.jpg)
‘Blindside’ is James at his very best, featuring a killer, top-down driving chorus and another belter of a vocal. Of the track, James comments, “Blindside is a song I’ve wanted to write for years, about falling in love with the right person at the wrong time. It’s an energetic song with a sad lyric and it really suited this new rawer style I was after.”
.jpg)
Breakout singer-songwriter Kai Buizon reflects on the blurred lines between young romance and friendship in her new single, “Kaibigan Lang”—out today via Sony Music Entertainment.
Inspired by a conversation between two friends, the folk-pop track depicts the innocence and uncertainty surrounding first love and its exciting yet confusing form.
Filipino alt-rock outfit Sponge Cola has officially dropped their ninth studio album, Hometown, Part 2 via Sony Music Entertainment.
Embracing the anthemic immediacy of their 2022 outing with newfound warmth and restraint, the four-piece band’s latest album proves to be a vital example of how music can be a therapeutic outlet for expression and healing. The new collection of songs also sees the band exploring themes of triumph over adversity, resilience, and unfulfilled relationships. It also serves as a continuation of the band’s full-length album, Hometown—released in December 2022.
As lead guitarist Armo Armovit describes it, Hometown, Part 2 is all about finding connection in uncertain times. “We explored new ways of expressing familiar feelings with renewed perspectives incorporating different production elements, arrangement choices, and improved approaches to performance.”
The title also speaks for itself, serving as a continuation of one’s story, much like coming home to rest after a long journey and staying an extra weekend to reset. The record’s songwriting, on the other hand, was inspired by the members’ collective and individual fascination with K-drama and documentaries, as well as first-hand experiences with real-life events.
Drawing a lot of inspiration from pop and electronic elements, the 19-track album is produced by constant collaborator Joey Santos of Love One Another Studios, who has worked with some of the biggest and most underrated Philippine acts, including Ang Bandang Shirley, syd hartha, Coeli, and more.
.jpg)
Armo explains, “Joey Santos did a great job crafting the treatment for songs and dressing them in colors and styles that best express the message. The process was very organic and natural.”
Hometown, Part 2 is accompanied by the release of its focus track, “So Close,” which features pop singer Morissette. The song was specifically penned by Yael Yuzon, and tackles the story of two people who have built a deep connection over time, but whose relationship never really progressed into something that could last a lifetime.
“It's a song that took me 20 years to write,” shares vocalist and guitarist Yael Yuzon. “Inspired by Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, So Close talks about the possibility of a mirage in our poetic memory, a ‘what if’ that may have been nothing more than a light radiating from a dead star. We might just be romanticizing things.”
Other songs in the album include previous releases “Labis-labis,” a soaring tune that puts a uniquely captivating but relatable spin on the ‘love song’ format; “Hometown,” a grungy pop track with electronic textures and a catchy chorus; and “Siguro nga,” a pop-rock ballad based on a character study of a popular K-drama character.
Track list:
1. Hometown
2. Alamat (MLBB 5th Anniversary Theme)
3. Kung Ako ang Pumiling Tapusin Ito
4. Lumipas Ang Tag-araw
5. Laman Ng Panaginip
6. Labis-Labis
7. Siguro Nga
8. JAIRAH
9. Kung May Oras Ka
10. Signal #4
11. So Close (feat. Morissette)
12. Champions
13. In the End
14. Labis-Labis - Acoustic
15. Kung Ako ang Pumiling Tapusin Ito (Remix) (feat. Matthaios and Clien of ALLMO$T)
16. Kung Ako ang Pumiling Tapusin Ito - Acoustic
17. Siguro Nga – Acoustic (feat. Kai Honasan)
18. Siguro Nga (TMAC's lo-fi Mix)
19. Laman ng Panaginip – Acoustic
Sponge Cola’s Hometown, Part 2 is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.
The pop-rock outfit will be officially performing the songs off their new record with an on-ground album launch in Eastwood City Central Plaza on August 12 from 6 pm onwards. Admission is free!
