As SB19 approaches its fifth year anniversary, the iconic Filipino boy group drops its much- awaited EP PAGTATAG! on June 9, 2023.
PAGTATAG! marks SB19’s commencement of a new era highlighted with a more mature and captivating mix of music. The highly anticipated EP is a musical testimony of the group’s journey and transformation since their humble beginnings in 2018.
The six-track EP is SB19’s boldest release yet, offering audiences unexplored genres and musical style with an immersive experience set to draw in listeners and keep them hooked. The group effortlessly delivers an EP packed with powerful emotions and messages, ready to shake listeners to the core.
PAGTATAG! includes “GENTO,” which completely sets the tone of the EP by putting the group’s transformational change, versatility, and confidence into the spotlight. Fans will be treated to an SB19-first, a soulful R&B piece – “I WANT YOU” – that unveils a deeper dimension of the group and puts on display their raw passions and emotions for the world to see. “CRIMZONE” presents the SB19’s signature hard-hitting beats, a homage to their struggles and triumphs as artists. The EP also includes two profound ballads, “ILAW” and “LIHAM,” songs that are set to play with your emotions and seep deep into your skin.
“FREEDOM” is SB19’s celebration anthem for a new era, celebrating life, fans, and a new chapter as a group.
While the release of PAGTATAG! is set to make waves, fans are in for another treat as the “I WANT YOU” music video drops on the same day. Heads will turn their way, as SB19 releases a more sensual and soulful music video never seen before. Fans will get a more intimate glimpse of SB19 as they experience this heart-stuttering new song. “I WANT YOU” is a poignant play at one’s aspirations, teasingly within reach.
PAGTATAG! without a doubt marks the beginning of a new era that is unapologetically SB19. This new era thrusts into the spotlight their evolution as artists and celebrates both their struggles and triumphs as a group. Firmly rooted on their beginnings, SB19 has grown into an internationally acclaimed musical sensation who continue to test and break limits with their unconventional sound and unbounded talent.
As PAGTATAG! is released into the world, fans can finally immerse in the groundbreaking, trendsetting sounds of SB19. A more exhilarating journey is yet to come as the group embarks on their second world tour. The award-winning group is set to kick-off their world tour at the Araneta Coliseum on June 24 and 25 and will have multiple stops in cities across the Philippines, United States, and Canada. Tickets are available through TicketNet outlets nationwide or through www.ticketnet.com.ph.
The P-pop group, ALAMAT is back with a new music video for the track, "Maharani" off their EP, Pasulong. The word maharani translating to "queen," the song was produced and written by singer-songwriter, Thyro Alfaro. The group look to combine genres and Filipino sounds into a cohesive tune.
Fusing neo-soul with traditional southern Philippine music, it infuses a R&B and trap vibe using instruments like kanun, gamelan, gangsa, and byeon. The meaning behind the song looks to take a spin on modern romance, "contemporary musical masterpiece that blurs the line between archaic and current."
The video video taps BINI member, Jhoanna and Viva Records' Migo Valid for special appearances and leading ladies. Catch the members of ALAMAT show us how a queen should be treated.
Cover Photo Credit: ALAMAT Instagram
OPM or Original Pilipino Music has been evolving the last few years with the rise of the P-pop genre. The genre has been making waves not only in the Philippines but globally as well and the Tugatog Filipino Music Festival at SM Mall of Asia Arena was the event to catch as it became the biggest stage to catch your favorite P-pop artists and groups.
17 acts took the stage with a lineup that included: 1st.One, Alamat, Bini, BGYO, Calista, Daydream, Dione, G22, LITZ, MNL48, P-Pop Generation, Press Hit Play, R-Rules, VXON, Yara, The Juans and Zack Tabudlo, offering over six hours of non-stop music collaboration and celebration. Organizing an event at this scale was no easy task and took an even larger team working behind the scenes to pull it off. ASCEI Chief Executive Officer Sarah Ruth Matias said, “The concert is all that we dreamt of..We were ecstatic with how everything went. Big props to our ever-hardworking team, especially our P-Pop and OPM artists who have been working so hard to put forth a great show.”
