A Strong Start and Viral Finish This Week in P-pop

May 22 - May 28

ALAMAT

Sa Panaginip Na Lang | Acoustic Performance Video (With Sean Cedro)

The first hint came with a simple tweet just giving the song title and … 2.0. ALAMAT is getting good at the cryptic tease. What wasn't expected was a stripped-back, acoustic version of the song that already holds a special place in our hearts.

From the song's debut to this performance video, the vocal musical chairs kept "Sa Panaginip Na Lang" (Just In My Dreams) interesting. The simple guitar accompaniment only highlighted the boys' beautiful voices and reminded us why they're one of P-Pop's top groups. Tomas and Mo's voices were an angelic combination and the definite highlight. Jao, R-Ji, and Alas added so much to the beautiful melody with their harmonies which brought the story forward, but it was ALAMAT's co-leader, Taneo, that made us play the performance video on repeat. We finally hear that beautiful baritone clean and clear, and we cannot get enough!

What can we say? We need more ALAMAT, stat.

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KAIA

Road to Debut Episode 2 | Docuseries

Challenges are a part of everyday life, and it's not surprising that KAIA had them too. We were already aware of the girls' changes to reach the powerhouse girl group they are today but seeing them go through it on camera hits different. From how the pre-debut single "Kaya" (Capable) came about to interactions within their team and choosing their leader, this second episode of the docuseries was fascinating.

We're happy to see KAIA following in what seems to be SBT's practice of member collaboration and self-creation. The young group has written their own lyrics, given opinions on their music, and had say in their choreography. All of this makes us look forward to seeing how they will approach their next body of work after "Kaya" and their debut single "Blah Blah." Plus, having their team, coaches, and mentors close at hand is an advantage for any artist. We're with everyone who said, "Sana all!"

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BGYO

He's Into Her (Remix) | Lyric Video

Just in time for the release of season two of "He's Into Her," BGYO has released a remixed version of their first OST. The lyric video, which dropped without warning, highlights the members' vocals alongside a more upbeat, almost electronic beat that pulls us straight back to the 1980s. The change isn't drastic but instead takes the overall mood from a pop concert to the club. It's a refreshing update to the older song that adds emphasis to the rap parts. The less aggressive melody also helps highlight the harmonies in the music, which are otherwise drowned by the main melody. It begs the question: is there a performance video coming soon to accompany this new sound?

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FELIP

Bulan | Music Video Teaser

"Ako ang Bulan (I am Bulan)" will live on in A'tin's collective memory for a long while. We are thrilled with the discussion about the Philippines, specifically Bicolano and Visayan mythology, and hope it keeps up for a bit longer. Bakunawa was already a familiar name for Philippines-based A'tin, then Bulan and Haliya brought old stories to life again. Theories and informative tidbits keep flashing across our timeline, and we want to see how the music video plays out.

Camera shots worthy of a movie trailer and intriguing choreography are not unexpected from Felip. But the background music and the storyline brought us the jaw drop we were waiting for. Can we add the heavy metal influence to this list?

It's refreshing that Felip keeps up the SB19 tradition of exploring different genres. Our main prediction so far? We are going to be surprised.

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Bulan | Music Video & Single Release

We were surprised by "Bulan!" Apart from the desert prince featured in the official photos, the appearance of Felip as a pre-colonial Filipino lord was unexpected and welcome. Then came the introductory vocals, sung by none other than SB19's Stell Ajero. The sung chant lent an ancient Philippine flavor to "Bulan" and made it feel like the introduction to a movie.

Hip-hop and heavy metal influences and Felip's signature deep rap combine with punctuations of Stell's chants to make this his most memorable song yet. We weren't surprised to see that Josue collaborated with him again for the music or that SB19's team took part in making the music video. Together, they created a storyline based on local mythology to a song that speaks of self-empowerment and believing in yourself in the face of haters. The moon god "Bulan" faced his biggest enemy in Bakunawa the Dragon, but, instead of being killed like in the legends, Felip stood victorious and peaceful with the moon shining brightly in the night sky.

"Bulan" is slightly over three minutes long, the average for most songs, but why did we feel we needed more?