Aubrey Caraan, a Filipina singer and actress, and Lee Daewoon, a South Korean artist (also spelled Daewon Lee or Lee Dae-won), sang the duet “Selfish Guy,” a poignant rock ballad that captures the ache of ambition clashing with love. This was the first project to come out of the partnership between Viva Communications Inc. and Milagro Korea. On September 5, 2025, the song came out. It’s a heartfelt ballad about choosing work over love.

In a celebration of musical fusion that bridged the vibrant worlds of P-pop and K-pop, Filipina singer-actress Aubrey Caraan and South Korean artist Lee Daewon lit up the room at their much-anticipated press conference for the collaborative single “Selfish Guy.” Held at Viva Cafe in Quezon City, the event marked the inaugural project under the groundbreaking partnership between Viva Communications Inc. and Milagro Korea, promising a wave of artistic exchanges between the Philippines and South Korea.

The two, who used to be in pop groups, shared the stage with a lot of energy. Their chemistry was clear as they talked about the story behind the heartfelt ballad. “Selfish Guy,” which Daewon wrote and composed himself, came out just over a week ago on September 5. It talks about the raw tension between love and ambition, drawing from a very personal time in the Korean artist’s life. Daewon said through an interpreter, “This song has been with me for a long time.” His voice was steady but full of feeling. “I sang it by myself for years, but it never felt right. Aubrey’s voice added the emotional depth that was missing, like a conversation between two hearts across borders.

Daewoon’s honest, autobiographical writing is at the heart of “Selfish Guy.” He says that the song came about as a way to let out his feelings: “This is about the guy who goes after his dreams and loses his love along the way.” I put those feelings into this rock ballad. He proudly says, “It’s the first song I ever wrote and composed,” as a sign of how far he’s come as an artist. Daewoon has been in the business for years, but he says, “I never thought I would be able to write and compose a song.” But once I got inspired, the process went quickly: “It didn’t take me long to write the song because I was focused on it, about 1 to 2 days.”

Hearing Daewoon sing Tagalog for the first time adds to the song’s bilingual charm. Fans and coworkers have both been amazed by his dedication. One person said, “The first time I heard Lee Daewoon sing Tagalog, it sounded like he had been studying it for a long time.” I’m very proud of him. This effort shows how the song can connect people from different worlds and make personal loss feel like it affects everyone.

Known for hits like “How You Feel” and her lead role as Samantha Vera in Viva One’s “Avenues of the Diamond,” she reflects on her group days with fondness: “After being in a girl group and then a solo artist, hindi naman po ako nahirapan sa transition because I started as solo. Na miss ko yung bonding with my group, at hindi lang ako yung kinakabahan on stage.” The 25-year-old performer has evolved from her days in the girl group Pop Girls into a versatile balladeer. “Working with Daewon was magical,” she enthused, her eyes sparkling under the conference lights. “We both come from group backgrounds, so there’s this shared understanding of chasing dreams solo. This is our first male-female collab, and it feels like the start of something bigger.”

The presscon buzzed with applause as the pair performed their collaboration track, their voices intertwining in a bilingual melody that evoked the tear-jerking romance of a K-drama crossed with the soulful drama of a teleserye.

There was a lot of support and shared passion in the studio sessions. Aubrey, whose emotional delivery makes the duet’s longing choruses even better, says the process was both hard and fun: “Nag struggle ako kapag hindi ko nakukuha ang note, but they’re very helpful and at the end of the day, na enjoy ko yung process.” From the beginning to the end, the two of them were involved in every note, and their chemistry came out naturally. Aubrey says, “Nagkaroon ng chemistry because we are both passionate sa music.”

As Aubrey gets ready for her first performance in Korea to promote her single, she gets more and more excited. “It will be my first time in Korea, I’m really looking forward to it, and I hope we can collaborate on more songs soon.” The collaboration is a way for Daewoon, whose trot-infused style has long charmed audiences around the world, to get to know Filipinos better. What does he want to do right now? “My first goal is to get love and support from my Filipino fans and to learn more Tagalog and English words.”

In describing each other, admiration flows freely. Aubrey gushes, “He is amazing, not just his voice but also his personality. Grabe ang passion nya and focused nya to learn and sing Tagalog.” Daewoon echoes the sentiment: “Aubrey Caraan is very professional and focused on her craft.” Together, they’ve not just created a song but a blueprint for heartfelt exchanges under the Viva-Milagro banner, promising more bridges between Manila and Seoul.

Stream “Selfish Guy” now on all platforms and witness how two artists, chasing dreams across oceans, remind us that sometimes, the most selfish pursuits lead to the deepest connections.