As the year 2025 is soon closing its doors, there’s excitement in looking back on the songs that ripple across the scenes.
For instance , Zaniel’s C2 NA RED! And Nateman & Lucky’s IMMA FLIRT has been in big rotation in the hip-hop scene, showcasing what it means to truly craft captivating earworms in the pop context. It’s a characteristic that also applies to Fitterkarma’s Pag-Ibig ay Kanibalismo II, their biggest breakthrough song that smashed through the mainstream rock scenes. Fitting themselves alongside known acts such as Zack Tabudlo and Janine Berdin, who happen to come from the big leagues, take on unexpected curveball releases. Speaking of breakthroughs, the rising presence of girl groups KAIA and VVINK displays an exciting turn in the realms of P-pop, adding distinct palettes that are worth looking towards in the future.
Of course, it’s not like the alternative and underground — local and otherwise — continues to flourish in its own way. Metro Manila is very much full of them, circulating noise from hip-hop collectives, pop punk bands, and disco acts. In Davao City, you hear Tuesday Trinkets and adult sunday school put their energy and warmth into the flourishing pop rock and screamo scenes they’re building towards. Internationally, you hear ZayALLCAPS and Underscores continue score welcome acclaim within international music publications.
This list encapsulates the songs that we heard from the entirety of 2025. A celebration of what caught our attention, and hopefully, you get a chance to hear these songs as well. — Louis Pelingen
30. Janine Berdin – antoxic
Stepping away from the balladeer biritera image that she initially cultivated with the rest of her peers, Janine Berdin decides to take inspiration from the experts near the tail end of the 20th century for “ANTOXIC.” It’s a well-studied replica of 2000s alternative rock that dares to step foot behind the line of nu-metal. With roaring vocals like Evanescence’s Amy Lee, a hazy, hypnotized wall of sound that borders on shoegaze territory, it’s evident that Berdin and her team did their homework. The firm lyrics that demand ownership are so self-assured in her toxicness, you can’t help but wonder if it’s camp or sheer commitment to the bit. Berdin’s rebrand is an enticing introduction to a whole other side of her personality and a step in a new direction. — Noelle Alarcon
29. Shanni – Sikretong Tayo Lang May Alam
A hymn for the repression of queer love that must stay secret now feels like a 2000s soft-rock ballad in Shanni’s “Sikretong Tayo Lang May Alam.” Her voice acts as a cushion, almost like a firm embrace for queer couples to make the secrecy feel bearable amidst the society’s constant brouhaha, on gender, sex, and rights to love. And while the guitar strums are gentle, they still try to overwhelm the hurt that queer lovers know all too well. The chorus asks plainly, “Ilan pa ba ang kinakailangang patunayan?” — A line that twists the knife even more for those who’ve learned to overperform and dilute themselves, then go on days longing for the moment to finally and unapologetically take up space and be seen. — Jax Figarola
28. Parti. – Breach
A messenger passes through the neurons wired inside the sponge, dictating your life from inside your head. Not a second passes and its time is up, and another takes its place, each one pulling the strings that bring purpose to your flesh and bone, that help you recognize your heart and what keeps it going. It goes on and on and on, and so it goes on and on in the person you keep perfect time with. But the further away you are, the slower the messengers seem, so you move closer and closer, and so do they, making sense of the motions of two minds. Two souls. Two scholars hungry for knowledge of the lights flashing through the skulls.
A head-on collision. Candles melting into one another. A necessary breach. — Gabriel Bagahansol
27. VVINK and DJ Love – Baduy
There came a time when budots, as a music genre, sparked discussions on its place in the music charts. Two years ago, months after DJ Love took the stage of Manila Community Radio’s Boiler Room set, there was a noticeable shift in seeing budots as something outside of its original context. “Baduy” comes both as a sign and as a result of this growth – a pop record enveloped in budots’ organic stylistic leanings. Genre pioneer DJ Love comes in as a collaborator, prominently featured in the music video. Its trademark “tiwtiw” sound and accompanying dance, both distinct, become enmeshed into the pop record without any sense of its novelty wearing off.
