Julianne first came on to the scene in 2007 as a solo singer/songwriter with her song Grateful from her album of the same title. I remember getting excited when I first listened to her. Her sound is a combination of acoustic pop, folk and soul. This makes her very easy to distinguish among most Filipino artists right now. There is just something sincere, clam, and grounded in her voice. When she sings, I just can’t help but trust her.

Julianne lends her voice to the Rivermaya song Nowhere to Run. The song gives off a very particular brand of sadness, a certain helplessness, the difference between letting go and letting be. I can’t help but think of a singular dandelion seed floating in the air knowing that it is going to fall on some isolated lake where it will be as good as forgotten. There’s the despair in the loneliness, and despair from hopelessness. The way Julianne sings Nowhere to Run not only captures the seemingly hopeless journey of the dandelion seed, but even goes to capture the moment when the dandelion seed makes ripples on the surface of the water until everything is silent again, silently forgotten.

Nowhere to Run is the theme song of the upcoming film Thelma directed by Paul Soriano. Maja Salvador takes on the title role as a young girl from the province whose family faces challenges when she discovers her exception gift of speed. Also, starring in the film are Tetchie Agbayani, John Arcilla, Eliza Pineda, and Sue Prado, with special participation by Jason Abalos and Elma Muros.

You can download the song from the film’s official website when you join their mailing list.

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