Brilliant Songstress Nicole Laurel Explores why Forbidden Things are Sweeter in her Next Single “Bawal”

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It is an age-old temptation, struggling towards the forbidden. Conflicted, not because it is hard to obtain, but because hearts and minds will always be at odds against each other.

Nicole asks, “Bakit nga ba masarap ang bawal?”

When Nicole Laurel returned to the recording cycle a while back, she never stopped writing. Dozens of songs are currently in progress, and this latest one is a common thought brought to its musical existence.

In "Bawal," Nicole collaborates with an equally talented musician she has known for almost a decade, multi-instrumentalist Gabe Dandan. In an impromptu jam, Gabe put down his guitar and ran his fingers through the keys. It was practically instantaneous, doing the initial songwriting when Nicole hummed the melody and provided the first lyrics. In less than an hour, "Bawal" started to take its form. Nicole shares, "The song is a simple, slow, soulful blend of sultriness and the melancholy of desiring something you can't have."

It was only natural that great musicians joined in. Additional creative energies that flowed in birthing Bawal were from Otep Concepcion (Drums), Rommel de la Cruz (Bass), Ted Amper (Cello), Lester Sorilla (Trumpet), Mike Luis (Vocal Arrangement, Backup Vocals). Gabe Dandan added guitar, percussion, backup vocals, and his production prowess. Wildgrass Studios became the venue for creating the track. Post-production was led by mixing engineer Angee Rozul, and the music was mastered in Dolby Atmos by Waxified Sound Production.

Gabe recalls that writing with Nicole's improvisational style for the track brought out ease in becoming his best. He adds, "Nicole encourages that environment. Her brain is like a factory for making lyrics, the workflow is seamless, and that doesn't always happen with everyone."

Indeed, "Bawal" reminds us of countless memories of things we might regret but hold dear. Bittersweet maybes, which we'd rather recount as more sweet than bitter.

Soon, we'll have another track, Executively Produced excellently by Nicole. I anticipate a bit of pain when I hear Nicole's first words in the song, and I rest easy knowing there will be many more songs to come in the following months.

BAWAL is Produced by: Gabe Dandan / Nicole Laurel Asensio
Executive Produced by: Nicole Laurel Asensio
Mix and Mastered in Dolby Atmos by Waxified Sound Production
Distributed by: Warner Music Philippines

Catch it on October 28 on all digital platforms!

Check out Nicole Laurel's social media on:
Nicole Asensio (Spotify)
Nicole Asensio (Apple Music)
Nicole Asensio (Youtube)
Nicole Laurel Asensio (FB page)
@nicoleasensio (IG)

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