VVINK, a five-piece pop group under FlipMusic, shouts, “Ipagkalat na ang tunog na ito/ Na talagang sa atin lang.” “Baduy” becomes a clarion call turned into song. If only the record label didn’t try to play it safe and ask, “What if we add Pio Balbuena into the mix?” At least that’s what I could have guessed. — Lex Celera
26. Jopper Ril – Won’t Wait
With “Won’t Wait,” Jopper Ril resurrects the glittering glam pop-rock energy of 80s OPM, echoing the style of a young Gary Valenciano. It’s dated in all the right ways: glittery synth, romantic jazz grandiosities, and arrangements built for slow, swirling dances under mirrorball light. Jopper Ril’s silky vocals move like vintage velvet, the same velvet seen on red curtains at a theatre. The bridge delivers a sensual crescendo that crystallizes the songwriter’s take on real love. The maturity of realising you weren’t good for someone, paired with the ache of not exploring what could’ve been. In this age of passive yearning, “Won’t Wait” breaks limerence by leaning forward, unafraid to be confrontational. Its grooves slow dance flawlessly, while the lyrics linger like the aftertaste of morning coffee, insisting you sit with the flavor. — Faye Allego
25. Jiji – Paborito
Jiji sings enthusiastically about having a “paborito” among a roster of romances, and the song itself glows with that soft, twinkly sweetness that you might hear in a Christmas tune. The track’s instrumentation has this fluffy and cold shimmer that fits well with the song’s theme of young people happily (or maybe not?) participating in non-committal, non-serious, and uncomplicated sextuationships. Sex does feel more romantic when the other person clearly has a crush on you! And for anyone living in that same no-strings setup and/or who loves to thirst trap, this track may just become your own ‘paborito,’ as it loops the exact feeling of mindless fun and horny freedom. — Jax Figarola
24. geo – i promise
In “i promise,” George Santos’ indie track operates as an intense psychological study of relationship dissolution, focusing entirely on a desperate, unstable plea for temporal stasis. Within the confines of reverb-drenched guitars, the bedroom-pop sensibility akin to Her’s is complemented by hooks and repetition of “wait” and the demand for a minimal delay, “give me a day or two,’ which underscores a profound belief in the immediate repairability of deep-seated conflict. The emotional volatility seated in “i promise” is a precise document of denial, where the desperate belief in an easy fix clashes with the inevitable reality of relational collapse. — Adrian Jade Francisco
23. Revisors – Pagupit
REVISORS’ “Pagupit” is a snappy, melodic alt-rock confession frames the deliberate snip of the shears as a necessary emotional surgery. Though the track’s surface might be jangly, the guitars are ruthless, carving the air with a precision that drives home the absolute, harsh closure of the relationship.
The vocals hover masterfully between irony and absolute avowal, uncertain whether to regret the breakup or relish the sheer recklessness of cutting their hair. While the speaker demands to be literally drowned, the perfect riff underscores the emotional chaos, leaving them paralyzed by the ultimate, heavy question of purpose: “Mula rito, paano na ako ngayon?” — Adrian Jade Francisco
22. Chinese Garden – In Hiding
In the best way possible, “In Hiding” is a lethargic experience. Its hypnotic guitar melodies adorned in chorus and reverb coat the percussive sound of the acoustic strumming behind it, both serving to reinforce a sense of deep longing expressed by the vocals and lyrics. Echoes of “Did I laugh too loud? Did I stay too quiet? Where are you going?” get lost in this lush soundscape. It gives you the perfect excuse to put on your headphones, look out the nearest window, and wonder about what could’ve been. And while this track may not have all the answers, it’s right there with you to keep you company, for you to lose yourself in its hypnosis. — Francine Sundiang
21. Andrea Obscura – Garden
Dream pop can be many things, from some of the most haunting works of music you will ever hear to bright and jangly anthems. Andrea Obscura’s “Garden” embraces a middleground, offering a respectable, indie-influenced track that is every bit as wistful as it is catchy. The production is solid, bringing out a quiet sense of longing in the instruments that would be right at home in small, intimate venues or in a Tiny Desk concert. Andrea Ramos’ vocals are soft and mumbly in the best way possible, easy to sing along to and connect with. In the end, “Garden” feels like a warm hug, like a letter from a dear friend about how they’re feeling now. — Francine Sundiang
20. BABY FREEZE – MOST HIGH
In the male-dominated rap scene, BABY FREEZE unapologetically enters any room to deliver swag and spunk in the form of bars, all while wearing lip gloss and blue eyeshadow. In “MOST HIGH,” every line leaves a sting to anyone who can’t keep her name out of their mouth. With Never Paco’s mixing bringing her feisty attitude to sound, BABY FREEZE raps in all-caps with grinning teeth. The twinkly textures and aggressive 808 rolls in the production supply the track with the right amount of flair to stick its landing. Paradoxically, BABY FREEZE never fails to spit fire high up from where she stands, and she’s never coming down. — Aly Maaño
