Habang Buhay’s Debut Music Video “GHOST” | A Depiction of Grief & Loss
Written by Vi-Linh Nguyen | July 15, 2025
Habang Buhay, an Asian-American duo composed of Mario Juguilon (KOUYA) and Fronrich Puno (PiiNG). The group focuses on Alternative/Indie-inspired music speaking on their personal experiences as second-generation SEA Americans. Based in Austin Texas, the duo just released their first official music video of their song Ghost. Ghost, first released November 1st 2024, captures the feeling of looking back on a lost love, a relationship that had to work but fell apart anyway. The combination of thoughtful lyrics and a slow rhythmic beat, reminiscent of waves, creates a unique musical experience for Habang Buhay listeners.
In the music video for Ghost, there is a minimalist and more focused visual approach, starting with the lighting and the dancers. The costumes have a neutral monochromatic color pallet, so viewers are sure to focus on the human element of the Ghost music video, and presumably, the relationships within. The music video itself starts us off in the empty theatre, with a spotlight gating the viewers off from the rest of this little world. The featured guest artist, Mayari Sirena’s voice comes in speaking words reminiscent of a familiar resentment after a bitter end. Habang Buhaýs Fronrich Puno (PiiNG), with his smooth vocal tone, begins the song portion with a more tragic narrative, like he’s looking back on the past relationship with a degree of regret, wondering what could have gone differently. Sirena’s voice comes back in later in the song, with a higher tone in her voice, to pull him out of the regret in his song, to look back on the past love fondly, until both singers harmonize into a message of positivity. Almost like the singers are telling their listeners to be glad of the experience happening, no matter the outcome of it.
The element of grief tinged throughout the music video, especially in combination with the off white cloth hanging both around the setting and around the main singers and dancers as costumes, calls to depictions of Ancient Greek myth setting. With its pristine white columns and flowing himations, it feels almost dream like. The narrative here even reminds of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice following Orpheus back into the mortal plane in some ways kept her stuck between the living and the dead, but it was Orpheus’s love for her that made him look back, freeing her back into the underworld. That freeing action can be seen when Mayari Sirena’s character turns a corner and PiiNG’s character finally doesn’t follow. She ‘s free to fade into the shadow beyond the main spotlights, which is another shot signifying the freeing of a grief filled memory. The final shot of each character leaving the spotlight in different directions beautifully demonstrates them letting go of the grief that kept them bound. All in all, Ghost is a message of freeing one’s self from grief to finally be able to move forward. Wonderfully done.
Be sure to check out the full release of Habang Buhay’s music video for Ghost (featuring Mayari Sirena) on their YouTube channel.
