The second single from neophyte soft pop singer-songwriter Shanni is more enchanting than their debut by a lot. Venturing into dreamier soundscapes rather than city pop beginnings, Shanni’s “19” commands a slightly more consistent and somber approach to their tender sensibilities in pop songwriting. Shanni sings over the gentle compositions as if skiing on a […]
Author: Elijah Timothy Pareno
TRACK REVIEW: To Love Everything Ever Again – Jonah
Written by Elijah P. In every scattered, programmed drum loop, bitpop-influenced keys, meddling string section, and vocal delivery, there’s an underlying sensitive theme at play in “To Love Everything Again” — the solo indietronica and chamber pop project of Janpol Estrella. The track exudes a tight embrace and a strong tug at the heartstrings. It’s […]
TRACK REVIEW: fuzzy headcoat – Czai
Written by Elijah P. Eastern Metro Manila has become cloudier and more ethereal than ever before. The solo bedroom project fuzzy headcoat delves into the ethereal wave, exploring the indie/alternative genres with its almost repetitive distorted guitar work, xylophones, and the gentle twee vocals of their vocalist. Drawing inspiration from the enigmatic “world music” netlabel […]
TRACK REVIEW: Twosday – piyesa
Written by Elijah P. Malibay, Pasay, is a neighborhood brimming with musical surprises, and among them is a group of young talents from Twosday, a 5-piece consisting of friends from other friends in their neighborhood. And like all young upstarts, their influences are well-worn on their sleeves loud and proud from the very start. The […]
TRACK REVIEW: gins&melodies ft. Hev Abi – Babaero
Written by Elijah P. The year is 2024, and we’re currently at a stasis in how culture perceives sampling as a taboo subject and interpolations as a dubious activity in songwriting overall. Regarding the aforementioned topics, Shaira’s “Selos” made an impact by sparking a discourse on interpolations, while massive critics of the song bombard comments […]
EP REVIEW: Yung Masa – MY KARMA RAN OUT
Written by Elijah P. Being a jack of all trades can take you somewhere, especially when you can balance out the dynamics of being a producer and a songwriter. These particular skills are something to masterfully juggle throughout your entire career span. Moreover, up-and-coming rapper and songwriter Yung Masa takes on the challenge of balancing […]
TRACK REVIEW: Jade Fake – isa kang PUTA
Written by Louis Pelingen Within just two extensive verses and a set of devastating refrains under a clattering, shambling production is enough foundation for Jade Fake to burst up all of her provocative confrontations towards men and all of their borderline pathetic sexual fixation. There is a genuine sense of rage that Jade Fake indulges […]
TRACK REVIEW: stab. – watch you die
Written by Elijah P. As the hardcore community continues to expand in numbers, it has successfully passed on to the younger generations who are willing to help out in promoting a progressive mindset to all. Bands like Crepuscule, Gapas, Exit Wound, Shockpoint, and many more are emerging, performing in shows and venues everywhere. Bands like […]
TRACK REVIEW: Chezka – Fire Near a Toddler
Written by Faye Allego Chezka rose to virality on TikTok when she first released a video snippet of “Fire Near a Toddler” a couple of years ago. Since then, it has amassed over 600k views with thousands of comments coming from youngins who relate heavily to Chezka’s lyricism pertaining to losing hope in love because […]
EP REVIEW: BINI – Talaarawan
Written by Louis Pelingen With the news of BINI breaking new grounds on the Billboard charts and eventually dethroning Ben&Ben on Spotify in terms of being the most streamed OPM group in around 2 years, it showcases a grand successful milestone not just for BINI themselves, but for the P-pop scene in general: a hurrah […]