19. Bankyu ft. Wayvier – SWISH
2025 saw the come-up of Baller Room, a collective of DJs taking their turntables out of the dark corners of the city and onto the basketball court, staging a kind of daytime block party that’s still able to form a genuinely uplifting community through music, sportsmanship, and camaraderie. It’s the perfect setting for a laidback track about kicking it with your bros and catching highs on some rings — in more ways than one. Bankyu and Wavyier float on a Kyleaux-helmed beat on “SWISH” as they rap about their pursuit of good vibes and a day of ballin’. These two are so attuned to the sounds around them, you don’t even have to understand a word they’re saying to know that they’re about to have a good time. Three points at the buzzer without even trying. — Gabriel Bagahansol
18. Fresh-Ill club – INYAFACE
Mixing booming 808s you’d hear in traditional hiphop with sound effects you’d never expect, “INYAFACE” is a song that works out in the best, most unexpected way possible. This track by Fresh-iLL Club’s is smug, laden with bar after bar; a warning to not mess with the collective. Its members sound effortlessly aloof, jaded–it’s as if they’re challenging the opps, “is that really all you’ve got?” “INYAFACE” is a love letter to everyone who came before them the song’s each and every element a clear homage rooted in hours of immersing oneself in alternative rap. Albeit the varying flows and the playful production, the song remains cohesive all throughout; creating harmony out of cacophony is a rare skill only a few can master. — Noelle Alarcon
17. Karbine – Fist Degree
Hardcore band Karbine came up in a city shaped by its own complicated history. Olongapo carries traces of its past everywhere, including a sense of authority that never fully left. Hardcore has never cared for authority, which makes “Fist Degree” hit harder than most tracks that fall under the beatdown umbrella; The riffs grind, the drums hit without apology, and the vocals strip the track of any lingering politeness. Nothing in “Fist Degree” wants you to relax. The song promotes the idea that pressure should be confronted instead of absorbed, which turns every breakdown into a threat that feels earned. Karbine’s approach is loud, metallic, and sometimes messy, but none of it loses direction. “First Degree” works because the band commits to that impulse from start to finish. It makes you brace for impact while reminding you why the genre still matters to its youngest voices. — Elijah P.
16. One Click Straight – Telepono
“Telepono” is the kind of song that coils itself around your routine until you end up humming it without permission. The drums hit like heart-pulse percussion while the exact tempo of kilig sprints up your spine. Lines like “Tulog pa ang mundo / Sumisilip na ang araw sa dilim” land flush against the melody, hitting every beat as if the lyrics were born already synced to the rhythm. Even at its fuzziest, the track remains sharply intentional. The subtle alchemy of the Marquez Brothers always seems to manage to make a song come alive in a way no OPM revival trend could counterfeit. What seals its brilliance is their knack for blending dreamy hooks and gritty sincerity, which gives the track its addictive groove. — Faye Allego
15. zayALLCAPS – MTV’S Pimp My Ride
As much as the title tries to imply, “MTV’s Pimp My Ride” is not about the show itself, but pays attention to the cars that eventually become a metaphor of love. zayALLCAPS’s inviting voice rides over a technicolor cloud R&B beat, swooning with a lot of graceful melodies but also a lot of thoughtful consideration. Singing over a girl and trying so hard to win her over, giving everything of himself and seeing past her guard as a means to spend enough time with her. It’s a fluorescent ballad that uses colorful production to emphasize its yearning sweetness. One that keeps pulling you past that blinding sheen, and into a man’s tender heartbeat. — Louis Pelingen
14. Tatz Maven – Handang Malunod Sa’yo
Nearly two years since we were given a glance at his R&B chops with “Iyak,” Tatz Maven’s “Handang Malunod Sa’yo” showcases the Gen San rapper more in his zone. With songwriting as sharp as his more lyrically focused features and material, though definitely more whetted than his previous R&B attempt, Tatz Maven proves that “Handang Malunod Sa’yo” is not just a spiritual successor, but a sign of his evolution as a songwriter. — Nikolai Dineros
13. 2icey – musty
Rapper 2icey has always played things with a smirk. His music rides the line between sincerity and street-side clowning, and “MUSTY” leans into that instinct with more swagger and bravado. The track moves on Jersey Club jolts that know when to flirt and when to tease, but the core of the song rests in how he treats romance like a joke you still take seriously. The hook rolls in with a cold snap, bouncing on one sense of humor to the other. “MUSTY” uses that tension to stay light on its feet and sound surprisingly catchy. 2icey has made a track made for late nights, half steps, and moments when you want to feel reckless without losing your balance. — Elijah P.
