Written by Elijah P. As music listenership and awareness continues to grow, a ‘trifecta’ or ‘holy trinity’ arises from the ashes of ‘OPM’ past. Rock music with feelings are the new ‘nostalgia’ acts, while industry torchbearer soloists Zack Tabudlo and Adie claim to become the flavors for a new generation of local music listeners. The third man in the three flavors is none other than Cagayan De Oro’s very own Arthur Nery. Although his style differs from the aforementioned figures, each and one of them have their own characteristics of being substanceless ‘Pick Me Guys’ and seeking-for-validation-in-the-end-of-the-world types, Arthur Nery — now currently a top-drawer for Viva Records — churns out plain vanilla neo-R&B tracks shortly after the late celebration of his first album ‘Letters Never Sent’. He revels in being the loyal one, the only one in the partnership, as he prances outside of your subdivision home. “Isa Lang” — his latest single closing out the new year, opening 2022 with a new era of contemporaries — feels hollow, conserving vocal variety rather than exceeding one’s potential. And while the prince of Neo-R&B pleads you a wilted rose, he only offers less with the style he’s honing today. Not even the intimate bass kicks, organ synths, string section, and skeletal, groove-less backing-band sound can back up his one-noted commercial friendly vocal stylings. If anything that makes his music impactful, it’s the monotonous delivery that bores every section of the song with forced usages of ‘deep’ phrases and hushed, boy-bestfriend sentiments, barely tugging the heartstrings of his listeners. As Arthur continues to solidify himself as the biggest mainstream act of the moment, both his newer singles, “Isa Lang” and “Pagsamo” respectively, released in the past few months are no more than mere background music. Arthur is headed towards more fruitful straits, albeit while playing it safe: a move that would set the precedent for his younger contemporaries witnessing his rise. Support the art & the artist:
Tag: Elijah P.
TRACK REVIEW: VXON – The Beast
Written by Elijah P. Cornerstone Entertainment Inc. – a talent agency that’s known to house all upcoming ‘artistas’ and established personalities such as Catriona Grey, Empoy Marquez, and just to name a few – has gambled on producing an all-male idol group called VXON (pronounced as ‘vi-sion’) and their latest debut that launched not too long ago titled “The Beast”. The up-and-coming five-member group aim to become showstoppers in the industry, putting a more rap-oriented track in the forefront of their debut. But in spite of the ambitious direction, VXON doesn’t live up to the hype of their promotion weeks prior to the release of “The Beast”; It takes a lot of courage to title your debut as ferocious as ever, let alone debut under the wing of a talent company that has produced a lot of known names along the way. However, “The Beast” doesn’t seem to live up to its title. In fact, it seems to cater more to ‘dude bros’ who hang out at bars in the middle of a Happy Thursday and book a cross-country trip to the nearest shoreline EDM festival. VXON can carry themselves choreo-wise, but lyrically, it seems like the laughable edits in the lyrics are crossing between delusional and outright ridiculous: “You can watch me, as I walk/ You can say my name” and “Gotta read back pages those changes/ We oversee in faces, realest faces/ Get you places, let erases beat disgraces”. There are sections here in “The Beast” where it feels out of place and oddly outdated by today’s production standards: brostep wobbles that channel 2014 Project-X parties, and growling vocal stylings similar to SB19’s Mapa. To think that this is a debut is a sign of a much needed training and development for the idol group. There is little to no hints of being a ‘beast’, especially if the presentation shown isn’t up to par in the idol group competition. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: HEY JUNE! – Panahon
Written by Elijah P. Hey June!’s sophomore single “Panahon” has a pretty straightforward premise: a protagonist yearning to repeat a certain moment only to be taken away from the claws of time. The four-piece didn’t want to mince any words — the song only contains two short verses, quick hooks, and a dramatic instrumental outro to spice things up. With the structure having the potential to be replicated to death, the band was able to become careful from the pre-pandemic trap, achieving the most sentimental and striking piece of teenage ennui. The band then eventually makes themselves as icons for the future. School culture is a keepsake worth noting in the psyche of Generation Z, especially where students take most of their time, energy, and memory throughout the cityscape than they could spend time in online class. Vocalist Earl Paglinawan hearty verses hit close to home while the grainy, bright synths in the intro draw out the soundscape for a more misty-eyed outlook onwards. “Panahon” is a richly textured synth-pop and alternative-rock fusion done right; It doesn’t overstay its welcome but it sure does make a powerful statement: Everything surrounding your institution, is your second home. Hey June! exudes this certain charisma: one that would only be executed in one-of-a-lifetime, and “Panahon” is proof that this youthful spirit is important to sing about. Youth culture has never sounded this promising and Hey June! are here to take it to the top of the line. Support the art & the artist: