| Buwan | |
| Cover: | Buwan_album_cover.jpg |
| Caption: | Cover art for Buwan |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Juan Karlos |
| Recorded: | 2018 |
| Genre: | Alternative, indie |
| Label: | MCA Music |
| Prev Title: | Demonyo |
| Prev Year: | 2018 |
| Next Title: | Sistema |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
"Buwan" is a song written and sung by Filipino actor, singer and songwriter, Juan Karlos Labajo. Under the band name Juan Karlos, it was released on June 22, 2018, through MCA Music. The song became one of the most played OPM songs of 2018, winning Song of the Year at the 2019 Myx Music Awards,[1] 2019 Awit Award for People's Voice Favorite Song.[2] "Buwan" received huge popularity and started as a song challenge through social media platforms in the Philippines even overseas.[3]
Labajo premiered "Buwan" during his concert on May 19, 2019. He also performed the song on Mutia Ti Bauang 2019 (beauty pageant). Labajo also performed it during Rakrakan Festival 2019 and at GMMSF Awards Night and various malls in the Philippines. He also made a kundiman version (a genre of traditional Filipino love songs) of the song with his band.[4] [5] [6] [7]
The music video depicts Labajo tying and blindfolding a woman (Maureen Wroblewitz) inside a dimly lit room as he navigates their tumultuous relationship. This scenario is eventually revealed to be an illusion, as Labajo finds himself trapped in a cycle with the woman, who appears as a ghost embracing him while he sits in a chair. Fans have interpreted this as symbolizing intense and serious love towards Wroblewitz, who was in a relationship with Labajo at the time. Additionally, fans noted the use of the word "Buwan" in the song and linked it to "Luna," suggesting that Labajo's aggressive behavior towards the woman in the video represents a lunatic or frenzied state.[8]
The official music video, released and posted on YouTube on September 24, 2018, has garnered over 174 million views as of April 2024; the music video reached 40 million in two months.[9] It is also the most liked and most viewed OPM music video in 2018 with 144 million views, surpassing Yeng Constantino's "Ikaw" which had over 105 million views.
| Year | Awards ceremony | Category | Nominated version | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4th Wish Music Awards | Wish Rock/Alternative Song of the Year | "Buwan" | [13] | |
| 4th Golden Laurel Media Awards | Song of the Year | [14] | |||
| 14th Myx Music Awards | Song of the Year | [15] | |||
| 6th MOR Pinoy Music Awards | Song of the Year | [16] | |||
| 32nd Awit Awards | Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist | [17] [18] | |||
| Song of the Year | |||||
| Record of the year | |||||
| Best Rock/Alternative Recording | |||||
| People's Voice Favorite Song | |||||
| People's Voice Favorite Record | |||||
| 2020 | 11th PMPC Star Awards for Music | Song of the Year | [19] | ||
| 33rd Awit Awards | Best Folk Recording | "Buwan (Kundiman version)" | [20] [21] | ||