12. Zack Tabudlo – Diving
Despite the swimming conventions in the song’s themes, “Diving” sees Zack Tabuldlo in flight and unshackled, with his wings spread apart the farthest they have ever been. The song is powerful, with a melody that builds up tension for an emotional breakdown in the chorus, but it never crosses overbearing territory. Highly anticipated following his signing with the US-based Mercury Records, “Diving” sees Tabudlo at a critical and exciting point in his creative journey. With better leverage on his back, more tools in his arsenal, and a calling to the R&B sound, the possibilities are endless. — Nikolai Dineros
11. NICKOTINE – BLOW BLOW
Nickotine operates at a pace that feels accidental only on the surface. At 16 years old, the young producer has already bounced across more platforms than most artists twice their age. “BLOW BLOW” works because it captures that restless instinct and turns it into something sharper. The track pushes dance music through a filter of impulsive decisions that somehow land in the right place. There is no overthinking involved, but there is intention behind every bounce. The synths spark, the percussion rolls without pause, and the vocal samples cut through like little flashes of mischief. Nickotine knows that a club track this abrasive will find its people eventually, even if it is through a chaotic algorithm. — Elijah P.
10. Nateman, Lucky – IMMA FLIRT
“IMMA FLIRT,” like RB Slatt’s “Pahna” and Lil JVibe’s “Hips o Thighs” before it, continues the streak of turning the art of interpolation to its perfect form. In wonderfully interpolating “I’m a Flirt” by R. Kelly, Nateman and Lucky’s embody a lot of winks and nudges into their flows, where flirtatious attempts are never treated as a flex, but more so a genuine want to connect. This sincere endearingness is accompanied by hooks and production that are effortlessly slinky and effortless. Extremely addicting to a point where every slip of “IMMA FLIRT” becomes a two-word phrase that you can’t help but stammer. Up to a point where overplay won’t diminish the song, it only makes every word get stamped permanently in your head. — Louis Pelingen
9. Novocrane – FOMF
It has only been a year since debuting from their hometown of Bacolod, and indie rock outfit Novocrane has already taken major strides in many corners of the bigger underground scene. “FOMF” follows through with their signature vibe that can be aptly described as “turn-of-the-millennium grunge,” veiled in lo-fi arrangements that pierce through all emotions with its whimsy. It is the kind of song you play as you strut along the sidewalks on a good day, and a second wind to help you with that “one last push” as you get you through a bad one.
Integrating more electronic elements into their music, one may also see “FOMF” as Novocrane diving headfirst into twee pop territory. In fact, this pivot to twee pop with “FOMF” has already yielded its first result in the form of “Moshpit,” another single the band released late into the year, suggesting that, over time, “FOMF” could be seen as a major precursor (or turning point) to the band’s ever-expanding catalog. But at present, “FOMF” already stands as one of the band’s most consistent material.
It is the kind of song you play as you strut along the sidewalks on a good day, and a second wind to help you with that “one last push” as you get you through a bad one. — Nikolai Dineros
8. Your #1 Fan – Radio Transmission
Your #1 Fan (Nica Feliciano) makes her debut with “Radio Transmission,” a soaring space rock ballad fueled by emotional volatility. With every “Radio transmission” and “Satellite to station,” the narrator hurls their deepest insecurities across the void, desperate to know: after traversing that unimaginable distance, “am I still your favorite girl?”
“Radio Transmission” is the cry of absolute vulnerability transmitted across the vast, terrifying silence of separation, peppered with the specific beeps and pulses of man-made communication.