“Desire” follows on the heels of Calvin’s Platinum-selling single “Miracle” with Ellie Goulding, which spent eight weeks at no. 1, 16 weeks in the OCC Top 3, and has garnered over 2 million global single sales and 320 million streams globally across all partners.
Bringing together three of the music industry’s biggest superstars, “K-POP” has long been mythologized by fans since being first teased earlier this year. It opens up the world of UTOPIA and illuminates his rapid evolution and progression all at once. It finds Travis Scott at the height of his powers as a performer, songwriter, producer, and collaborator proving once again that nobody sounds like Travis. It continues to enshrine him as the culture’s foremost sonic innovator, leveling up beyond comparison. Alongside the song, the official music video is set to premiere today at 12 PM ET / 9AM PT.
Photo Credit: Edward Cooke
British singer-songwriter James Arthur has gone viral in the Philippines with the growing popularity of “Car’s Outside,” an old song off his 2019 album, YOU.
The uptick in demand comes from the piano-driven ballad’s resurgence on the short-form video app TikTok. To date, the rousing ditty has garnered more than 500,000 videos on TikTok alone, including combined original and sped-up versions.
“Car’s Outside” also proved to be popular on streaming, as it peaked at No. 34 of the Spotify Philippines’ Chart, becoming one of the surprise hits of 2023.
Dominic Fike has finally released his sophomore album Sunburn via Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment. The album finds him returning to his native Florida, examining the culture and environments in which he was raised that are unique to the Sunshine State. Included in the album's release is the standout track, "Mona Lisa," which Dom created with longtime collaborator Kenny Beats and was also featured in the box office-topping film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Sony Music Entertainment has recently signed Filipino newcomer Jemay Santiago, whose hypnotic persona and sultry singing style serve as a great addition to the label’s diverse pool of talented music acts.
According to Jemay, working with the international record label is a dream come true, and inspires her to explore her artistry without hesitation.
“Music is my passion, and I’ve always wanted this dream,” said Jemay. “It’s an opportunity I would never skip. I personally and confidently believe that this record label will handle me conscientiously.”
A testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family, But Here We Are has been preceded by an ecstatically received quartet of its songs.
These four songs have demonstrated dimensions of sound and emotion that hint at the range and depth of this phenomenal landmark in the Foo Fighters canon: First single “Rescued” with its “fresh sense of pathos and urgency” (The New York Times); “Under You,” a “gruff, melodic rocker with bittersweet hooks” (Stereogum); “Show Me How,” with its "totally unexpected foray into shoegaze and dream-pop territory;” and the 10-minute “The Teacher”—all blazed radically diverse yet equally cathartic sonic paths. Now with today's revelation of the sublimely melodic “The Glass” (check out the visualizer HERE), and five more FF instant classics, But Here We Are is finally out in the world.
After dropping ethereal tunes that capture the struggles of youth in the most genuinely honest way, Filipino recording artist LOIR is now ready to open up old wounds and deliver an unsparing narration of her teenage life in her debut EP, Chapters, out today via Sony Music Entertainment.
The 7-track EP, which exhibits a knack for confessional songwriting and tender, spacey production, reflects emotional maturity beyond her years. In moments when the soulful newcomer needed some rescuing, she wasn’t afraid to examine her decisions in life with both sides of the coin: never consumed by ego, but instead, looking for answers with a hopeful, open mind.
The K-pop global chart-topping seafarers ATEEZ have released their 9th mini album, ‘THE WORLD EP.2 : OUTLAW’ as the perfect opening of this summer. The EP is out now via Sony Music Korea/RCA Records.
The track is currently making waves in the country as its carrier single “BOUNCY” peaked at No. 1 on iTunes Philippines Chart.
Their 11th album debuted at No. 1 in the UK, Australia, Switzerland, and New Zealand, and broke the top 10 of dozen more countries worldwide
Photo credit: Photo Credit: Scarlet Page
Foo Fighters’ brand new 11th album, But Here We Are, unanimously hailed as one of the band’s strongest to date, has become its 10th album to break the Top 10 of the US Album Chart. But Here We Are also marks Foo Fighters’ sixth UK #1, ninth Australian #1, #1 spots in Switzerland and New Zealand, and Top 5 debuts in nearly a dozen more territories.
