Bayang
Barrios, Cooky Chua feat. The Benjamins | Tinatangi
There are two extremely admirable things about this overly anthemic “Tinatangi” penned by lyric geniuses in Paolo and Miguel Guico. One, it’s a good surprise being an OPM love song we would not really expect to come out at this age when music has already evolved into something the current trend has defined music as it is. And two, it’s a celebratory tune with all the sense of adoration and joy and contentment in the world at its very core.But what I’m hugely in love with, was how love was defined as that thing we all need – dissecting it in stages parallel to a whole cycle of a day.. pagmulat ng araw, pagyakap ng dapithapon, pagsapit ng dilim.. hanggang sa paghimlay.. but paradoxically transcends the bounds of time. The essential add-ons were the veterans in Cookie Chua, and the legendary Bayang Barrios giving it the required breath to make the song an alive account of how glorious it is to live and love and let things just fall on their right places.nOverall, it’s effortlessly moving in a lot of ways that makes it an enoughly, outright frontrunner for the upcoming #PhilPop2016. And I won’t really be surprised if it pockets the highest honor, come July
Nyoy
Volante | Sintunado
I won’t deny that I have my personal biases for “Sintunado” primarily because it’s written by a UP schoolmate. The track, being a gospel song as it is, boils down to being thankful for the gift of life, for the grace of the higher being – which is the song’s very strength – its very foundation being anchored to a solid inspiration. I may not be huge believer but I very well understand where this song is coming from. And with that, I believe Mr. Jeroel Maranan has a good chance of knocking #PhilPop2016 out. Best hopes.
Banda ni Kleggy feat. Aikee | Pabili Po
With the
advent of hugot jokes in the very recent past and even in
current trends, it’s not really surprising to have hugot-inspired
songs going on around these days. And in all fairness to “Pabili Po”, it’s
enough-ly cohesive and heavily on point with respect to the kind of theme and
direction the song tries to point towards to. It somehow crosses that thin fine
line between being clever and being trying hard, weighing in to the former. It
presents a good contrast of being a raw novelty hit yet at some point, is
actually a serious one, a good source of moral lessons, even.
Jason Dy
| Lahat
Aside
from the fact that this sounds fitting for a biscuit commercial (read: ang
sarap-sarap sa feeling), there’s nothing more special about the song worth
noting. As expected, people are already largely drawn to the song (read: Jason Dy), e.g.
youtube views shooting up, compared to the other entries. But, I think it’s not
really in the best position on taking home the trophy despite the hype
advantage it enjoys. It’s actually a poor attempt at packaging a soulless
composition using the Jason-Dy-vehicle.
Sugar N’ Spice feat. Joan Da | Baliw Sa Ex-Boyfriend Ko
Moving-on isn’t as easy as abc, as some remnants from the past that are already linked to deep sorrows and injured pride do not wither that quick and easily get over with. But then, it shouldn’t be as hard as one’s ex’s face, if one takes the initiative to get out of that hypothetical trap. Take this Joan-Da-penned song revolving around seemingly unfinished business with the ex, showcasing how such delicate situation is lightly and funnily dealt with through an upbeat vibe that actually hides a deep, dark, pain. There’s more than meets the eye, really. And that’s what I think the song is trying to convey – there’s really no need to push too hard, every wound will heal, given an ample time.
The Juans | Binibini sa MRT
This
track isn’t hard to love. And while love at first
sight is its main theme, love at first
hear rather, was my immediate case since its Spotify release.
The main plot is a light but honest take on that resounding tale of immediate
love existing instantaneously upon first encounter.. you know.. that intense
feeling you just know about, and could not just deny, because you know – you
just know – as you glimpse that truth within someone, and in turn glimpse the
truth within you, too. It’s that magical moment when someone outstandingly
shines the most, amongst the rest, as the world fades into the background. And
though this sounds like a cliché, it’s true. After all, love just happens. It
just does.“Binibini sa MRT” gives
a refreshing take on how inspiration could actually be drawn from the most
unexpected place at the most unconventional time, that before you’ll know it,
it has already smitten you hard, down to your spines. It’s a matter of
believing that there is something more to
this life than trying to find that someone to understand you, because at the
end of the day, there is a possibility that person is there and understands you
more than yourself.
