Hawaii-based singer and producer Daju and Philippines-based singer-songwriter Denise Julia released a remix of Daju’s viral hit, “Rain.”
The remix was released on May 2, which coincides with May’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As of writing, the remix has now reached over 270,000 streams on Spotify.
These two artists, from two different islands, both with Filipino roots, are making their heritage proud while making waves in the R&B music scene.
Dominique Hill, voice of Daju, wrote the song “Rain” when he was stuck indoors while it rained for a week in early 2024. The song about love and loss was released in July 2024.
While the original was a hit, this remix with Denise Julia’s second verse presents a fresh angle from both sides of a relationship between two people.
The two artists possess the talent of using their music to open up about their personal experiences and relate to their audience.
Born and raised in Waipahu, Oahu, Daju expressed his interest in music when he was young. He used to watch his father host studio and jam sessions.
For his creative process, Daju shared that everyday life is his influence and that he usually starts “by ‘top-lining’ melodies until something sticks.
“During that whole freestyle, I’ll usually have filler words I randomly throw in there, based on whatever I’m feeling,” he said.
Soon, he was creating original songs such as “Kodak Moment” featuring fellow local artists 8RO8 and Koins. In 2024, his song “I Don’t Mind” was placed on the MTV show, Catfish.
Currently, his greatest success is “Rain,” which currently has more than 2.7 million streams on Spotify. Recently, Daju went to New York to perform “Rain” on the online performance show On The Radar, and to the Philippines to work on the “Rain” remix with Denise Julia.
Denise Julia started writing songs at age 13 and recording at 18. Her style is influenced by 90s and 2000s R&B music.
She was once a diplomacy and international relations student at Ateneo de Manila University, and appeared in the video “Marikit” by Juan and Kyle in 2020, after which she began working on her own songs.
In 2021, she released her first single, “Difficult,” and gained momentum with her song “b.a.d.”
Her songs reflect her journey and authenticity that appeals to her fans, who have dubbed her the “Patron Saint of Situationships.”
After coming out in 2024, she has also become an advocate and champion of the queer community. Thus far, she has released two EPs: Sweet Nothings (Chapter 1) and Sweet Nothings (Chapter 2).
On December 14, 2024, she held her first concert at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, titled “Sweet Nothings: the Denise Julia Experience.”
Denise Julia has collaborated with other artists, including Jay R, considered the King of Filipino R&B, Vietnamese-American singer/songwriter Thuy, Filipino-American P-Lo, and Filipino R&B singer DENY.
Now, with this collaboration with Daju, she is making her presence known in the Hawaiian Islands where many of her fellow Filipinos can appreciate and support her.
Meanwhile, here in Hawaii, Daju plans on releasing more songs this summer and a project later this year.
The “Rain” remix is a perfect showcase of world-class talent and what Asian American & Pacific Islander month is about.
Daju hints that “Rain” won’t be their only collaboration and that there might be more to see of him and Denise Julia in the future.
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