.jpg)
After drawing more than 60 thousand fans for their homecoming concert last year and gaining accolades for their performance at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival 2023, Filipino nine-piece collective Ben&Ben marks the introduction of a new era with the release of “Could Be Something” on June 30, Friday at midnight.
Signaling a new chapter of musical growth and evolution, Ben&Ben’s first single of 2023 is a big step forward. This time, the multi-awarded band infuses their guitar-driven folk/pop-rock roots with city pop elements, tropicalia beats, and twinkling production touches, for a more electronic-leaning track. Together with co-producers timothy Run and Sam Marquez, they collectively brought a new dimension to Ben&Ben’s sound. “We wanted the instrumentation and production to capture a more mature kind of hope, so we used slightly darker chords, coupled with tight rhythms, to bring out a unique kind of catharsis for the listener, for our Liwanag,” Ben&Ben explains in a collective statement. “Together with our co-producers, we built the soundscapes to reflect a lush, yet tighter than ever sound for the band.”
.jpeg)
Benj Pangilinan forges his own path in the music industry as one of Sony Music Entertainment’s newest recording artists in 2023.
Coming from an esteemed lineage of established actors, music icons, and prominent entertainers, the promising newcomer is keen on proving skeptics wrong with an impressive debut that digs deep into young romance and nostalgia.
His new single “Love, That’s Rare” gazes wistfully at the complexities of love while acknowledging its effect on shaping one’s worldview—for better or worse. Benj wrote a song that transported him back to a specific time and place, helping him make sense of the conflicting emotions he was experiencing at the time.
According to raven, the song is inspired by slice-of-life anime shows and his personal encounters with love.
“On Sinta, I’ve traveled back in time to relive some of my most memorable romantic experiences,” narrates the Balcony Entertainment act. “It’s my way of honoring teen love in its purest form.”
Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records have finally released LOVE AGAIN (Soundtrack from The Motion Picture). The 14-track album features five new Celine Dion songs, including the title track, “Love Again,” and the latest song, “I’ll Be.”
The latter’s visuals, showcase new clips from the film alongside heartfelt photos and messages from fans around the world.
The soundtrack also includes the first new music from Celine since her 2019 album Courage, along with six of Celine’s past hits, as well as three of the film’s score selections.
Dion describes, “Some of these songs were recorded a while ago, and yet they still feel so right for this movie. I’m very grateful to be able to share them with you, the ones you know so well along with the new ones.”
.jpg)
“GENTO” places SB19’s bold talent and confidence into the spotlight, highlighting their strength and versatility as a group. The song offers a catchy word play, effortlessly weaving ganito (like this), ginto (gold), and gento, the Caviteño word for ganito. It delivers a powerful message of their growth as a group, after years of refinement—just like gold.
For this single, SB19 draws inspiration from transformational change—how incremental and everyday acts lead to success and change. Often, it is the little, simplest acts that lead to triumphs.
Called “her most daring music yet” by Rolling Stone, ‘Gag Order’ (produced by Rick Rubin, with Kesha as executive producer), has been self-described as “post-pop” full-bodied collection which flows like a stream-of-consciousness journey through the psychedelic dark depths of the human psyche, followed by basking in the cleansing light when finally reaching the surface.
British singer-songwriter James Arthur makes a most welcome return with his stunning new song “A Year Ago.”
The track sees James reunited with songwriter Steve Solomon, whom he co-wrote 2016’s most streamed song and recently RIAA Diamond-Certified single, the classic, “Say You Won't Let Go.”
Led by acoustic guitar, bolstered by swelling synths and crashing drums, the intimate yet widescreen slow-builder about missing an ex boasts a spellbinding vocal that nails the intensity James was after. Its blueprint was less a specific sound than an emotion. It was written in a single week at Steve’s LA studio.
Powerhouse communications group COMCO Mundo League of Enterprises is the most awarded organization in the Philippines and across the Asia-Pa...
.png)
.jpg)
