Jayda Avanzado at a listening party for her new album 'Sad Girl Hours.' Josh Mercado

MANILA -- Jayda Avanzado, the daughter of OPM legends Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado, is hoping to create her own pop lane with the release of her new album “Sad Girl Hours” under Universal Music Group Philippines.

The music company recently organized a listening party in Quezon City, where Avanzado revealed the meaning behind the newly-released album, highlighting her heartbreak, healing, and growth.

"This project was I guess just like a culmination of everything I’ve done so far, and just probably my proudest moment yet as an artist. I always write about heartbreak and love and I always like to challenge myself in terms of the themes that I like to write about,” she said.

“I always think about what is it that I want to say with each and every of my song because I’d like to consider my songs to be purposeful in every way.”

Defining what a sad girl means, the 21-year old artist explained, “Everything here was very intentional. We wanted you guys to get to know my core as a person. Bakit ba ako tinatawag na sad girl? Tayong mga sad girl — it all stems from the universal theme of wanting to be loved. We all seek validation, we all seek to be validated.”

She also discussed her realization after doing the album — from the songs to visuals. “It’s just about waiting for that right moment, right experience. Talagang nag-iba ang pananaw ko pagdating sa pag-ibig, pagdating sa buhay, sa friendship. Pain teaches you so many things. Ang dami ko ring natutunan sa sarili ko at sa mga pagkakamali ko,” she said.

During the listening party, her parents were teary-eyed, supporting and praising her. When asked about the lessons she got from her parents, the “Pambansang Sad Girl” told ABS-CBN News: “My dad has always taught me to have a teachable spirit always. You can never go wrong with learning and having an open mind to learning new things from new people.”

She continued: “Have the right work ethic and treat everybody with respect. My mom taught me that you don’t always have to be kind, you just have to be respectful. I treat everyone with the same level of respect.”

Hoping to work with The Juans and Pablo of SB19, the pop artist also told ABS-CBN News that she loves telling other artists how much she loves them.

“Sa local, one of the artists that I do look up to is si Ate Yeng Constantino. I really love her. She did teach me a few things about songwriting as well that I still use,” she said.

“I wanna work with The Juans. Mapanakit din ang mga kanta nila. I admire them. Another person that I’d like to work with si Pablo of SB19. I met him way back in 2021. I spoke with him actually about working together during my dad’s concert. Hopefully that ends up well. I love telling other artists how much I love them,” she said.=

Produced by Toothless and Universal Music Group Philippines, “Sad Girl Hours” album is out now on Apple Music, Spotify, and other digital music platforms.

Included in the album are “Loved for Once,” “Slowburn,” “IDILY,” “A.M.,” Right Lover, Wrong Time,” “Rocket Science,” “Lumimot Sa’yo,” and “Sad Girl Anthem.”