“ako naman muna” marks syd hartha’s gentle rebirth

Singer-songwriter syd hartha finds freedom in letting go.

After a string of soul-baring releases that explored vulnerability and the slow work of healing, syd hartha returns with “ako naman muna,” a song that marks a subtle but striking shift. It’s not an anthem of heartbreak, nor a declaration of independence, it’s something gentler: the sound of choosing yourself, quietly, after all the noise has faded.

The track, released under Sony Music Entertainment, feels like a small sigh of relief: bossa nova brushes, Manila Sound warmth, a touch of bedroom pop glow. It’s music for mid-afternoon light… tender, nostalgic, but with a steady pulse that refuses to stay sad for too long.

“I wrote ‘ako naman muna’ after my first time experiencing a situationship,” syd says. “As a lover girl at heart, I kept giving so much of myself to someone who made me believe we wanted the same thing. It took me a while to realize that wasn’t the case.”

Not bitter, just older

She laughs at the memory now, not bitter, just older. What she’s left with is the lesson that self-love, no matter how overused the phrase sounds, still hits hardest when learned the hard way. “It broke me, but it also inspired me to make it up to myself… to give the same kind of love I kept giving away back to me instead.”

Unlike most breakup songs, “ako naman muna” doesn’t wallow. Its soft percussion and airy horns build a rhythm that feels more like dancing alone than crying in your car. “The lyrics are already emotional,” syd explains. “So I wanted the sound to be the opposite: light, easy, fun. Because there’s joy and freedom in finally waking up, in realizing your worth.”

Doing right by oneself

There’s something almost cinematic about the contrast: heartbreak rendered in pastels, pain softened by groove. It’s that duality that has defined syd since her earliest releases, vulnerable but composed, tender but assured. In “ako naman muna,” she doesn’t just survive; she learns to float.

“This song shows how much I deal with pain now,” she adds. “Instead of letting shame or heartbreak weigh me down, I try to see things as lessons, not punishments. It’s about doing the right thing for yourself, and how freeing that can feel.”

After years of introspection, “ako naman muna” feels like a reset. The sound of an artist, and a woman, who’s learned that healing doesn’t have to hurt so much… It can sound like sunshine, too.

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