A pool of memories is what this album is. A handwritten love letter from the corridors of his high school, Kuya Clint gives you the cosy blanket of RnB music with lo-fi vibes surrounded by whispers of love.
The sound of this LP is tender, with hints of nostalgia sprinkled throughout each track. With his heartwarming moments in time, Kuya brings you his ten sentimental and soulful tunes for the romantics and the dreamers.
The album starts with a special moment at a 'Prom Night'. In contrast to the soothing melody and Kuya's relaxing voice, there are intense feelings of connection and joy in this song. Kuya finds harmony in slow dancing together with his partner. He feels incredibly happy and content to have his companion close as they are wrapped in each other's arms.
He loves to admire the beautiful eyes of his other half and is fascinated by the way the light hits her eyes. It's a moment of pure bliss and intimacy, where time seems to stand still for Kuya. He holds a strong desire to hold onto and cherish these happy moments forever.
Despite the pressures of everyday life, like classes and tests, Kuya knows that these moments are the ones he'll always remember fondly. It's the magic and romance of a prom night, where the world fades away, and all that matters is being together with someone special.
The minimalist approach to the sound of electronic elements gives a soft glow to the mix. The R&B rhythm gives the fleeting sweetness to this album like cotton candy for your ears. Kuya's idea of less is more fits perfectly with the theme of the album as these compositions have a strong emotional influence alongside the lyrics.
The title track 'Highschool Sweetheart' comes next, recalling the time of Kuya and his love as high school sweethearts. This song symbolises his feeling of being deeply in love and the desire to be with his sweetheart forever.
For his sweetheart, Kuya is ready to face all the uncertainty and challenges that love can bring. He sings about being surrounded by his partner's warmth and making love by the fireplace. The song becomes a medium of closeness that Kuya wants to cherish forever.
The dreamy yet subtle melodic instrumental and chord progression reflects the fleeting nature of young love. Even with the doubts and uncertainties, Kuya is determined to fight and wants to hold onto his relationship. He is ready to take the risk because he believes his love is worth it.
By calling her the highschool sweetheart, Kuya mentions a special bond shared between him and his partner. It's a declaration of love and commitment, stating that no matter what happens, his sweetheart will always hold a special place in his heart.
Kuya's love is also directly related to freedom. He encourages his partner to be herself and not be afraid to express her love openly, as they hold hands on their journey together.
Sadly, the next track isn't all sunshine and rainbows and Kuya seems to be in a relationship that has reached its breaking point. Here, he is reflecting on the mistakes he made and the consequences of his actions.
Right from the opening lines, 'Over' tells you how commitment and loyalty have failed to keep the relationship from deteriorating. With sadness, Kuya admits his part in pushing his partner away and gets consumed by regret and confusion.
He remembers how he met his true love during a difficult time. Despite the love they shared, it wasn't enough to keep the relationship from falling apart. Now, it's too late to truly appreciate that which can no longer be.
The music of this track compliments the gloom and yearning. It has a switch-up moment where the beat and melody change impact and key for a while. Kuya has his modest rap moments in this phase where he plays with rhythm and flow.
Continuing to contemplate the end of his relationship, Kuya lies awake at night, wondering if things could have been different if he had tried harder to save it. However, now that it's over, he's left with feelings of emptiness and remorse.
The problem is that Kuya is facing difficulty in moving on from the relationship. He's trying to distract himself with alcohol and reassurance but can't escape the pain and memories of his failed relationship. As relatable as it is for many, this song tells you how the cycle of arguments and misunderstandings becomes a vacuum from which a couple is unable to break free.
'Nothing to do' transforms the sentiment of the previous track into a positive arc. This is a song of reassurance and confidence. Kuya shows immense faith in his relationship and values his relationship so much that he would rather have arguments and disagreements than not have his partner by his side at all.
This song has an impressive spectrum of calming guitars and a traditional rhythm. Kuya's vocal range has elevation with all the magic sprinkled with diverse effects and articulations.
It represents the strength of their bond, how they always find their way back to each other and the fulfilment that comes with the idea of sharing their life. It's a song where Kuya finds happiness in the simplest moments.
You get to hear a plea for understanding and forgiveness in a strained relationship with 'Decay'. Kuya asks for a little time to find the right words to express his feelings and convince his partner to stay by his side.
