On the Rise
Troy Javelona

Or, at least that's the case on his debut EP, NO HEALING WITHOUT HEARTBREAK. The 23-year-old British-Filipino singer, songwriter, and producer's first collection of songs is presented as a structured document of a journey from loss to healing. The road to recovery is explored across seven tracks split into two halves with an interlude, offering a sophisticated, vulnerable, and hopeful introduction to his work. 

However, reaching such an expressive point this early on wasn’t as clear-cut a process for Javelona as the EP's composition might suggest. Javelona's childhood and adolescence was defined by movement — both musically and locationally — but his desire to develop his musicianship remained constant. 

To understand the origins of Javelona’s affinity for playing and understanding music, he takes me back to his seventh birthday, when he was gifted a guitar by his lovingly described “jazz-obsessed” father. “I would say my parents are quite musical. They didn’t play instruments, but they were in love with music, and that’s sort of where it started,” Javelona reflects. “I have an older brother who had a guitar, and he was playing before me. But on my seventh birthday, my dad got me a nylon guitar — just one of those cheap ones that we used. I remember the first time I held it, and I was already learning so much from it.”

After spending some time teaching himself guitar with YouTube tutorials, Javelona decided to take up singing. And while he gave lessons a try, he found the most success by cutting out the middleman. “It wasn’t for me,” he admits, “So I just continued studying on YouTube, and I've just always kept a guitar close to me.”

Eventually, he would get an acoustic guitar, and then an electric one, he tells me. He speaks of his growing familiarity with the instrument as if nurturing a lifelong friendship that keeps him eager and inquisitive. With that increasing comfort, Javelona kicked things up a notch, performing covers at family functions and posting some of them on Facebook and YouTube. While he inherited an inevitable interest in jazz, his taste began to shift toward indie and R&B, inspired by artists like Mac DeMarco, Steve Lacey, and Frank Ocean. 

“I’ve always been open to listening to all types of music,” he says. “The type of music that I grew up listening to was definitely on the jazzier, R&B and neo-soul side, but I found my love for indie music quite early. I feel like subconsciously it takes me to a new place where I can experiment, and I develop new techniques from each genre.” 

Physical spaces would also play a part in shaping Javelona’s musicality. Although he was born in South London, his family decided to move to the Philippines just before high school so he could learn more about his culture. “It was quite a humbling experience,” Javelona recalls. “When I moved to the Philippines, I didn't really have a choice. But I appreciate it so much more now, because it’s changed me as a person. I’ve managed to learn my language and learn another part of my culture, which makes me appreciate where my parents were born and my heritage.” 

“In terms of songwriting, I feel like that's definitely connected with me, and changed my personality,” he continues. “In terms of life experiences, I have a lot more to talk about. It gives me perspective. Coming back from the Philippines to the UK after four years, I feel like I truly appreciate what I have here.”

When Javelona returned to the UK at fifteen years old, it was with fresh eyes and greater focus. As he engaged with more indie and alternative music over the years, he began to shift his attention towards production techniques. And when the pandemic hit, he saw an opportunity to take on a new skill. “During Covid, I learned how to produce properly,” he explains. “Those two years of isolation forced me to learn a skill, and I learned quite quickly.”

Even as Javelona made the move to Plymouth to pursue a business degree, music wasn’t far from his periphery. “I didn't let go of the guitar,” he reflects. In addition to practising behind the scenes, he was playing gigs and open mics at the university whenever they offered. “I felt like I was building my confidence,” he affirms. 

With that, Javelona took a “no expectations” approach to his songwriting. Such was the case with his 2023 song "Go Away”, which he posted to TikTok with surprise success. “I still can’t really wrap my head around it,” he says of what ultimately became his breakout single. “I think it came at such a blessed time. I really didn't expect the growth that I had. I was finishing my degree, and it sort of just took off from there.”

That moment also served as a wake-up call for Javelona: “Shifting into reality, I felt like the more that I created music, the more that I realised it’s my calling. In the back of my mind, I knew that it was going to go like this. But I didn't expect it to grow this fast. And none of this would have happened if I didn’t take those steps.” 

In 2024, Javelona released For You, a collection of songs that captured his feelings around his first relationship. While he initially planned to build on his momentum by releasing a new song each month to appease the algorithm, he scrapped that plan altogether. His interests were shifting, and he wanted to see what his music could become beyond scheduled content. 

“There was something in my mind that was telling me I could elevate what I used to have,” Javelona says. “For me, that ties into being self-sufficient. It felt like it had gotten to the point where posting songs was routine. I think that was my goal beforehand, but I wasn’t imagining the bigger picture.” 

“Something just clicked in my head where I realised I have something more to say,” he continues. “I wanted to show people something that I’ve never shown before, so I took a step back and started really thinking about making a project.” 

Although moving away from a routine schedule that had invited initial success came with a brush of doubt, Javelona could level it with self-belief. “I worried that for some people, taking a step back could be seen as disregarding the music,” he reveals. “There was a little bit of pressure, but I dealt with it by believing in the stuff. That’s what kept me pushing forward.”

