question yourself. Why do you have to go through all this pain? Why do you have to love someone who is bound to leave you in the end? Are you not worthy of true and unconditional love? Are you not worth staying for?

But this song does not only dwell on the pain of being left behind.

"Unti-unting lunurin ang aking nadarama

O buhos ng ulan 'wag nang tumila pa

Paano nga ba mapapawi labis na pagdurusa

Kung wala nang pag-asa turuan mo naman akong limutin ka"

There's the underlying message of acceptance, something that every one of us must learn. You can't stay in the gutter forever. Eventually, you have to stand up again and look at the horizon. You may be bruised and bloodied from the battle you fought, but it's all in the past now. This time, you can take your time to heal and mend your wounds to prepare for your next battle. Yes, there will always be a next battle, a next Tilaluha, and all you can do is fight the good fight. In the end, if you lose, the only thing you can do is to move on, even when it's the hardest thing to do.