The track encapsulates the unique wonder of a fan-turned-artist, viewing the world through a lens of profound curiosity and cosmic scale. The lyrics quickly blur the lines between the physical distance separating two lovers and our collective smallness within the entire universe. Reduced to a minuscule tethered by Earth’s gravity, the narrator is fixated on the void, restlessly anticipating a crucial signal. The production swells with a grandeur meant to relive the awe of space travel. Tension builds to the moment the signal finally cuts through. In that triumphant moment, the universe contracts, and the smallness vanishes entirely. “Radio Transmission” makes the whole dizzying orbit worth the fear. — Adrian Jade Francisco
7. Gaspari – KODAK BLU
“KODAK BLU” is the defining moment of a producer slowly turning into a rapper in his own right. Gaspari, who has produced for the Greenhouse Records roster, has slowly been turning up features ever since, where his ragged voice becomes an echo that gradually becomes louder. 2025 becomes a prominent year for Gaspari as he begins pushing out singles as a solo artist, proving that he has more to prove for himself.
With sir ace laying the foundation of that driving beat – one stacked with fizzy trap percussion, eerie pianos, and dour chimes – Gaspari hulks over on “KODAK BLU,” letting his presence clear as he steers over his enemies. His flow is craggy and understated, but effectively lingers as he spits on posers who are only in the zone for the clout, yet not for growth or money. Never ending up sluggish, so that his bullets end up missing, yet not so flashy as to let his message get overshadowed. While his enemies are playing a profoundly foolish game, Gaspari sleuths in between the cracks, eventually turning everyone’s heads and showing what it really means to push for a successful outcome. — Louis Pelingen
6. adultsundayschool – i hope in my absence you’ll think of me
When a genre built on chaos collides with dense, ethereal soundscapes, the resulting sound is as turbulent as a schizophrenic episode. Coined as “skramgaze,” this unconventional fusion creates an emotional hellfire of turmoil and self-destruction. In “i hope in my absence you’ll think of me,” Davao-based adult sunday school takes us to a claustrophobic atmosphere where desperate, ear-piercing screams are the only medium to reach a distant lover. Drenched with violence and distortion, dueling guitar riffs bridge the rage of metalcore and the uneasiness of shoegaze without the melodic overdrive. The punch of gritty breakdowns and harrowing lyrics writhe in dissonant screeches bellowed directly from a chasm of pain.
Within 4 minutes and 26 seconds, adult sunday school encapsulated the misery of longing for someone and purged these heavy feelings to the brim of their sound. When anguish has no outlet, they know well enough to let the noise take over. — Aly Maaño
5. KAIA – Tanga
After years of following the K-pop playbook of bombastic, hard-hitting singles, the girl group KAIA changed course in 2024 with the track “Walang Biruan,” where they embrace bouncy bubblegum bops with colorful melodies and personas. And after a breakthrough year for P-Pop — one in which this kind of vibrant pop music started taking over the musical landscape, KAIA doubled down on this change with “TANGA.”
Don’t let that throw you off, though: the girls are just being playful with it, and it just slides away without you even noticing. On this track, Charice, Angela, Alexa, Sophia, and Charlotte glide gracefully over a bright R&B beat that allows them to effortlessly sing about a love that’s leaving them confused and ignoring their mother’s advice. It’s a smooth little track about being madly in love, and the subtle but biting realness of it all helps the group stand out from the growing number of P-Pop acts today.
And they’ve done this with the help, no less, of one Zack Tabudlo, who, after years of being a prolific and reliable force in OPM, has lent his ear for hooks and beats to help KAIA deliver one of 2025’s most irresistible labsongs. Soundtracking your tricky situationship has never felt this groovy. — Gabriel Bagahansol
4. zaniel – C2 NA RED
In less than two minutes, zaniel transforms the possibilities of what Filipino plugg music can sound like. It’s songs like this that remind you how art can be made from literally anything.
With stylistically utilized autotune and a common dilemma among the average Filipino consumer, ‘C2 NA RED!’ immediately became a social media hit that spoke to the hearts of people all over the internet. It’s a track perfectly curated for the TikTok age, its structure straightforward and direct to the point. C2 green tastes horrible, C2 yellow is just okay–zaniel really just wants his C2 NA RED; “sa akin ibigay!” he sings. It repeats once more, sped up and prefaced with expletives to let you hear how much he truly wants it.
