The year was met with an overwhelming amount of new artists releasing amazing tracks everyday. 24/7 we are experiencing another golden age of local music from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. We have surf rock riding the waves in the lo-fi scenes, electronic music merging with the alternative and grunge community, and hip-hop greatly influencing pop music for the better. It’s that time of the year to celebrate the greatness that is the Filipino Music scene, both from the mainstream and the alternative. These are the songs that have caught our attention and hopefully they get to catch yours. Hear everything from January to December 2024.

40. r0xxy – Fashion Killa (jk)

Clocking in at about a minute and a half, “FASHiONKiLLA” waits no time in grabbing your attention and stringing you along for a little ride. Alongside ethereal and lush beats, the character r0xxy portrays here is swag, in all sense of the word—striking as the type of guy walking inside a grocery store in a full-on silver chrome hearts drip. He knows he is cool, he makes sure you understand that. And then, in between the busy dairy and meat produce section, he’s gone just as quickly as he arrived, leaving you interested and asking for more.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/r0xxstvr/fashionkilla-prod-fuctjin

39. Polkadots – unstuck (aly)

Straight from the Bay Area, Polkadot is back with another tweemo soundtrack befitting the precipice of a new year. Four years after releasing their debut album “Feeling Okay,” they teased their sophomore album “…to be crushed” with a track called “Unstuck” following their lead single “Pulling Threads”.

Unlike the songs in their first album, “Unstuck” banks heavier on the angsty, emo sound with heavier guitar riffs, fuzzy distortions, and profoundly reflective lyricism from Daney Espiritu. The track is vulnerable and honest to boot, with poignant melodies and nuanced vocals that aren’t meant to get easily “Unstuck” in your head.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVSipia8gUI

38. Arkyalina – readmymind (elijah)

“readmymind” is a diary entry written in digital ink. You get flourishes of guitar, Tavin Villanueva’s frustrations translated in the ether, and earnestness addressed via audio call. The track is 2-step crossed over with shoegaze influences, wandering and glitching into the world of Arkyalina’s mind palace. We just so happen to live with it. 

Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/5hNFl261HfMy1ZB7dvDus3?si=1a7e35bec89a4f0e

37. A piloto – in light (anika)

Picture this: you’re a stem major, who’s truly an art student at heart, but the world keeps pitting against your favor. In light calls for poetry written on converse, the guidebook to surviving your early 20s when they tell you to cut your overgrown hair. If an ‘angel lost its wings’, A piloto reignites the ability to fly. Fuzzy with reverb and overdrive, “in light” beckons to the feeling of burning the midnight oil at Mow’s, all the while wishing you didn’t have to go home. Think stickers on a Stratocaster, timeworn. 

Link:

https://soundcloud.com/user-877377412/in-light

36. Uncertain specimen – I knew you then I knew you now (anika)

Primarily a soundcloud-based artist, “I knew you then I knew you now” is a synthwave project at best. Uncertain specimen, clearly functions within a tiny keyboard, and that’s where a lot of its DIY aura comes from. Lots of bells ring in this track, as if a ringtone you would have picked up from an old Nokia. 

Link: https://soundcloud.com/uncertain-specimen/i-knew-you-then-i-know-you-now

35. Lomboys – Spartan (elijah)

Rhythmic chants are heard across the streets of Palangoy, Binangonan, Rizal Province. “AHU! AHU!” were made clear through small alleyways and eskinitas, but we’re not talking about actual Spartans charging towards an army. These are real life gangs arriving on the street like it’s a normal Sunday afternoon. “Spartan” by Lomboys could either be the equivalent of The Imperial March in boom bap form or the natural progression of Rizal’s storied rap history re-emerging into the scene.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUnszWGjRlM

34. YiYi – Jasper Jeans (jk)

Among the standout trends of the year, it seems that a cultural shift has gone towards making “cringe” and “heartfelt” art once again. Despite being overly simplistic and soppy, “Jasper Jeans” allows us to view it as an edge. Showcasing how a little goes a long way, the track wears its emotions on its sleeves for all of us to see and it’s nothing short of endearing. For YiYi, sentimentality is a bullet that pierces through all.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/2EfCPxDimVgTqzATke3dSp?si=752bcf0652c945bd

33. Felip – envy (elijah) 

Felip belts out a remark that could win a breathing contest, but this isn’t just a casual braggadocio. He’s an equestrian reaching a higher bar for the sole purpose of being the dark horse of his own league. SB19’s Felip balances elegance, opium-pilled juvenile astonishment and a brash presence that’s far away from his boy group image in “envy”. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq2l7PJJFMI

32. Shanni – Kdrama (anika)

In a world of ‘fandoms’ and whatnot, it’s easy to daydream your idealized version of a story. “Kdrama” is a track that extends those feelings toward longing, yearning, and wishing for a happy ending where everything falls into place. Endearing and melodious, Kdrama sets the tone for seeking the ethereal within reality. That experience of binging on a Kdrama with someone, one episode to the next, as the rest of the world fades into a standstill. 

