Thomas Orlina Celebrates Empowerment in “Everything Is Meant To Be”

Pop recording artist Thomas Orlina is back with his seventh studio single, Everything Is Meant To Be, a high-energy dance-pop track infused with cultural pride and emotional depth. Known for carving a lane for Filipino representation in mainstream pop, Orlina blends infectious beats with a message of empowerment, resilience, and self-discovery. Inspired by icons like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, he channels both nostalgia and modern pop sensibilities while proudly spotlighting his Filipino heritage in the single’s cover art and creative direction. With collaborations from Grammy-affiliated producers and artists, the track’s pulsating basslines and bright, layered production match the uplifting spirit at its core. Already submitted for Grammy consideration, Everything Is Meant To Be marks a new chapter in Orlina’s mission to inspire, represent, and get listeners moving.

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Everything Is Meant To Be carries a message about finding empowerment after loss. What personal experiences shaped this narrative for you?

This song is very meaningful to me and one of my favorites. Just a couple of years ago, we were starting in music, and to be on my seventh single is still a pinch-me moment. I wrote this song with my creative director, Kyle Thompson of KT Dance Productions, and songwriter Isabelle Pouya, and we collectively wanted to capture the essence of how it feels to lose something but also reclaim a newfound sense of empowerment at the same time. I think the song is relatable, whether you’ve lost a partner, a loved one, or anything meaningful in your life. These life events often shape who we are, but this dance pop single adds an element about the importance of also finding that courage and twisting the narrative, knowing that we can bounce back from loss and be better than before.

I had a lot of shifts in my life last year. Losing a relationship with someone I had put a lot of effort into for four years, and then a serious family health scare within my immediate family altered my mindset and day-to-day life as well. There were a lot of other personal challenges I faced, but I found a way to get through them and come out stronger than ever. I think that through this project, it was a very therapeutic writing and creative experience, and now I see things a lot more clearly with confidence. 

You’ve spoken about the importance of Filipino representation in mainstream pop. How do you see your music contributing to that visibility?

Early in my music career, I wanted to create songs that reflected my personal life and to capture the hearts of my fans through storytelling. Earlier this year, I shared a personal essay with VOGUE about my experiences with mental health, so I am known to be transparent with my audience on things I'm going through. I’ve brought visuals together that have touched on the importance of prioritizing your mental health, highlighting the LGBTQ community, the AAPI community, and shedding light on the importance of diversity, and other topics. For this specific project, I wanted to add elements to represent the country where my family was born. I loved my time visiting the Philippines, and the people there are so kind and loving. When it comes to pop music in the US, there still isn’t an LGBTQ Filipino-American male solo pop star who has made a significant impact in mainstream music or radio, so my team and I wanted this to be a movement to draw attention to that aspect of who I am in hopes to break open new doors and strike up conversations on ethnic groups in music that need more visibility.

The cover art pays homage to the Philippines. What was the creative process behind tying that cultural symbolism into the single?

The cover artwork is very meaningful to me. We chose the colors on the flag of the Philippines to drive home our storytelling and to create buzz around the country. When you see the colors, they are all so bold and bright that we wanted to keep that as a core theme throughout this era. You will see those same colors in the music video as well. We’ve had plenty of artwork with my face on it, and as much as I love having that be a part of the rollout campaign, creatively, this just came to me to make a bold statement, and I’m pleased with how it turned out.

You collaborated with Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated creatives on this track. How did those partnerships influence the final sound?

The idea to collaborate on the project was from my producing partner, Lancen Gm. He reached out to me at the end of my bid for a Grammy nomination last year and asked to do a song with me. I was pleasantly surprised, and from that moment forward, we did our best to put together a team we felt the strongest about. Yungchriisbeats, a talented producer and a part of the Recording Academy, came in to add his flair to the song, and we worked with my original production team, MELT Music, who did a phenomenal job of bringing it all together. These partnerships allow people to bring in their flair and take on the song, so we had a lot of fun bringing in ideas that we felt were going to be a smash hit. Overall, you will hear so many fun elements in the song that everyone was a part of.

The song has been submitted for Grammy consideration. How do you balance chasing recognition with staying true to your artistic vision?

It’s truly remarkable to be coming back for another shot at a Grammy. To be here so fast in my music career is something I take lightly. Submitting a project to the Recording Academy for a second time isn’t something I saw coming, but I feel so blessed to have these opportunities, and I am grateful to Lancen Gm and my remix partner, Robert Bach, for making it all happen. I am excited to share exclusively with BuzzMusic that we’re also submitting the remix version of “Everything Is Meant To Be.”

I believe my purpose in the music industry is to continue to bring awareness to areas and subject matters I think could use more light, and to create visuals that have substantial meaning. Balancing my art and aiming for recognition go simultaneously. I believe staying true to who I am and putting that in my creative work speaks for itself. I hope to continue to inspire more Filipino-American artists to release music and take us to that next level.