Written by Louis Pelingen There’s always this itching frustration that comes with Waiian’s overall projects, as there lingers a big potential for him to put out something striking that, unfortunately, has the habit of casually evading, where as much as he can exude this brand of charisma that’s effortless and easy to listen to, his records never take the next step of breaking out of its comfort zone. Relying upon the relaxed vibes to a fault that the overall solid set of production, writing, and performances only gets to wink out a distinct flair from time to time, most especially coming off of ‘WEYAAT?’ that manages to switch up sonic palettes and can compliment Waiian’s understated sense of wit and flow. His consistent characteristics keep the quality to a high floor, but not exactly a high ceiling. Fortunately, all of that eventually changes with his newest album, BACKSHOTS. Continuing on keeping the record just as brief as his last record, but there is an exceeding amount of surprising shift towards the overall presentation of this ridiculously titled album – bringing out all sorts of looser expressions and larger-than-life beats that allow Waiian to be at his most energetic, humorous, and just having so much fun in his rapping and singing abilities. Now that it is also paired with melodies and instrumentation that has so much light, yet bouncy flair, it only adds so much for these brisk songs to just flex with memorable moments, like the buzzy synths and pumping baile funk style beat on “MALAKING BIRD” which elevates Waiian’s prideful delivery even further, the soft synth chords amidst nimble bass grooves of “MAN IN THE MIRROR”, the lighter acoustics that twiddles around Waiian’s softer singing on “LOSE MY NUMBER”, the lowkey groove that gives Waiian and Nicole Anjela’s vocal chemistry to brush up well on “SOFTIE”, the whirring bass and sharper drums of “MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES”, the playful synths and drums that add to Waiian’s overblown attitude and ridiculous ad-libs on “ASAN NA SI…”, and the buoyant melodic chops and bubbly grooves of “SI LODS NA BAHALA” that overshadows just how quaintly mixed the guitar riffs sound. What’s also worth noting is just how Waiian’s overall writing bumps up considerably now that he has allowed his energy to be more carefree and bright, yet never exactly sacrificing the wit and humor that has been bubbling in a lot of his lyricism in his past records, just now amplified in clear-cut measure. This eventually reveals more depth to his bars, where he can utilize that earnestly goofy side to indeed make so much laughter with every one-liner he drops, but also emphasize the softness that men tend to shun in their lives – which tends to bring more harm to them than good – as well as critique said men for relying so much on their ego and swagger in the rap scene that doesn’t exactly come off as genuine, more so alienate themselves from connecting with people around them and stray away to making a stable career path that doesn’t have to rely upon riding their rap dreams. It’s the kind of insight that does come honestly from Waiian himself, where his self-awareness of being an artist also bleeds through his persona, unveiling more of his tender emotions as a result. With a tightly knit construction, a loosely snickering attitude, and hard bustling melodies, it’s without a doubt that Waiian finally manages to hit a grand slam with BACKSHOTS. Ripping open the laid-back persona he tends to chew upon and just letting his well-considered humorous wit be even more emphasized, all accompanied by his most refreshing production and beats to date. After swinging with various hits and misses in the past, this big bird has finally hit the sweet spot. SUPPORT THE ART AND THE ARTIST:
Tag: Waiian
TFL’s THE 23 FILIPINO TRACKS OF 2023
Every year, something monumental happens in the music scene, whether it would be an army of alt-kids taking over a mall show, a rapper taking over the country by storm on Tiktok or a DIY venue at the verge of crumbling after two shoegaze bands. Genres have multiplied into bubbles, ecosystems emerge as newer venues from the highways of Cavite to the driveway of a basement at a Chinese restaurant. There’s a steady scene rising, amplifying louder one year after the other: 2023 is a year where those highlights have made made an impact beyond NCR. From Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao, we present to you a yearly tradition that the editorial team would always prepare themselves for; Not just because it’s the task that’s daunting, but it’s the journey and the result of 11 months of scouring the internet and gigs for the best of Filipino music. Here it is, The 23 Filipino Tracks of 2023. 