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/7xOdR15gtoAH1B4KYkcDqR?si=08533594885049c4

31. Cherry Society – Recluse (jk)

If there was one song that Kat Stratford from 27 Things I Hate About You played after her iconic poem scene, it would definitely be Cherry Society’s “Recluse”. This is the main appeal of the track; the deliciously lively instrumentals and feminine angst dialed up to 11 create the perfect backdrop to having your weekly “nobody likes me” moment. Being the band that brands their music “adjacent to a 2000s teen movie soundtrack”, the quartet knows exactly what kind of music they want and is not afraid to make it. 

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/2OC4bmeBYQ7Nn6GOEyMlOB?si=8b10e7521dae473f

30. dizzy.FM – mary_jane (+ku1buk0l +mr.kupido77 +peew33 +ocsiber! (prod. sandin x wintfye! x warheart) (louis)

This song can only come from a vape-doused romanticism. It is the sonic equivalent of typing too much “I love you” and “I miss you” phrases within the early 2010s Facebook chat bubbles, all with emoticons backing up those messages. Shimmering pluggnb production elevates the yearning of the four performers, all earnestly singing their love for their mary janes.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/dizzyfmdobolb/mary_jane

29. THUGSTA – MANILA BOY (elijah)

Being a “MANILA BOY” for Thugsta is tough business. No snitches, no opps and no names in the watchlist, those are his wishes to live a life peacefully. Thugsta throws up signs, smoothly raps over a g-funk production, and at the same time brings the power of assurance in less than 2 minutes. There’s love for the game, and Thugsta would show that love with the family and gang by tenfold. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgUh69QdzXc

28. BabyDraco – Guhits (jax)

From the visuals to the rhythm, from start to finish, BabyDraco made a better clone of American rapper 4Batz’s “act ii: date @ 8”, but in pink bunnyclava swag. His laconic lyrics fit in his style of overly-modified vocals, much reminiscent again of 4Batz’s idiosyncrasies. There isn’t much to say for “Guhits” as a contemporary R&B performance; after around the 1 minute mark, the already risqué song slows down to cast a more sexual feeling from his previously androgynous vocals. As a neophyte, he needs to carve his own identity as a rising R&B star, which all could be revealed in his mixtape in 2025.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scjHmMs_K1U

27. Shan Capri – Past Flight (jax)

We all know this familiar feeling of grief and regret in a short-lived yet exhilarating summer fling. In two minutes, Shan Capri made “PAST FLIGHT” stand out by effortlessly using brash guitar riffs to corporealize, in music form, that isolating feeling. While the track is just one of Shan Capri’s back-to-back releases of demos this year, this one particularly best describes the quality she produces and writes as a way to express her personal introspection and reverie.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/4a42QUeclPWvmv9y9TNVVq?si=9c4235d05ec84a82

26. Alisson Shore, KLLY – Ako Ba Talaga? (faye)

 In his collaboration with KLLY in “Ako Ba Talaga?”, Alisson Shore takes OPM R&B by storm: The bilingual storytelling told by two unreliably relatable narrators in this track coupled with Shore’s continuous themes of infidelity and the emotional baggage that peruses one’s headspace is so theatrical I would call it Ozian-esque… But like if Oz was hip. It gets even better when you watch the Y2K-inspired music video of this track and visualize the hip-grooving melody that sticks like gum with Alisson Shore’s hard-hitting bars and KLLY’s unforgettably silky, sensual, honey-like vocals.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/7hwoTtUjQgIEjvfqOLGayh?si=ad323906058d44c0

25. nina? – DEATH BY YOUR SIDE (louis)

Nina’s debut single was released out from the belly of the beast. His blurry vocals echo across miles away as the nerving post-punk melodies create a misty smoke, stirring your ears with its murky atmosphere. With that in mind, the title rings true after all, as the soundscape beckons the bone-chilling presence of death. Lurking behind all of our shadows, taking its sweet time to get on our nerves.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/0NQ2r3oRw6JVSkLUhwBtGE?si=4bd4a323a31c4bfb

24. Mi Mi – Sigurado (jax)

Released under Offshore Music, Mi Mi glides you to her phenomenal jazz and R&B track that’s chill to the max because of its hovering, bouncy basslines and soulful sax. The Barbie Morena’s navigation of her vulnerabilities of aching and longing for someone who’s uncertain with their feelings is animated in the tenderness and lightness of her vocals against intimate jazzy sounds. The track grooves so hard it almost makes the sting of being ghosted bearable. Perhaps with such a rapturous saxophone solo, we get to press repeat and listen on how to stop lamenting and how to steer clear of the familiar crisis of fickle situations.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/3IQR6wMvgyPEFJxmZWsw9Z?si=835a9b1d49264a0d

23. Kaia –  Walang Biruan (jax)

The easy-breeziness in KAIA’s “Walang Biruan” dives you into bubblegum pop pantomiming as a carefree feel-good pop performance similar to the songs that are “inspired by” the Y2K era. The natural ease that one feels mirrors the group’s charm, and it’s not because of the similarities to other fellow P-pop groups in related pop genres such as BINI. KAIA has long been in the sound of hip-hop and R&B, especially with their trappy single called “You Did It” which was released just a few months earlier. With UK Garage and jersey club successfully blended into a matured lattice, thanks to the girls’ collaboration with Kenneth Amores and KINDRED’s Pikunin in the co-production, this track was a confident leap into new frequencies for them; you can even tell from the sound and music video how much they loved making it. True to the homophone of their name, they prove that they’ll go far, especially with the right creative team.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/7EKeaGulCvsmwLXQRc2UAH?si=f52bd5751b074fc5

22. Beabadobee – Take A Bite (faye)

With her new seductive, tantalizing, and vampy sound, Beabadoobee clenches down with both fangs in “Take A Bite”. This track simply oozes early 00s Post-Britpop which is no surprise coming from the London-raised singer-songwriter who wrote her third album in the suburbs of California with Rick Ruben, one of the holy figures of record production. ‘Take A Bite’ takes you to the mind lair of Beabadoobee where she ponders about the opaque toxicity of shrewd relationships with no rest, almost like the syncopated melodies mess with her circadian rhythm. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/1GClDyMiSLrpzjzwIfWRIa?si=6039192b4bbf4f29

21. Novocrane – imaginary party (jk)

Novocrane, a name that is currently making noise in the Cebu underground scene, released their debut track this year to the delight of Bisaya indie rock enthusiasts. Apart from being sonically distinct and eclectic, the innovative guitar work goes smoothly through the ear, like a soothing voice lulling you to sleep. In under 3 minutes, the neophyte band showed us a tiny fraction of what they can create—and they are just getting started.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/album/46jZPxLZOD1qLY1ntBOzFt?si=5d4fe7eb4dc54b47

20. Blaster – kamukha (faye)

Have you ever known what it feels like to be in the limbo of love and regret? In this track mixed with saccharine arrays of guitar and xylophone, Blaster’s lyricism and cadence dance in the eye of the hurricane caused by the euphoric collision of memory and the cruel absence of it, all while in limerence. The dreamlike, electropop echo chamber this childlike ditty creates surely has you playing it on repeat, mirroring what it feels like to enter a carnival and get that tight feeling on your chest as you’re about to ride a rollercoaster to finally exhaling on the coaster’s big drop.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzbENcgY4Bg

19. UDD – run deep (nikolai) 

UDD goes through a maturity phase as the band pushes on with a new industrial-leaning sound following circumstances that prompted the band to reevaluate their identity. The synths are heavier than ever, songwriting bolder than ever, and the production more evolved than it has ever been for the group. Throw all your hopes for another ‘Capacities’ or ‘Fragmented’ as the band already has; this is UDD.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/2r4wA6kzUlDQkzrYgGC1R4?si=bbb5a7af88f245fd

18. Apebreeder – Heaven Is A Trip (nikolai)

Bittersweet, emotive, and raw, this promising Dumaguete-based band—that has been making moves in the past year with their recent EP release—blends raw grunge and emo with a hint of post-hardcore in their music in a tasteful way. “Heaven is a Trip” sees Apebreeder in their element as they display a masterclass in turning unfiltered emotions into gut-punching passages and melodies.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/7sF2fqBphnm8pzXVvqbfln?si=12caab69e50f4bbc

