"Gusto" () is a song by Filipino singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo from his third studio album, ''3rd Time's a Charm'' (2023). The song was self-written by Tabudlo and co-produced it with Al James. Described as a "blend of pop, R&B, and

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

sensibilities", it delves into the perspective of someone who is infatuated but cautious about expressing their feelings to the person they admire. The song was released via

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

on May 26, 2023.

Background and release

Tabudlo started 2023 by debuting the then-unreleased single "Akin Ka" in his performance at the 8th Wish 107.5 Music Awards, while his song "Asan Ka Na Ba" won for Rock/Alternative Song of the Year. On February 14, he released his second album ''Zack: For All.'' On May 26, he released "Gusto", featuring Al James, as part of his third album, ''3rd Time's a Charm''.

Composition

Tabudlo described the creation of "Gusto" as an unplanned process that began while he was playing his guitar. According to Tabudlo, the song started with an introductory riff, and the rest of the composition followed quickly. He reportedly completed writing the lyrics within two to three hours. During the early stages of working on the song, Tabudlo decided to collaborate with rapper Al James, known for songs such as "Pa-umaga", "Repeat", and "PSG". After finishing the verse and bridge, Tabudlo felt that the song would benefit from additional rap verses and reached out to James for the collaboration. James was enthusiastic about the project and contributed to the song's final version. Musically, the song is described as a "blend of pop, R&B, and hip-hop sensibilities", revealing the perspective of someone infatuated but cautious about expressing their feelings.

Commercial performance

After its release in May 2023, "Gusto" debuted in '' Billboard Philippiness

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

chart in 2024, placing at number 88 on the chart's week dated July 6, 2024. The song re-entered the chart again in the first week of August 2024, at number 95.

Charts

Accolades

In October 2024, "Gusto" has been nominated for the Song of the Year category in at the 16th Star Awards for organized by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC).

References

{{Reflist 2023 songs 2023 singles Songs in Filipino Philippine pop songs Rhythm and blues songs