Sam Cruz Talks Her New Single Umiibig Pa Rin | FreebieMNL

Getting To Know Sam Cruz and Her New Single ‘Umiibig Pa Rin’


Like her mother, she’s a ray of sunshine.


Five minutes before I was to log into Zoom, I was sweating bullets. Not only because of my Snuggie but because I was due to interview Sam Cruz. Yes, the daughter of actress Sunshine Cruz.

Interviewing celebrities isn’t my forte. Add to that the fact that Sam is showbiz royalty, I felt intimidated going into the interview. I tried not to show how nervous I was, but I’m sure Sam noticed. She never lost her cheerful disposition. Sam acted like her mother throughout the interview. She was an absolute ray of sunshine. (Get it?)

I was tongue-tied in the beginning, but I managed to ask her some basic questions about her life.

Sam didn’t always like having famous parents. But now she sees it as a good thing because it made her work harder. “At first it was hard. I felt a lot of pressure. But I learned how to manage it. I’m working to build a name of my own. I want people to know me as myself, not only as the daughter of Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz. But I still want to make them proud of me,” she says of her parents.


How Sam Cruz and I clicked

Sam admits that it’s hard to juggle everything she has to do. She said there have been many times when she had an acting gig and a quiz on the same day. At the time of the interview, she was on vacation from school. She’ll be in grade 12 next school year. Before Sam told me that, I had no idea how old she was. Based on the maturity and poise she exuded, I assumed she was older than me. (I’m 19.) Finding out that she was 17 years old threw me for a loop. A pleasant one, mind you.

When she and I realized that we belong to the same age group, both of us loosened up. That’s when the interview became far less nerve-wracking. That’s when I saw how down-to-earth she actually is. Like any other Gen-Z kid, Sam’s all about the craziest TikTok videos and the latest slang.

We talked about her latest single “Umiibig Pa Rin.” Sam told me that it’s about loving someone despite your differences. “When I listened to the demo for the first time, I knew it would be my first Filipino song.”

Sam also writes her own songs. “For me, it’s not the lyrics that come first. I listen to a beat or a melody, and I come up with lyrics as I go on. I make them up on the spot and fix them later. It helps if I’m so into the beat,” she says.

When I asked if she has any projects on the horizon, she said she hopes to release an album, EP, or even another single soon.


Sam on love and relationships

Sam is an inspired young woman. Her inspiration comes from her emotions and the emotions of others. She’s empathic. That means her creativity is real because it comes from within. But speaking of emotions, I wanted to know if she’s been in love. I asked her to spill the relationship tea. Her reply threw me for a loop again.

“I’ve talked to people, but I’m not allowed to have a boyfriend yet,” she reveals. “Mom allows me to have mga manliligaw, but bawal pa official boyfriends till I’m 18. Pero sabi niya hindi porket 18 na ako eh mag-bo-boyfriend ako agad.”

Sam also said that while “Umiibig Pa Rin” is about giving in to one’s feelings, she’s not the type to do that. She’s more careful when it comes to love. “I like getting to know people. Even if they like me, I have to learn more about them first. I can’t give in kaagad.”

As you can see, Sam took her mother’s advice on relationships to heart. That’s another thing she and I have in common. We both listen to our mothers, and we both want to follow in their footsteps.


Sam Cruz, closet rapper?

One fun fact about Sam is her love for female hip-hop artists. “I don’t see myself as a rapper, but I can rap. I like to sing along to Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, and oh my gosh, Doja Cat!” she exclaimed. I’m something of a hip-hop fan myself, so that was when she and I bonded.

The interview ended on a high note. We laughed our asses off. We rapped, sang, and talked about our favorite hip-hop artists. Before she signed off, she said, “You are the first person who interviewed me who would ever do that. Ever. I had so much fun!” Considering how nervous I was when we started, hearing those words from her made me happy.

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To those who want to build careers in music, Sam says, “Keep at it. I never thought I’d be in this position. Five years ago I thought I’d be singing in front of my titas or in the shower for the rest of my life. I didn’t think I’d ever be on ASAP. Don’t give up and, as corny as it may sound, keep working on your craft.”

Stream “Umiibig Pa Rin” by Sam Cruz on Spotify!

Featured Image Daniella Sison

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