Eight years after Sarah Geronimo popularized the acclaimed movie theme, its songwriter finally shares the deeply personal version that inspired the beloved composition
Nearly eight years after writing “Isa Pang Araw” the acclaimed theme song for the blockbuster film Miss Granny, Filipino singer-songwriter, composer, and producer Miguel Mendoza is finally recording his own version of the award-winning ballad that was born during one of the most emotionally challenging periods of his life.
First performed by Sarah Geronimo for the 2018 movie, “Isa Pang Araw” quickly became one of the era’s most beloved film theme songs. It went on to win the 2019 Awit Award for Best Song Written and Performed for a Movie/TV/Stage Play and received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 67th FAMAS Awards. This time, Mendoza revisits the celebrated composition not only as its creator but also as its performer, offering a deeply personal interpretation that brings listeners closer to the emotions and experiences that inspired the song.
Selfie with Miguel Mendoza
Hearing Miguel Mendoza sing his own song gives it a more personal and heartfelt meaning. It shows that music can reflect a person’s journey and that even difficult moments can turn into something meaningful that continues to inspire others.
Some songs begin as assignments. For Mendoza, however, “Isa Pang Araw” ultimately became something far more personal. Faced with the challenge of writing another piece, he found himself drawing from a deeply emotional period following the passing of his father. The longing for one more conversation, one more embrace, and one more day together became the foundation of what would eventually be one of the biggest hits of 2019.
“I wasn’t simply trying to write another song for the film,” Mendoza shares. “At that point in my life, I was grieving the loss of my father, and I found myself writing from a place of longing. Isa Pang Araw became my way of expressing everything I wished I could still say and every moment I wished I could relive.”
Now, Mendoza revisits the composition through the perspective of the person who first lived its story. Far from reinterpretation, Mendoza describes the release as a homecoming: an opportunity to honor both the journey behind the song and the people who have carried it with them through the years.
“For years, people connected with the song through Sarah’s beautiful performance, and I’m incredibly grateful for that,” he says. “But this recording is different because it allows listeners to hear the song from the voice of the person who experienced the emotions that inspired every lyric.”
Miguel Mendoza first rose to national attention as a finalist on Philippine Idol in 2006 and later emerged as the Third Star Dreamer of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 in 2009. Over the years, he has built a strong reputation as a songwriter, composer, and producer, creating music for some of the country’s top artists while also earning accolades in film, including the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Musical Score for One Great Love.
His rendition of “Isa Pang Araw” is now streaming on major digital music platforms worldwide through FlipMusic.
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