With ‘Nasusunog,’ dwta sparks a fire that refuses to be put out

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The Bicolana artist's new single marks a new era that brings out a bolder, fiercer side of dwta

MANILA, Philippines – Days after the release of “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire),” I met with dwta over Zoom to chat about the new single.

Her hair was bright red — which already told me that this was a new era for her. This was an indication I picked up after watching dwta’s sets and speaking to her in person.

The first time I watched dwta live was at Wanderland 2024. She kicked off the festival’s performances in the scorching March heat, sporting muted pink hair with an acoustic guitar in tow.

She would then perform at Rappler Live Jam for the first time in person (her first time being an online episode), rocking a completely different hair color: turquoise. At this time, it had been just a little over a month after she dropped “Pauwi Na ‘Ko (Dito Ka Na Lang),” a feel-good track about coming home to Bicol, her hometown.

Dwta returned to the Live Jam stage months later in February 2025 to play her collaboration with SB19’s justin: “Sampung Mga Daliri,” a mellow take on the classic Filipino lullaby.

Here, her hair was still turquoise, but her natural roots were beginning to show, which was perhaps an indication of the fiery chaos that was to come in the following months with “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire).”

Burning calmly but persistently

“Nasusunog” was conceived at a songwriting session in February, where dwta was surrounded by a handful of artists and producers from across the globe.

Right off the bat, dwta already knew she wanted something bolder, fiercer, and a lot different from her past releases. Enter the Western phrase, “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” which would become the song’s central theme.

There was only one thing left to do, then: to trauma dump, as dwta playfully referred to it.

“Nag-trauma dumping na kami ng mga personal experiences namin pagdating sa mga taong manipulative, sinungaling, at kung ano-ano pa. Kaya nabuo rin namin ‘yung [kanta],” she told Rappler.

(We trauma dumped about our personal experiences when it comes to manipulative people, liars, and everything else. That’s how we formed the song.)

“Nasusunog (Pants on Fire),” then, portrays a form of wrath that burns calmly but persistently — allowing dwta to get vulnerable, but maintain the serenity she’s built over the years.

It’s an ode to who dwta is as a human — she isn’t the type of person to get angry easily, she tells me. She explained that if there were any instances when she couldn’t contain her anger, she had probably already forgotten why.

Rediscovery

Writing songs that dig into the depths of her experiences isn’t new to dwta. She’s done it before. It was really just a matter of rediscovering this part of her artistry.

“‘Yung song na ‘to, hindi rin siya totally bago sa’kin since I’ve written dark songs and progressive songs before. Kaya hindi na rin siya nalalayo sa mga sinusulat ko dati. Naghanap na rin lang ako ng magandang timing para mag-sulat ulit, or mag-release ulit ng songs na katulad ng ‘Nasusunog,'” she said.

(This song isn’t totally new to me since I’ve written dark and progressive songs before. That’s why it’s not far from what I’ve written before. I just sought for the perfect time to get back into writing these kinds of songs again, or to release songs like “Nasusunog.”)

As dwta gets back into this brand of storytelling, she holds true that “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire)” isn’t just for her — it’s for everyone who has yet to come to terms with feeling anger for a change.

The cover art for dwta’s “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire).” Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Philippines

“It’s okay na magalit ka at ipakita mo ‘yung mga emosyon mo, lalo na sa mga kababaihan. ‘Pag pinapakita mo ‘yung mga opinyon mo, sinasabi mo ‘yung thoughts mo, ang tingin nila sa’yo is disrespectful, o parang wala tayong voice para sabihin ‘yun,” dwta explained.

(It’s okay to get angry and show your emotions, especially for us women. When you state your opinions or share your thoughts, people think you’re disrespectful or aren’t equipped with the right voice to say that.)

“Pero pinapakita na hindi siya ‘yung sumasabog e, hindi siya ‘yung sumisigaw. It’s burning softly, hindi nakakasira ng tao, hindi nakakadestroy,” she added.

(But “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire)” shows the kind of anger that isn’t explosive, it isn’t the type that screams. It’s burning softly, and doesn’t destroy people or others.)