#fern.

I’ve been following the 88rising roster when it was just only Rich Brian carrying it on his back. As the lineup grew with Niki, Joji, and Keith Ape, I always wondered, “Where are the Filipinos?” Especially with the prevalent stereotype that all Filipinos are good at singing (thanks to American Idol and our fondness for karaoke or whatever), I found it weird that 88rising hadn’t taken one talent under their wing. But again, I realized that they didn’t need a token Pinoy artist for the sake of diversity.

So you can imagine my surprise when they dropped the news about Paradise Rising, semilucent, and its lineup. They launched the label with a bang by collaborating with known names in the industry, singers with pre-existing followings (me included)! It was guaranteed to be hyped up by a huge audience that it’d be far from flopping.

Paradise Rising did a good job in showcasing what Filipino-grown and made music is:  the type that can bleed seamlessly into R&B and pop scenes. It’s evidence that our acts can definitely ride alongside the western acts taking over mainstream music, fully capable of making songs that can have everyone vibe and dance and fall in love all at the same time. The EP cements the name of the label, because Filipino talent is taking over.

Jason Dhakal opens semilucent with Endlessly+Tenderly, a single that is very much the embodiment of his own brand of love songs: lowkey but still so passionate. You hear it in the slow beats, whole basslines, and his ardent crooning. The combination has you longing to slow dance to it with the love of your life. It’s a sensual surrender--an intimate confession of him giving his everything, tenderly, with Jason’s voice lulling you into a sense of security.

It’s followed by Leila Alcasid and Moophs’ Clouds, with her cool voice feeling like a breeze on a summer day. It completely contrasts against the lyrics she sings “needing the sun on my back,” her voice lulling us into a headspace. She speaks about dealing with her own things while using images of swimming, drowning, and the lack of the sun. The wait for the right time is much like the expectation of a clear day.

Massiah offers something beyond the delicate, hazy mood set by the first two tracks with On God, but he doesn’t stray from it completely. The song starts airy and light before breaking into trap beats and straightforward lyrics about how it’s just him and his girl against the world. On God’s a welcome divergence from the flowery confessions and vivid metaphors, much like taking a dip in a cold pool in the hot weather.

KAORI is the fourth track off the EP, with Fern. bringing us down to somewhere bittersweet, akin to the ending of a nice day out. We're snapped back into reality, brought crashing down where the honeymoon phase is over. The acoustic strumming leading to R&B sounds make the lyrics more painful, every request sounding more like an imploration for his girl to stay: ‘Oh, why’d you have to go so soon, You said you’d follow to the moon.’

Kiana V ends the EP with Safe Place, where her comfort is brought by person rather than being somewhere secure. Now that she’s dealing with the aftermath of separation, she’s the one doing the haggling just to win him back, asking all the ‘what-ifs’. Regret mingles with each request, each question. Soft piano notes make each plea for a return to their rose-colored haze a lot heavier.