Not only did this lead Javelona to push forward, but also further inward. With For You, he allowed himself to test what it felt like to interpret his emotions into verses, revealing the inner workings of his first true romantic connection. Now, on NO HEALING WITHOUT HEARTBREAK, he’s applying that knowledge in order to disentangle his feelings around romantic rupture from a balanced perspective. As reflected in the EP name, Javelona would come to realise that you cannot experience growth without learning how to handle loss — and it’s a statement that he stands by.

“To me, the EP is pretty much a personal diary of what I went through,” Javelona tells me. “I think for me, when I write about songs, I tend to tap into my emotions and life stories as though I’m documenting them.”

NO HEALING WITHOUT HEARTBREAK, as Javelona tells me, is a two-sided EP:  “The A-side is the heartbreak side of stuff,” he explains. “You can hear the more emotional, slower, vulnerable side of me. I talk about a breakup that really changed who I am, and during that time, I used songwriting and producing to cope with the feelings. It was a really rough spot for me, and I wrote the songs right after.” 

The canonically titled “heartbreak side" features singles “WHAT’S A GUY GOTTA DO” and “DARLING”, with the former coming from a frustrated, questioning space, while the latter sees Javelona settling down to face the silence and start truly processing his pain. As the curious acoustic strum of “WHAT’S A GUY GOTTA DO” wanders into the slinky, measured rhythm of “DARLING”, it emphasises the care placed into the emotional pacing of the songs. 

The two sides are brought together by an interlude, “YOU LOST TOUCH”, which Javelona describes as a “bridge” connecting the themes. Through soulful hums, he focuses on himself with greater acceptance, graciously singing, “Pretty little girl, you lost touch”. It’s a 55-second resolution that marks a transformation for Javelona, which leads into the EPs flipside. 

“The B-side is about healing,” Javelona tells me. “I think healing is a big topic post-relationship. I feel like there are a lot of different views and standpoints on it, and I wanted to share mine. This side is more joyful. It’s a breath of fresh air. I’m in this new side of me, where it's still me, but I’m healing from my scars.” 

The “healing side” features the third single from the EP, “DON’T GET MAD”, and the first track to follow the interlude. It sees Javelona in a clearer place, with a more upbeat acceptance as he sings, “We don't see eye to eye / But when you look at me / I'm glad it's over now / ‘Cause I feel relieved”. 

These weren’t easy circumstances for Javelona to revisit, he reveals. “There were moments where  I cried during the production, especially during the self-produced songs,” he tells me, reflecting on the experience of recording between his bedroom studio and sessions in London — a new approach for him which allowed him to open up in a more collaborative way. But that time spent in his bedroom, in the comfort of his own set-up, was crucial. “I think that’s where I was most vulnerable. Being stuck in my room, four walls, and having the isolation. I didn’t really want to go outside of my room, to be honest.” 

Outside of Javelona’s room, which served as a safe haven for him to express himself, he was forced to confront the harsh reality of grieving his relationship — granted, his ex also lived just a few doors down. That kind of proximity made transparency all the more daunting, but within his musical spaces, Javelona could unpack his experience on his own terms. 

“Being transparent is such a hard thing as an artist,” he admits. “But I think that if you allow yourself to be, you can really create something special. Some of the general messages in the songs were directed towards this person, and I wasn’t comfortable doing that at first. But allowing myself to be open might mean that I need to push some of my boundaries.” 

In pushing his boundaries, Javelona was able to feel what he truly felt and pour that straight into NO HEALING WITHOUT HEARTBREAK, overcoming mental blocks by staying grounded and reminding himself of the value of sharing openly and authentically. “That’s just my identity,” he asserts. 

Thinking about the context of the EP and the effort that Javelona put into accurately depicting such a challenging time in his life, I ask whether he considers himself to be an emotional person. The answer is yes, but it came to him as an unexpected realisation. “I thought I was more logical,” he laughs. “I was studying business, I always thought I had a logical way of dealing with things. But through making this project, I learned how to understand myself better as a person. My emotions were all over the place at the beginning, but through the songwriting and journaling, I’m more emotional because of the process. And I’m really thankful for it, because I think it’s good to be emotional.”

And now, as Javelona looks at what’s next, it’s from a fundamentally different headspace. He’s happier, and more comfortable facing his feelings as they come. “At the time, I would always question if this is a valid way to feel,” he recalls. “But I’ve tapped into my emotions so much in this project, I’ve learned how to deal with that. And I feel like I’ve accessed a new direction in my songwriting.” 

That direction looks like exploration, Javelona tells me. “I have so much to learn,” he smiles, bright-eyed and keen. “Collaboration really opened up my world a little bit. And what I’m truly realising now is that the sky is the limit. I have so much to talk about, and I will never run out.”

While NO HEALING WITHOUT HEARTBREAK is focused on love, Javelona says that he’s prepared to focus on the more “realistic side of stuff”. He plans to go deeper, shining a light on his time living in the Philippines and the life lessons he's carried with him since. “I feel like that’s such a nice topic, and people who have been through it can relate to it,” he muses. 

But even so, Javelona acknowledges the importance of traversing through the romantic material, getting it out there, and putting it to rest. “I still stand by my word,” he asserts. “You can’t heal without the heartbreak. There are two sides to the story. To me, it’s like day and night. And you can’t have one without the other.”