KZ Tandingan and TJ Monterde. Image: Courtesy of Dunkin Donuts
It’s been five years since KZ Tandingan said “I do” to TJ Monterde — although they held a second wedding in 2023 — and she is grateful that she never felt like she had to sacrifice her independence for her husband.
Getting married is about the couple becoming one, which sometimes results in either the wife or husband losing facets of their individuality to satisfy their partners. Yet Tandingan said Monterde didn’t hold her back from becoming her own person.
“It is important for me to establish my own identity. A misconception about getting married is that you’ll lose your sense of self because you and your partner have become one,” she said in a media con for their upcoming fan meet with a donut chain.
“But in reality, I would like to believe that when you are becoming one with your husband, like for me, my husband allows me to strengthen who I am as a person,” she continued.
The couple tied the knot in August 2020 in Batangas and held a second wedding ceremony three years later. While Tandingan is known for her knack for jazz and R&B, Monterde is more subdued with an acoustic approach to his artistry. Yet they somehow complement each other when they perform or write songs together.
The “Scared to Death” singer admitted that “not a lot of people understood and tried to understand” her identity as an artist in the beginning, but Monterde was one of those who wholeheartedly supported her.
“I don’t feel lost, and I learned more about myself. If it wasn’t for TJ being supportive of me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m thankful because people understand who KZ is as an artist better. At the beginning, I think that not a lot of people understood and tried to understand me as an artist. But TJ was there,” she said.
KZ Tandingan and TJ Monterde. Image: Courtesy of Dunkin Donuts
Expounding more on the topic, Tandingan said she is now “super comfortable” with her identity because of Monterde.
“If TJ didn’t clap for me when I was starting out, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am super comfortable with my identity because of my husband, who became a part of my life,” she said.
One of the ways Monterde would show his support for Tandingan is by sharing videos of her performances with anyone he knows. “I’ve always been a fan of KZ.”
“I want to brag about her achievements. I’m proud to show KZ’s videos to fellow Filipino viewers and foreigners. Not only as a fan. That is what admiration is about,” he added.
Tandingan and Monterde are set to hold their “Never Bean Sweeter” fan meeting on May 25 at the Araneta Coliseum.