17. n_d_g – Yoko Na Sayo (elijah)

If you’re wondering what the scene would sound like inside of a Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine, this would be the ideal world to live in. Soundcloud prodigy and Fresh-ill Club’s n_d_g goes beyond camp on “Yoko Na Sayo” with a 100 percent score alongside heartbreak, feet-tapping trance production and a knack for catchiness that’s bound to end up in a modded level. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/7dDMKI6Gij7b17OBoxGJbm?si=53fb6a51b45443d3

16. Matoki – Lemon (anika)

Matoki always comes high on the list, when in discussion of love songs. “Lemon” supports that claim to the greatest extent. Ecstatic and mercurial, it feels just like the summertime when come the prospects of meeting your soulmate by the burger machine stand. Lemon reads like a diary, with excerpts that express sensibilities toward picnics against the backdrop of UP circle.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wUtE7w1yltCfcuJySMT0O?si=68a7db9acdad46a4

15. Squaretoe – Subzero (anika)

Like driving through a tunnel, eliciting blurred shadows, “Subzero” paints the urban lifestyle in mellow shades of blue. Dreamy and spacey, the track dedicates itself to those who enjoy liminal soundscapes with airy vocals. What the track suffuses is a ‘mumblecore’ movie, picturesque with reminiscence and dread. Self-described as a ‘micro-ensemble unit’, Squaretoe continues to dazzle with their glowing chemistry. Squaretoe is what you listen to when you’re either ‘bed-rotting’ or traversing the halls of an empty mall — there’s no in-between.  

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/album/5SkKsNmhoFBtNiFYfzI98J?si=–FHR4XTSc6577kq2tqhqw

14. Aunt Robert – Mad! (faye) 

“Mad!” is a short but catchy tune anyone can see themselves dancing to. Aunt Robert’s superb songwriting skills shine as they bid adieu to the unpleasant interlopers that creep into life every now and then. With their production skills on the rise, Aunt Robert enters the bedroom rock arena with 00s revivalism and the guitar is their weapon of choice. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/12bFyPA8NKbNKrK6jjCoW6?si=89816338495e488f

13. Fern. – BABY BLUE (louis) 

The beauty of R&B crooning has never sounded this alluring. Throughout the comfort of “Baby blue”, Fern embodies the best kind of cool: genuinely affirming in his ways of approaching love. The booming bass and twittering synth are not just the highlight here, as Fern’s vocals encapsulate the slick tone that he can effortlessly change all over. Like the color stamped on the title, the song is imbued with baby blue serenity.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/2hD3oobYcutiJN3u12P6LF?si=ce542c5381954396

12. YB Neet, Bugoy na KoyKoy – ILY (elijah) 

Love Rap in the year 2024 feels like a tried and tested concept, but it feels great to be proven wrong, and here we are witnessing its best form yet. YB Neet and Bugoy na KoyKoy begs for more than the bare minimum in “ily”.  As simple the title is, it’s also an implication how far can love be or the limitations of any existing terms of endearment. “Ily” has encapsulated the catchy-as-hell chorus or YB’s plea for their partner’s respect. Maybe saying I love you isn’t enough after all. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/3w2uH1D7s2lyBNionSZOM0?si=61e4c7bd9a7c4274

11. 25hearts – Hearts (louis)

It’s only a matter of time before 25hearts eventually pump their heart out. What “Hearts” brings is a fresh beginning; a warm hug to start the day; a walk in the park with the sun shining down on you. Each verse from every member is a flutter that keeps building up over time, with a gentle beat providing warmth during the song’s runtime. Creating love that sprouts in sparkling water, giving you the aahs after every sip of this song.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/album/24Mlq93NpSiUfHOhsUuxgV?si=c95a0fb6748948dd

10. Zild – Lia (aly)

Zild has seemingly retired from his darkwave era as he takes a different sonic route in his latest record “Superpower,” switching from moody and melancholic to a playful and refreshing take on the Post-Britpop soundscape. Zild embraces the cliches of young love through innocent storytelling and heartfelt delivery, a common formula in most OPM rock serenades during the 90s and 2000s. It denotes a significant amount of acceptance and gratefulness for the chance to fall for someone again without the clammy use of metaphors. The simplicity of “Lia” is what makes it so endearing and perhaps, what everyone wants to experience—a sense of clarity and calmness when love comes to your doorstep.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/6uHHGyKxMg5MOUbXsqVgxL?si=76d67a86e435454d