One of the highlights of the show were all the collaborations happening between groups, songs, and artists. Bini sang with Alamat for their hits “Na Na Na” and “K bye.” Boy group BGYO joined forces with MNL48 to the tunes of their hit singles “Sabay” and “High Tension.” While Litz joined Press Hit Play to perform their original song “Tell Me"; 1st.One and The Juans were dubbed as 1st.Juans for their collab performance of “Atin Ang Mundo.” The triple crossover among boy groups 1st.One, VXON, BGYO, and Alamat for “Shout Out,” “The Beast,” “The Baddest,” and “Kasmala” got the crowd excited.
“It’s the transformative power of music to bring people together that pushed us to produce this concert in the first place. I’m sure I am not alone in saying that the pandemic has made everyone crave for activities like attending concerts.”
SARAH MATIAS, ASCEI Chief Executive Officer
The new crop of P-Pop and OPM talents also brought another layer of funk out of Pinoy hits—both in the present and from the past—including Maymay Entrata’s self-love anthem “Amakabogera” performed by P-Pop Generation, R-Rules, and Calista, the crowd favorite “Dati” as popularized by Quest, Sam Concepcion, and Tippy Dos Santos performed by Press Hit Play and Yara which arranged in a medley with Thyro and Yumi’s powerful collab “Triangulo” performed by Vxon and Daydream, and then Gloc-9’s immortal “Sumayaw Ka” powerfully rendered by G22 and Dione.
Another important aspect of the festival is of course the fans. They hold the power to essentially help make the event happen because of their enthusiasm and support to the respective artists and groups. Anj Heruela, Communications and Strategy Executive Director of ASCEI shares that the fans are crucial for an event like this, “Fans ask for a concert and we respond not just with a concert but a gathering where they will see something more from their idols as they also connect with other fans. Beyond bringing performances to life on a live stage, we want to bring together a whole community that fuels the love for OPM.”
OPM and P-pop music isn't going anywhere anytime soon, they're here to stay. The genres are only growing as more artists embrace their roots and fanbases grow across the globe. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what's next for Pinoy music and embraced by all.
Cover Photo Credit: Tugatog Filipino Music Festival Instagram
FELIP is the latest Filipino Artist to perform for The Recording Academy's digital show "Global Spin." Earlier this year, Filipino American Singer/Songwriter Francisco Martin performed his track Kissing on a Balcony. For this performance, FELIP takes us to Teatrillo in Intramuros. FELIP turns a ballroom into a stage for what The Recording Academy deemed an "Awe-inspiring" performance of his latest track, Bulan.
Check out the performance below:
Global Spin is a performance series from the Recording Academy/GRAMMY's spotlighting artists worldwide. Each episode of Global Spin features a performance from a notable artist or group and celebrates both the creators and their home countries. Episodes are released bi-weekly on Tuesdays on their official social platforms.
Cover Photo Courtesy of the Recording Academy YouTube Channel
Ken, aka Felip, set the internet ablaze with his first solo track Palayo in 2021. The track has garnerned over 2.5 million streams on Spotify and YouTube, respectively. The hit song garnered reactions worldwide and trended all over social. This new comeback track Bulan is poised to do the same.
? ugma ko sa Henesis itinatak-da
— FELIP (@felipsuperior) May 8, 2022
05.15.22#FELIP2ndsingle#FELIPBulanConceptPhoto1 pic.twitter.com/orxTUxxuXM
Last week Felip took to Twitter to begin to tease some concept photos for the new track but recently put out a statement that the release will be pushed back to a later date. No official date has been released, but a music video teaser has been uploaded to his YouTube channel. This 9-second clip has already caused some excitement in the comments, and fans can't wait for the drop.
Check out the teaser video below.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Felip's Instagram
KAIA aims for a global reach with their debut single, "BLAH BLAH." The upbeat track, released under Sony Music marks the arrival of the P-pop newcomer and they're ready to show us what they got! Produced by Lee Oh Won, who's also behind other tracks by international artists like SB19, Stray Kids, and more, helps KAIA explore a future forward sound that blends different musical elements together. Listen to "BLAH BLAH" now available on all digital music platforms.
