Filipa doesn’t like to play games when it comes to relationships.
The South African singer/songwriter just dropped her new single “Do Something” last week — a song that she says “is about a specific person” and “comes from a positive viewpoint.” Postponing its release due to the Coronavirus pandemic, “Do Something” is the first release of the new decade for the artist, but certainly not the last. “Ever since I wrote it, I’ve really, really loved it and I’m super excited for people to hear it,” she says.
“When I wrote [‘Do Something’], I was going through a really frustrating type of pending relationship where I didn’t know what was happening. I was just sitting there in the studio talking about how I wish this guy would do something. [I thought], ‘if he likes me, just take it somewhere and do something about it,’ Filipa tells Celeb Secrets about the meaning behind the song. “I also wanted to take it from more of a positive viewpoint. I didn’t really want to be sad about it. I really wasn’t angry about it — I kind of was in a state of mind where I was just thinking, ‘I’m not mad; I’m not angry; I’m just kind of at the point where I was like please either just do something or not. I just want to move on with my life or not. It could be nice if you could.’ It’s also from an empowering point — I’m not afraid to let you know what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling so this is kind o my way of doing that.”
She adds, “The song itself is so precious to me because it’s a story that’s true to what I’m feeling and experienced and that becomes more of my baby in a sense because this is me actually putting my heart and feelings in a song and handing it out. I get very protective over it in a sense that I want to share it and be able to do it in a way that I feel it kind of needs to come across to other people.”
We’re happy to report that the person of interest did do something about it, but unfortunately, it was too late. “He wound up doing something about it a year later when I got into a relationship. That’s when he made a move – and I was like but it’s too late now,” Filipa laughs.
Having spent almost 5 months in isolation with her family to date, Filipa kept busy by finishing her degree online from Harvard University as well as learning how to shoot her own music videos, which she did on her iPhone for “Do Something.”
“I shot it on my own. It was a risk but I thought, ‘I literally cannot get someone else to shoot this right now so let me try,'” she says. “Concept wise, I thought what could be a cool way to make this work. I kind of used it as I’m at home, I’m kind of waiting around seeing if this guy will text me back — I’m videoing myself, taking selfies, that whole kind of interactive kind of vibe, so that’s what I was going for. I’m super proud of it. It was my first time doing my own video so it was really fun.”
No stranger to the spotlight, Filipa experienced worldwide success after winning an international Ryan Seacrest cover song competition for her rendition of One Direction’s “Story Of My Life.” The contest catapulted her to instant stardom in South Africa and gave her a global platform to focus on releasing her own original music. She released her debut single, “Chills”, on RyanSeacrest.com to rave reviews and later the song “Little White Lie,” which quickly climbed the iTunes and South African radio charts, landing in the top five on 5FM and the top twenty in Jacaranda FM in 2016.
She started traveling to New York and Los Angeles to work with various accomplished producers and songwriters, most notably, platinum-selling songwriter, Pam Sheyne (best known for Christina Aguilera’s global hit, “Genie in a Bottle”), who has worked with Filipa for the past two years and has been instrumental in helping her craft her stories into great pop songs, such as “Do Something.” Filipa hopes to continue captivating SA audiences, while still having her sights on the international market, and particularly the US, where she has released “Good Behavior,” “I’d Rather Be Single” and “7th Floor.”
“I’m definitely getting a knack for the sound I’m trying to get into and the stuff I’m liking,” she tells Celeb Secrets. “I’m experimenting a lot and that’s why I’m focusing on singles at a time just to see what I want to experiment and get into a groove before I think of an album.”
For more on Filipa’s music, watch our full interview below. You can connect with the singer on Instagram at @filipamusic.