9. iluna – minsan lang (anika)

Like a modern ‘harana’ of sorts, think Christmas lights with glinting fairy lights and warm cocoa. Although there’s no winter in this climate, “minsan lang” replicates that same atmosphere. Simple yet catchy and precise, it’s what you look for whenever you long for a sense of calmness. Laid-back and carefree, you practically feel the sand at your toes. The waves crisp with the sun’s reflection. Just what you need for musical notes to intangibly embrace you. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/3wGpg2nnqwVE4NmFVfHwBc?si=7aa260243a1a4f37

8. cheeky things – bones (aly)

Back in the 2000s, the best way to predict an incoming call on your 2G mobile phone was the sound your old PC speakers made. A year after releasing their debut demo, cheeky things introduced their new song “Bones” in the same fashion—through analog signal disruptions meant to ring up the alternative scene for another tweemo banger. 

In “Bones,” the band condenses their signature sonic elements—noisy guitar riffs, glitchy distortions, and frenetic drums—all within its short runtime, even managing to squeeze in a high-pitched, kazoo-like sound mid-chorus. Similar to their noise-rock anthem, “korean blackout curtains 7ft (1 pc, not set),” this single holds the same effect on listeners with its Tagalog lyrics that hit straight to its titular living tissue. During the quiet verses, Kim Bernardino’s vocals seem to be recorded straight from a late-night phone call, with their drony voice progressing to a raw, unaltered version to prepare us for the explosive chorus. There’s really no other choice but to jump and sing your heart out.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/6wl7RqfhjSJU3npK1EidjQ?si=a80b415ed47049b0

7. Stab. – watchyoudie (nikolai)

Stab does not pull its punches—or stabs. This Cebu-based hardcore band is consistently unrelenting in their track, “watchyoudie”, and will not stop until you are laying on the ground, either from exhaustion or from being run over by someone else in the room who is moshing to this song.

The song slowly paces you into that fit of rage with a popular ‘Ozark’ soundbite and a breakbeat drum sample teasing you of what’s to come. By the time it lets go of its own constraints, it’s all straightforward, no-BS hardcore from here on out.

For a song as brief as ‘watchyoudie’, it is still packed with many quotable lines, as stab understands and fully embraces its shock value and gives room in between riffs for these lines to resonate. The most memorable one is undoubtedly, “Know death will never catch me, because I’ll live to watch you die.”

It’s what a slasher movie would be if it was turned into a song.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/3d965fqdRyCawLqBsPFoPj?si=73c2cad0dc4941f1

6. Halina – Kung Andito Ka Lang Sana (elijah)

Divino Dayacap boards a plane to a place filled with wonder and excitement. However, there’s a lingering melancholy by his row. Nothing but the feeling of missing something or someone. And as the lights dim, he peers through the window, witnessing flying Fender guitars, but as the vision starts to clear, “Kung Nandito Ka Lang” goes into hyperdrive – speeding in high altitudes of rumbling drums, epic crescendos and chapel synths. It is everything but anything. Maximalist but with a growing sense of eloquence. There’s dirt and cleanliness in its gradual pacing yet chaos in jet engine speeds. Halina is back. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/album/5CJdwOYtXd6DGAqx2NyVd7?si=RwXi6etqTwW_EfpMpGvFag

5. Gins and Melodies & Hev Abi – Babaero (louis)

Despite all its mischief, it can’t catch a sin when the melody is extremely catchy. “Babaero” has been in rotation ever since January, a gradual smash hit where Gins and Melodies & Hev Abi become two sly foxes that whisk their way out with subtle deception. Layering a catchy-as-sin hook and woozy beat that tries to pull everyone under hook, line, and sinker. 

It’s a playful plan that works in Gin and Melodies & Hev Abi’s favor, their smoothness only amplifying that impish wink. An irresistible charm that never slips, always gliding towards the road to satisfaction.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/0NJAqnvbF6vzripOB7PclP?si=56bb2ee78ec54601

