The birit-heavy song “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” had its pop culture moment in 2022. But before Morisette’s cover for it went viral and became the go-to song for emoting on TikTok, the song was originally Sheryn Regis’ cathartic emotional release as she worked her way into accepting her own sexual identity when it first came out in Sept. 2021.
At a recent press conference for her upcoming 20th anniversary concert called “All Out,” the 43-year-old singer opened up about the battle within herself that inspired “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw.” Regis recalls, “The song goes, ‘Umiiyak gabi-gabi / Walang tinig na naririnig / Nakikipaglaban sa digmaan na talunan / Hanggang kailan / Talo na, pagod na.’ I was compelled to write that down in my journal because I was really tired.”
Regis came out as a lesbian in Dec. 2021 and publicly announced her relationship with partner Mel De Guia. But before that, she spent years questioning who she truly was. “Sino ka ba? Why are you denying yourself? I just wanted to let go. Sometimes, I look at myself in the mirror. What I see is Sheryn Regis. But what if I strip that off? Who am I?” she said about her inner turmoil.
Regis also shared that she realized that she was attracted to women when she was 14 but suppressed it due to her Catholic upbringing and further retreated into herself when she entered showbiz, fearing it would harm her career.
But come out she did, in part due to her perspective-changing experience after undergoing a complete thyroidectomy after her stage 2 thyroid cancer diagnosis. Her coming out story gave her own daughter Sweety Echiverri the “guts and comfort” to come out as bisexual.
“There was a time when she cut her hair, dressed like a boy and had a girlfriend. After that, she wanted to be a girly girl and she had a boyfriend. And we just let her be,” Regis said. “It can take time to understand or accept your child, because you might feel like it has something to do with your parenting. But it doesn’t.”
It’s been a tough couple of years for Regis but it’s evident that she’s in a much happier place 20 years into her career. Will you be watching her belt the gay girl ballad “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” live at her concert on July 8?
Photo from Sheryn Regis’ Instagram
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