The track’s dedication to studying the pluggnb playbook executes the tongue-in-cheek element perfectly. A lot goes into crafting the sound of silly dissent, layers upon layers of sound making such a simple idea incredibly catchy and memorable. Emphasis is placed when needed, may it be his floaty adlibs in the background (which can be delightfully crass, at times) or his devastated, warbled wails of “red!” that wane in the background while he describes how much he wants his C2 na red. This is a clever track in jest that also tests the waters of using music as a medium in executing a gimmick. — Noelle Alarcon
3. Tuesday Trinkets – Cigarettes, Beer & Stray Cats
Somewhere in the pedal-driven timbre of Cigarettes, Beer, and Stray Cats lies the optimistic uncertainty of being in love for the first time in a while. With half catchy pop melodies and half fuzzy, guitar-driven haze, the track captures the feeling of new love lying in the lingering fear that it will end up like the ones before it. But with cute dates, a few vices to share guilt-free, and, well, cigarettes, beer, and stray cats, maybe that fear can wait for now. It’s this delicate balance that makes this track such a compelling listen.
The performances and songwriting on display here are also worth highlighting. The rhythm guitar sounds fun and jangly, the vocals sound both cheery and wistful, the lead guitar serves the song until it rightfully earns a guitar solo, and all of this rests on a rhythm section that keeps the mood running constantly. tuesday trinkets already shows how solid their band dynamic is this early in their career.
Impressively cohesive and unique for a band’s first release, tuesday trinkets’ first single is a promise of something more, a leap of faith into something new and a little scary, but that’s what makes it exciting, isn’t it? — Francine Sundiang
2. Underscores – Music
Underscores – also known as April Harper Grey – has done more than just flicker in the stream of (hyper)pop (hyper)consciousness. The success of Danny Brown’s ascent into hyperpop fixations is in part thanks to his deliberate choice to empower nascent artists who are willing to twist the knife, so to speak.“Copycats,” a collaboration with Grey, is a standout from the album.
With “Music,” Grey makes a declaration of love to the stylistic leanings of her own making, one that is decidedly planted in its anachronisms – of genre, of aesthetics. Yet, as “Music” points out, its displacement of genre is not done out of irony or being tongue-in-cheek, but purely just for the love of it.
The pleasure to believe in music enough to write a song about its own materiality, its own capacity to conjure emotions that soar, is a beautiful thing to behold. To equate that energy with that of an impassioned “you” is near-seismic. Is that what pop music can do? I would say yes!
“Music” is a healthy dosage of sonic nitrous that swells and ebbs, making for such an infectious record. It screams optimism towards pop’s future, one that it’s willing to make, and for that to come across without any inherent risk is exciting to say the least. — Lex Celera
- Fitterkarma – Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo II
If love is hunger, cannibalism is hunger stripped of a metaphor. For a band that’s never heard of Ethel Cain, Fitterkarma somehow arrives at the same crossroads of devotion and devouring, proving that carnal desire isn’t an imported aesthetic.
Their defining cut, Pag-ibig At Kanibalismo II, is a walking oxymoron in audio form. It gleams with the shimmering cuteness, emotional swell, and melodic melodrama of J-Pop romance and the earned angst of J-Rock, yet its lyrics culminate the true nature of quintessential OPM pop rock elements: stadium-sized hooks, earnest guitar lines, and romantic urgency that could make you recite a video essay on the film Bones And All. But unlike acts that merely replicate influence, Fitterkarma metabolizes their lyrics into something unmistakably Filipino where emotions don’t just linger, they feast.
Sure, love is patient, love is kind, but love is also beautifully inglorious, down to the cartilage and bone. The lyrics’ infamous vow, “Kanibalismo, ‘di ka matiis/ Kapag inalis mo, ika’y mami-miss/ ‘Di nagmamalinis/ Oh, ika’y mami-miss/ ‘Di ka matitiis /Tatlo na sais/ Pag-ibig mong kay tamis” is the emotional hypothesis for desire. It is the acknowledgement that love is sweet until it is salt, warm until it is sweat, gentle until it is teeth. That’s where Fitterkarma turns cannibalism into the most honest metaphor. — Faye Allego