The group may be considered newcomers, but they're already taking ownership of their music as songwriters. As the song talks about love, infatuation, and how relationships don't always play out the way we want, the girls wrote the lyrics by bringing their own experiences into the mix. Group member, Sophia shares how their chemistry made the songwriting process easier, "Writing BLAH BLAH is somehow easier considering our chemistry has improved a lot since then...We finally learned how to trust each other on a deeper level, hence the making of a song about love."
"Aside from this, everyone puts their 100% effort into this official debut. Even when one of us gets stuck in writing, the other four members make sure to help out when needed. That being said, our closeness and dedication made us more comfortable and confident in writing BLAH BLAH."
sophia, kaia
The music video which also debuted along with the single provides a stark contrast between the dream world and reality. Directed by Angelo Balanon, the visual translates the essence of the song with a cosmopolitan, movie-like sheen on par with K-Pop and J-Pop music videos.
This is only the beginning for KAIA and "BLAH BLAH" serves as their introductory journey towards self-discovery. As they navigate through an industry that's challenging and unfamiliar, they'll have to stick together and find their voice collectively as a group. "BLAH BLAH" partakes in Sony Music Entertainment's "Angat, P-Pop" initiative, which aims to put a spotlight on new generation OPM pop hits. Its global-ready sounds is sure to be your next summer jam!
ABOUT KAIA
KAIA is an upcoming 5-member girl group from ShowBT PH, the same company that launched P-POP Kings SB19. The members consist of Sophia, Angela, Charice, Charlotte, and Alexa. The name KAIA is inspired by two tagalog words: First is Kinaiya, which is a Tagalog noun that describes your inner character. These aren’t just your good traits, but all the traits and
characteristics that make you who you are. The second word is Kaya, which is a generic tagalog term Filipinos use in their everyday lives, mainly to overcome their struggles. “Kaya mo paba?” “Kakayanin.”
KAIA is a word that sounds feminine, but means powerful. Accepting who you are, and using it as a strength to overcome your goals despite what may be thrown at you. This is what the group represents now that they have finally debuted.
Cover Photo Credit: Sony Music Entertainment
The dynamic girl group, MNL48 returns with their 7th single, "No Way Man." It's been a year since MNL48 released their last music video for "Negastar / Baby Blue" and we're excited for new music! The ladies do their thing and show what they've been working for with synchronized choreography and catchy lyrics.
The visual gives off a cinematic feel with the rooftop sequences that's guaranteed to take MNLoves on a ride. It's fitting the ladies of MNL48 made an almost 7 minute video to coincide with their 7th single. Their latest single, "No Way Man" is available to stream now.
Cover Photo Credit: MNL48 Twitter
P-Pop worlds are colliding once again, and as we mentioned in the recent BINI x SB19 collab, we love to see it! This time P-Pop sibling groups BINI and BGYO teamed up with MNL48 to put on an exciting performance for Star Magic's "Beyond the Stars Trade Event."
The groups started off hitting the stage individually, with MNL48 performing their catchy 5th single, High Tension, released at the top of 2020. Then BINI came in with retro neon vibes performing their hit Golden Arrow. Next, BGYO took the stage with their track When I'm With You, which music video just surpassed the 1 million view mark on YouTube. Finally, to bring it all together, the three groups hit the stage in a collaboration production of Galing Natin Ito. Take a look at this FanCam view of their performance below!
P-pop group Press Hit Play made a comeback with their latest single "Tell Me." Before it came out, there's so much hype behind the track that the band has provided a whole schedule for the month! Pearls were given hints leading up to the song release along with a visualizer for 1/21 debut.
Press Hit Play had a message for their Pearls about their comeback. They share that in 2022, there's no reason for them to show down.
"We’re excited to share with our comeback single “Tell Me”, a highly infectious homage to the retro-pop stylings of the 80s sound: reminiscent of the pop culture of the era - including anthemic movie soundtracks and musical scores of old-school television shows - but delivered by way of Press Hit Play’s trademark modern and youthful energy."
Before "Tell Me," the group released "Adlaw" which is also available on all streaming platforms.
Cover Photo Credit: Press Hit Play Twitter