4. Yaelokre – Harpy Hare (aly)

Carrying their rustic blue guitar-lele, the Filipino-Icelandic solo artist shares folktales from the fantasy world of Meadowlark in their breakout single. In “Harpy Hare,” Yaelokre tells a thought-provoking story of an overprotective mother through “The Lark,” a quartet of young minstrels named Cole, Clementine, Perrine, and Kingsley. Throughout the song, Keath Osk changes their voice to match each character, notably Clementine’s soft, high-pitched vocals alternating with the lead singer Cole’s assertive mid-tones as the chorus continuously repeats in an interrogating manner. Through its acoustic-folk instrumentation, stomping rhythms, and group vocal harmonies, “Harpy Hare” paints an intricate and poetic landscape of Yaelokre’s worldbuilding—a whimsical place where one can run free and bring back the magic of their childhood. Once you hear it, you can’t resist falling down the rabbit hole.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/35I2E525yJpUQ5ZJgfxizT?si=eb630077698b4038

3. (e)motion engine – mlb (elijah)

As (e)motion engine comes home from a mosh-heavy gig, vocalists Ace and Camille Santos would wander around their house, yearning for their pet cat to play catch with them again. All of a sudden, their minds encounter a criss-cross: post-punk drum machines, ethereal guitars playing with the fuzz pedal and synths pollinating as the thought of being one’s “my little boy” lingers. Shining brightest in the first half only to burn bright into the rough textures in the outro has brought them to the climax, all thanks to their liking of shoegaze, pop punk and emo. (e)motion engine’s “mlb” wraps itself like a warm hug, only to send a message that pets are healing. 

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/6uXSZazWjvwsPVEDngFfQs?si=f61bfe9556ea4b37

2. BINI – Salamin, Salamin (nikolai) 

BINI, the eight-piece girl group phenom that took the world by storm with a summer tune in late 2023, follows through with the biggest pop banger of the year. And while their concept may be as simple as girl-next-door bubblegum pop, they are the biggest girls-next-door right now.

Amid the blindingly vibrant motif and a pile of denim to last you a decade, BINI’s success with “Salamin, Salamin” is a result of P-Pop’s many trials and errors now bearing fruit.

For quite some time, P-Pop’s many names have been entangled in a contest of “who can make the boldest and most unique statement piece in the genre?” Understandably so, as P-Pop has had a steep climb trying to find a place outside its core audience’s bubble and an identity that is not relegated to just being window dressing to your favorite noontime variety TV show. This, as well as a chip on its shoulders mounting from (scathing) remarks from fans and non-fans about the genre’s supposed lack of originality and a propensity for slapping a Filipino tag on an otherwise foreign product, hindered P-Pop from catapulting into its own realm of success.

Before BINI, the closest thing P-Pop has come to a breakthrough moment is SB19’s ‘Go Up’, which brought the band to fame and led to the name ‘P-Pop’ being coined, but it was seen more as an antecedent to a phenomenon much bigger, waiting to take over. Unfortunately, it did not have the lasting power outside its concentrated listener base.

Either people wanted to hear something simple and upbeat, or a consistent theme across their discography that people can easily identify them with, or both, or neither. Whatever’s the case, BINI understood that assingment and stuck to their guns as they always have. Writing a cute and catchy bubblegum pop song is only a part of that equation. But taking a step back from the needlessly complex statements, genre fusions, and grandstanding not only led BINI to chart-topping success, but also gave P-Pop a blueprint that other groups may find helpful.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7tNO3vJC9zlHy2IJOx34ga?si=c77c341133824c2c

1. Shaira – selos (jax)

Let’s not beat around the bush – Bangsamoro Pop’s “Selos” is everywhere despite the now-resolved copyright issue. 

From malls to palengkes, Shaira’s unexpected breakout Disco Moro hit has become a national cultural juggernaut, with its catchy hooks, humor, and relatable lyrics that cement her as the face of OPM in 2024. The track, produced by DJ Charles, sampled Australian singer-songwriter Lenka’s work and positioned music of the past into the present in a futuristic way, reconstructing fragments of pop into something fresh by also incorporating electronic drums found in Indonesia’s dangdut. 

It’s not an uncreative process to sample and remix, as they have always been integral to OPM’s musicality, just as they are in pop and hip-hop globally. However, historically, sample clearance has notably intensified the inaccessibility of making music faced by passionate and ambitious artists like Shaira who may lack the resources, capital, and information to secure sample rights. Furthermore, it’s telling–and very frustrating–that her identity, as a Muslim woman from Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao, was transgressive enough to draw attention to the legality and validity of all her music, perpetuating discrimination that holds back neophytes like her. And in her reprise “Selos Na Yan Friend,” she now sings about selos, or jealousy, not in the romantic sense, but as a response against the online vitriol and crab mentality that she faced from other Filipinos.

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/track/74rQQyiNx46VJb4mXiEyBO?si=51277487448a4318