Looking past the ups and downs of this relationship, you will find out that there were once good times shared between the two, but now it seems like those memories are being forgotten.
Kuya on the other hand still feels a strong connection and excitement when he kisses his partner, and that feeling is what motivates him to keep going in this relationship.
But his actions may have caused more harm, making things complicated along with a lack of trust. He finds out that his partner feels the need to leave because of him and even tells her to leave without any hesitation.
In the end, Kuya accepts the consequences of his actions, even if it means losing the person he loves.
With this next song, it is time to say goodbye. 'Everything' is Kuya's introspective song that reflects on the ongoing nature of his love, even as the seasons change, and expresses gratitude for the time he spent together with his beloved.
As the relationship keeps falling apart, Kuya asks to be held close one last time. Despite his love and efforts to make the relationship work, Kuya believes that his partner's heart may not belong to him and that holding on too tightly may only cause more pain. Together, they come to terms with the idea that loving someone sometimes means letting them go.
Departure becomes imminent, loneliness starts to creep in and the only thing that's left are the memories. What remains is a song of bittersweet farewell.
After all these tracks, the spotlight falls on a story of falling in love for the first time, capturing the excitement, uncertainty, and joy that come with discovering romantic feelings.
'Puppy Love' is song that musically matches the theme of this album and carries most of the elements from the previous tracks but adds a touch of pop.
It goes back to the days when Kuya noticed his crush in class, feeling a warm and calming glow when she entered the room. For him, her shyness, and her smile lights up the world, and he is drawn to her laughter and friendly demeanour.
Their friendship gradually matures into something deeper as they spend more time together, talking from early morning until late at night, and sharing meaningful glances away from everyone's sight.
With exhilaration and vulnerability, Kuya defines his emotions as "brand new", acknowledging that he's taking a chance to beat the odds in pursuit of love. Again, there is gratitude for her presence in his life and a willingness to navigate the challenges of love together.
The rhythm is faster with snappy beat, guitar and glossy bells. Kuya's voice goes to a higher range and holds innocence and wonder towards his first love.
The next song is probably one of the highlights of this album. 'whyareyoucrying?' is a banger of an interlude! The beat is classy, the bass is heavy and the vocals are otherworldly. It speaks to the pain of seeing someone you care about trapped in a difficult relationship.
In this song, Kuya offers a safe space for his friend to open up and share her feelings without fear of judgment. He motivates his friend to express her heartache and frustrations honestly, even if it means shedding tears.
Regardless of his friend's attempts to brush off the pain and pretend everything is okay, he sees through her mask. Kuya can sense the sadness in the eyes and offers comfort, wiping away the tears and reassuring that his friend is not alone.
From frustration to disappointment, Kuya is questioning why his friend stays with someone who only causes her pain. He shows empathy and support and wants his friend to have a better life filled with affection and care.
Featuring the voice of Loise Zymone Balmelero a.k.a Zy, 'Seeing Red' is the next song with an acoustic ambience. Zy's vocals are like fresh air, the sound of fond memories and heartbreak. It's the song of remembering the good times, sneaking out late at night, chasing dreams and dancing together.
Anyways, as this song continues, the reality starts to fade in. As time passed, doubts and insecurities made cracks in the strong bond of love. Apologies are offered but now it's too late to restore the damage done. The memories of the relationship are bittersweet, tinged with sadness and longing for what could have been.
As time passes, Kuya and Zy both represent people who learn from the experience, realizing that their love was a lesson to be learned from. They accept each other's pain and accept that it's best to move on, even though the memories linger.
The final track 'Streets' is about valuing genuine love over superficial relationships. It's a perfect end to this journey of highlighting the contrast between meaningful connection and empty encounters.
Many people are afraid of getting hurt again because of past experiences. For such people, there is always someone who understands and supports them, rather than letting them settle for shallow relationships.
Ending on the idea of loyalty and commitment, Kuya once again desires to be with someone who knows him deeply and shares a genuine connection. A decent chunk of Kuya's life is portrayed in this album. Every song has Kuya's passion for love which is authentic in contrast to the fleeting nature of casual encounters and the lack of satisfaction.
'Highschool Sweethearts' is a tale of a relationship that goes from the tender moments of prom night to the pain of heartbreak. It celebrates the beauty in life's messiness. It goes through nostalgia, joy, and resilience with the most important message of treasuring the memories of love.