In my previous entry, I mentioned in passing that Filipino Pop has gotten really good recently. This is in reference to a recent story of mine having been written under the influence of songs by Maki and BINI. I figured I would expound on that a little bit more on a separate blog post.
Filipino Pop, specifically alternative rock and school band punk, is a special ingredient of the state university student life. I remember rushing out of exams back in college to catch the next train to Vito Cruz, so my friends (or then-girlfriends) and I could watch upcoming bands and spoken word artists perform at the terribly-missed Sev’s Cafe and its surrounding haunts. And of course, there’s the endless variety of school fairs: Diliman’s UP Fair, Los Baños’s Feb Fair, UST’s Paskuhan, and other equally fun and romantic events happening at various campuses all around the Philippines (I was fortunate to have attended not a few in the University Belt area).
This is all to say that I’ve been in touch at least a little more than just tangentially with the Filipino music scene, and the music has always been good. My remark from my previous post wasn’t to say that Filipino music had some shameful middle period from which it’s only now starting to emerge. And anyone who claims so is akin to those who claim Filipino food is bland, or too oily, or lack aesthetics: in all likelihood they probably just haven’t been looking in the right places. I knew – and continue to know – the right places, and brothers and sisters I am willing to die on this hill: Filipino music has always had its gems.
Who am I to complain, having grown up to the songs of Callalily, Gracenote, Pupil, Silent Sanctuary, to name just a handful? And yet, something about this generation of performers seems fresh. It seems that the bands and singers have grown up and gone forth from the smoke-filled alleys, from the grunge podiums where one enters for 100 pesos plus a free beer, and burst onto the scene with a sound that’s sure to define the next ten years of Philippine music.
One of the breakout artists that have caught my attention recently is singer-songwriter Maki, who I found out (rather too late) just held his two-day concert at New Frontier theater just last week. Ever since Spotify recommended me his “Saan?”, I knew I had stumbled upon an artist to watch out for. Part of an extended play, “Saan?” together with “Bakit?” and “Kailan?” evoke the bittersweet memories of university love: not quite puppy love anymore, but not quite to stay either, and sure to inflict a wound or two. I even put “Saan?” on our wedding playlist, nevermind the tragic undertone of the lyrics:
No’ng gabing iniwan mo ako
Habang-buhay akong maghihintay sa ‘yo
His recent hits have focused on the theme of colors, see for instance “Namumula”(literally: turning red), and “Bughaw”, (blue). But what stood out most for me is “Dilaw” (yellow), which again carries the college whimsy of “Saan?”. Sonically, the two songs even seem to be related. They are both light, upbeat fares, easy to mistakenly put on your wedding playlist (coughs) while missing the subtle melancholia parsed between the lines. The music video, in collaboration with BINI’s Maloi Ricalde, clarifies for us the perspective of the music: of sweet memories that will remain only as such.
Which brings us to BINI, which I find to be another of this generation’s notable acts. A product of ABS CBN’s Star Hunt Academy from the shadow of the pandemic years, the eight piece really broke into the scene with what is to become their K-Pop inspired but definitively Filipino bubblegum pop hit, “Pantropiko” (and what an apt title, too!). My wife and I were commenting to each other recently, while watching a livestream of their Grand BINIverse concert at the Araneta Coliseum, it’s hard to go back to K-Pop and J-Pop after this. We get just as good visuals, and the same catchy tunes, plus we actually understand them!
My own pick from among the girls’ currently modest but still growing discography is “Karera”, which packages what might otherwise have been a saccharine, inspiring ballad to a danceable hit. Ditto for “Salamin, Salamin”, with lyrics that put a fun twist into the Filipino rendition of “Mirror, mirror, on the wall.” BINI’s songwriters, like Maki, know how to have fun with their writing: they know how to be fun.
But it’s not all upbeat for this generation of acts. Other strong acts that I find worth mentioning are Calista, a four-member girl group this time from Merlion Entertainment, and G22, another girl group from Cornerstone Entertainment, both gaining popularity for their strong vocals: the former doing more of a chill-pop vibe, while the latter have started capitalizing on their balladeer potential. On the boy group side, my wife is a big fan of SB19, whose career thus far has been a story worth retelling: starting out as a “Filipino K-Pop” group under a Philippine subsidiary of a Korean entertainment company, they have since moved on to being a self-managed act, and imbibing their songs with a more local vibe.
People who know me from earlier writings know I tend to get excited by new music. Naturally, all of the above observations are from my very specific taste, and there are so much more songs and notable acts than I can mention on my blog, short of writing a P-Pop compendium. Nevertheless, with the rise of this next generation of artists, it’s exciting to see where P-Pop is headed. Will we be seeing music shows in the horizon, to continue fostering the development of current and upcoming artists? What I do know is that there is an endless supply of talent yet for future university students and their college fairs, more songs to fill the soundtracks of their youths: for every kilig, every heartbreak, for every moment a song to remember it by.
Dominic Dayta 
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