Monica Cuenco | Nobody But You
While I’m truly a serious fan of Monica Cuenco (since her Monica Sacay stint on tv) much as I respect the talent she has in her genes, I have to be partial with regards to my views over this entry she has interpreted for #PhilPop2016. To be honest, taking the “Monica factor” out of the equation, I’d say the entry is rather bland, to PhilPop’s standards, and relative to the other entries. There is this slight but prominent awkwardness in the choice of words, somewhat lacking of that emotional grit, and a little too hard for trying. Just my two cents.
Acapellago feat. Jimmy Marquez | Stars are Aligned
though “Stars are Aligned” is
not on my personal list of favorites, I bet it has a good fighting chance with
regards to the competition. Aside from the incoherence in the lyrics and a few
more vague lines that needs further revising (e.g. the stars
brightly make up the dark light), which could have been band-aid-ed with a
little more effort in editing, it has all the other tricks to pull to win the
race. Here are some if those: (1) ‘Stars are Aligned’, being the feel good song that it is, is overflowing with
optimism and shades of empowerment – that which I think, is its main weapon for
#PhilPop2016. We are so used to negativities all over the country these days
that we somehow need such uplifting tracks to somehow preserve the balance
among things. It’s quite timely to some extent. #ChangeIsComing anyone? (2) It’s
unique. As far as my memory serves me, there is no a cappella interpreter
for the past five colorful years of PhilPop. As Mr. Ryan Cayabyab pointed out
previously, to be different is equated to standing out. True enough. (3) It’s
a breath of fresh air. We have heard a lot of Thyro and Yumi brand of music in
the past, effortlessly slaying the competition outright. And though it’s not a
bad thing, it’s rather refreshing to have another formula which deviates from
the usual trend in the recent past, but offers an equally good alternative. (4) And
lastly, as I earlier pointed out, the title itself is so suggestive of good
things coming up.
Kenjohns | Friday Night
Aside from the fact that Kenjohns did great, I don’t see any reason to further elaborate my thoughts because the trash, I mean the track, is shittingly borderline junk as shit.
Itchyworms | Di Na Muli
With Itchyworms nailing the top Himig Handog award this year (read: Dalawang Letra), they’re up for the challenge for grand slam. And why not? “Di Na Muli” has this mature soul that is in tune with the winning ways. Itchyworms in #PhilPop2016 is bomb drop totally unexpected, and it drops in way you wanted to keep on happening, over and over again. On a more personal note, the best thing about it is the reminiscent signature sound of the classic Itchyworms I came to know years ago – the very Gaano-ko-ikaw-kamahal feels.
Yassi Pressman | Dumadagundong
In some cases, some of the songs I totally dig are those that I didn't really care for after the first listen. Maybe it's just a matter of overlooked case, a sadly postmodern view of the world, but I really like it when something changes my opinion of it without even changing itself. We might not have an idea, but most love stories out there works on the same premise. So never close doors. Everything deserves a second look. A second hear. And a second chance.
Ramiru Mataro | Kahon
One of the pushovers from last year’s roster, Ramiru Mataro clearly has pulled those veteran moves to be part of the line up yet again. But with the beautifully-done chorus and a rather mediocre rest of the song, “Kahon” falls under the proverbial lollipop metaphor – tapon katawan, kain ulo. The thing is, I even predicted it has that strong shot for the flying colors, judging from the initial teaser release. But as soon as the whole thing came out, it felt like 2AM at some dark unnamed loft space in the middle of some misty metropolis, having a bunch of lighters in your pockets but you’re unfortunately out of cigarettes. The seemingly bright start wasn’t sustained.
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