How Zack Tabudlo's girlfriend inspired his latest track 'Feel This Way'

Zack Tabudlo is in love, and he is telling the world in the best way he knows how: through his art.

The Filipino singer-songwriter dropped his latest single “Feel This Way” in mid-May, and the song is all about his girlfriend, Abby.

GMA News Online was able to speak with the artist, who we called a new classic; Zack’s songs have reached worldwide audiences because they're all raw and real and speak of young love in ways that touch others. But how does Zack love?

Zack and Abby’s love story started when the artist met her at a guitar center while he was on tour.

He was dared by his pianist to introduce himself and say hi, but Zack was already smitten.

“Usually, hindi ko ginagawa ko ‘yun [but] sabi ko, sige, let’s try,” he shared.

“She didn't really know me,” Zack added with a smile. “She didn't know me, she didn't know my music. Ang alam niya lang one or two songs lang. So parang, she broke that stereotype for me. Ang hirap kasi pag you're out there and they know you as a musician.”

“Feel This Way” hits different because according to Zack, love feels so much more real for him this time around.

Back in high school and college, Zack admitted that there were “madaming immaturities on my side” when it came to dating. “I didn't really know what love was talaga,” he said.

But with Abby, Zack said, “I never really felt this way towards someone, ‘yung ganto ka-fresh. It feels like something na feels really right talaga kasi my family also loves her. Her family is also like, in with me na rin and like connected with me. Both our families are really nice.”

“It feels nice to trust someone who appreciated me for who I am," he added. "And like, who saw me just because I was a regular person in a guitar center. Parang ganun yung feeling niya na sobrang fresh lang ng lahat and it feels like I’m starting all over again.”

Zack also said that his approach to love and relationships now is so much more different because of all that he’s been through in his personal life and in music.

“It was just perfect timing to have met Abby in a point where I know where my headspace is at and in terms of maturity parang nandun na din talaga.”

The track’s initial concept began in Singapore, which is the singer's favorite vacation spot. Zack enjoys spending time there to unwind and feel the country’s colorful energy. After that, it was officially written in Zack’s studio for four hours while he was on FaceTime with Abby.

“It's just showing how I feel towards her and like, I can really see my forever na talaga with my girlfriend now,” he said.

Although he is in love, Zack confessed that writing the song was a challenge, because he had always found it difficult to write when he’s happy because he doesn’t “really dive in too deep” into his emotions in that state. As compared to when he experiencing low emotions, he tends to overthink and imagining stories that could hurt him more, like how he was when he wrote “Pano.”

Zack said that this love is one that feels safe and colorful.

“When I wrote ‘Feel This Way,’ it felt like I was writing about home and I wasn't really thinking about it much,” he said. “I think about home. I think about Abby. I think about places where I feel safe and feel like I can like, relax and not think about the world, and just shut down for a few minutes.”

“It's really important to be authentic and genuine when it comes to writing the songs, kasi nararamdaman din ng tao when you're not real, alam mo ‘yun? People really dig deep into it and it's really hard to be vulnerable as well when it comes to making music. It's one of the hardest things I had to go through through the years of writing my own songs,” he added.

Zack said that when he finally had the courage to be vulnerable, audiences started to recognized his music more.

And Zack got real in “Feel This Way.” In fact, when Abby heard it for the first time, she couldn’t help but cry. Zack’s earlier release, “Pulso,” was also about Abby and she cried back then too.

He wanted to keep the song to himself and his girlfriend at first, but decided to release it because it felt right and “because I really love Abby with all my heart.”

“First time kasi na I wanted to brag my relationship," Zack said. "First time ko rin talaga magka girlfriend na official, so I wanted to like show her in the world na parang, ‘This is my girlfriend. For the very first time, I'm in love.'" —JCB, GMA Integrated News