23. P4BL0 – baka magalit mf mo In the “18 Commandments of the Boybestfriend”, there’s unnecessary fluff written along those ridiculous rules. However, P4bl0’s “baka magalit boyfriend mo” has this lasting effect delivered by its cloud-9 like production, ultimately writing one of the best pop hooks in the game now. It hasn’t been written on the scribes nor the tablets that South Metro Manila regular P4Bl0 made a banger track tailor made for the rebounds. Whether it’s the wacky gimmick of BBF/GBFs or the semi-ironic execution, P4bl0 has proven and tested that the undying concept of love and yearning can be done in a dreamy cloud-rap fashion. -Elijah P. 22. O Side Mafia – My Thang It’s been an endless streak of hit singles for O $ide Mafia despite the lackluster collaborations and disputes between territorial beef and fan leaks; “My Thang” is a victorious reaction to all of the success outweighing all of the group’s cons in the game. The simple old-school 2000s G-Funk influenced synths, the satisfying braggadacio three-verse combo and the killer hook is an all-time career highlight for the group and they just stay winning while all the haters watch. -Elijah P. KRNA expand on their infectious sound by expanding their soundscapes to include reverse guitar samples while pairing back on KCs vocal strength. The single shows the band’s mastery of making heartwarming music and a story of yearning that feels like a warm embrace being whispered while in a slumber. -Janlor Encarnacion Armi Millare announced her return to the music scene with a dissonant pop single – taking the time to show her own prowess in music creation with a tune leaning towards more pop and r&b. Roots signals the metamorphosis and re-emergence of OPMs signature voices and we can’t wait for more. -Janlor Encarnacion ‘Sonic Tonic’ is the long-anticipated debut that charges Suyen’s magnetic presence amidst the fray of fringed pop rock, a bottle of riot grrl and grunge blends where Suyen just sounds high-spirited in her craving for that adrenaline rush. Sam Marquez’s production is impeccable in bringing the heatwave atmosphere to ‘Sonic Tonic’, where the already remarkable chugging riffs and splashy drum work are vibrant and immense. Enough to keep everyone cheering along the soaring hook, ‘Sonic Tonic’ is a striking first cut from Suyen who is never afraid to jump first into action, letting her do anything to reach a gratifying emotion that will keep her feel alive. -Louis Pelingen ‘SOUFSIDE’ is a meteoric statement from the Cebu Hip-Hop collective ASIDE BOONDOCKS as they erupted through the scene with their tastes for boom bap and hardcore hip-hop. Flagrant in their hyperbolic expressiveness, that ecstatic flair allows each of their distinct flows to tumble through the stirring hypnotic beat that has a quirk of its own due to its swaggering bass lines and buzzy synth waves. ‘SOUFSIDE’ stamps a mark that will break further ground for the Odd Future-inspired Hardcore Hip-Hop ASIDE BOONDOCKS are leaning towards, where they’ll spark an explosion that you can’t help but feel its heat. -Louis Pelingen With Waiian’s recent return for his sophomore album, ‘SMILE’ is a track that has a familiar thematic trudge from this rapper who has a lot more to observe past his 2020 debut. In this pensive reflection on the mortality and bullshit of life, Waiian invites Yorko and U-Pistol to pen down their emotions on the table amidst a relaxed boom-bap beat and calming piano lines. As a result of that writing session, ‘SMILE’ ended up being Waiian’s best song to date where the melodies are tight and catchy on all quarters from Waiian and Co. No wonder that ‘SMILE’ is one of the lead singles for Waiian’s recent project for a reason, as it’s a respite that brings a gentle smile on constant repeat. -Louis Pelingen 16. PETTE SHABU – Bulbulin Ka Na As PETTE SHABU goes deeper into her experimental rap tapestry with every track she puts out, her transgressive lyricism and ferocious flows become more sharper. That in itself eventually led her to release dozens of challenging sonic bangers in 2023, with ‘Bulbulin Ka Na’ bringing the most sting out of her thus far. Through every whirling wordplay PETTE SHABU spits out, her flow turns impenetrable as PETTE SHABU confidently carries herself within horseboyy’s dense glitchy beat. ‘Bulbulin ka na’ is a bulldozer that keeps PETTE SHABU in control of her agency, lashing down everyone who comes for her without shame. -Louis Pelingen The dizzying hyper-pop artist known as AHJU$$I may have retired from that moniker, but his rebirth as Pikunin has those old bits and pieces intact, now ribboned with UK Garage rhythms and ticklish vocal flair. These characteristics manifest through Pikunin’s debut track, ‘Tadhana’, using Armi Mallare’s cooing vocals as the Jersey club beat tiptoes around it which also serves to be a bouncy springboard for Pikunin’s chirpy vocals and twee lyricism. Starry-eyed in nostalgia with a modern touch, Pikunin spins a refreshing take on the classic song that updates his eccentric brand of pop with gleeful yearning. -Louis Pelingen