Written by Elijah P.

Olongapo’s sole funky, alternative rock troupe Sunkissed Lola are to watch out for in the new batch of bands in the 2020s. From being introduced by Kiyo in more intimate gigs to being one of Wish 107.5’s most sought-after artists in terms of virality, Sunkissed Lola are aiming to get out of their hometown to hit the big leagues. 

But with their latest arsenal consisting of an impeccable drummer and backup vocalist in the stable, the problem in Sunkissed Lola still lies in the style of their direction and their vocal performances. If the listener were to open their ears again, looking for another infectious hook in their material, the process of realization would stem from hometown heroes with nothing to lose to hometown big leagues with generic taste in hand. After the hit viral single that is “Pasilyo”, Sunkissed Lola are to double down in the genericness of it by opening the year with “White Toyota”.

In their new single, Sunkissed Lola personifies the breezy summer afternoons and a knack for guitar licks that takes the funk outside by the shore. Still, the sore thumb in all of this isn’t just their current sonic palette (even their contemporaries like The Ridleys, Over October or even Lola Amour could make slightly more tolerable commercial music). Sunkissed Lola launches an all-out attack on the funkrock genre, only to be sacrificed by sounding like a car sponsorship out of nowhere – minus all the fun and the glamor of it all. 

“White Toyota” doesn’t just scream mid but rather: Sunkissed Lola and “White Toyota” work together as a humid product of pop that’s barely reached the surface of memorability in terms of catchy songwriting. “White Toyota” has all the potential to be Sunkissed Lola’s second breakout, but the single only works if your uncle would test out the radio if the brand new Toyota Vios works for background music.  

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