#vispop

Asa naman ka karon? Kadugay ba sa puhon. (Where are you now? Your "soon" takes so long.)

I just heard someone say SB19 is all they know about OPM (Original Pilipino Music), and I died a little inside. (I've got nothing against SB19, but to condense all of OPM to just them is a tragedy). And as someone who credits Tagalog OPM as one of the reasons I'm still fluent in the language, I decided to make a list to help out those who want to dip their toes in Filipino music.

(Note: this is a very, very short list of even the ones I know of, since Tumblr apparently has a 100-link limit to their posts. I kept to those who have released something in the last several years, while trying to find a balanced mix of mainstream artists and lesser known ones.)

Pop IV of Spades (x) (x) Morrissette Amon (x) (x) Mark Carpio (x) (x) Shanne Dandan (x) (x) Sarah Geronimo (x) (x) Juan Karlos Labajo (x) (x) Jeric Medina (x) (x) TJ Monterde (x) (x) Inigo Pascual (x) (x) Quest (x) (x) Angeline Quinto (x) (x) Nica Del Rosario (x) (x) Unique Salonga (x) (x) KZ Tandingan (x) (x) Moira dela Torre (x) (x) Thyro & Yumi (x) (x)

Acoustic (Soft-rock/folk-rock/pop-rock -- not sure how to describe this genre, but this is what I would actually consider the "signature" OPM sound.) Agsunta (x) (x) Autotelic (x) (x) Ben & Ben (x) (x) Callalily (x) (x) Yeng Constantino (x) (x) December Avenue (x) (x) Ebe Dancel (x) (x) I Belong to the Zoo (x) (x) Magnus Haven (x) (x) Silent Sanctuary (x) (x) SUD (x) (x) The Juans (x) (x) This Band (x) (x)

Indie Hans Dimayuga (x) (x) Arthur Nery (x) (x) Syd Hartha (x) (x) UDD (x) (x)

Rap / Hiphop / R&B Allmo$t (x) (x) Alisson Shore (x) (x) Because (x) (x) Ex-Battalion (x) (x) Gloc-9 (x) (x) Karencitta (x) (x) Shantidope (x) (x)

Vispop (Visayan) Karencitta (see above) Kurt Fick (x) (x) Jacky Chang (x) (x) TJ Monterde (see above) Meunnie (x) (x) Like I said, this is a really short list. It doesn't include 90s and '00s megastars that really made their mark in the industry like Regine Velasquez, MYMP, Gary V., Aegis, etc.

Please don't expect Filipino music to be like western pop or east Asian pop, that happens to be in a different language. While some artists and their songs do have that "international" flavour, Philippine music in general has a different vibe. Yes, even when the song is in English. Don't expect multi-million dollar production budgets. OPM is characterized first and foremost by hugot (that feeling of tugging on your heartstrings), not flashiness. Also important are vocal ability and creative wordplay. Most of our singers write their own songs.

I also suggest digging past the mainstream pop idols, who tend to recycle old hits and cover other songs. There are a lot of indie gems in OPM, the ones who are really producing music with spirit and strength and good messages. Social media has allowed these artists to reach a mass audience, so they're not difficult to find. We're in a great era in OPM, where more and more songs in other regional languages are being written and produced. There are pop songs now in Kapampangan, Bikol, Tausug, etc.

Also, while many of the musicians on this list are people I genuinely enjoy listening to and support, there are some I've included to show the wide breadth of music in the country, but whom I do not particularly endorse. Like many people in the entertainment industry, some individuals/bands featured here are embroiled in controversy, and I don't necessarily condone their actions.

11/2022

This was a song lyric I composed thinking of someone at my delulu moment

Visayan Pop music or simply VisPop is now making its way to the landscape of local mainstream settings. Amid the hype of foreign music which we Filipinos greatly admire, it’s just impressive to witness our very own thrive. You sure have heard them play on radio stations or perhaps through dance challenges on TikTok. Visayan music definitely has a share out there for music lovers. It is fortunate that more Filipinos are expanding their taste in music and including Visayan songs in their playlists. There are known Visayan pop artists in the Philippines that made a Bisdak music that captivate the hearts of the audience and listeners by listening and watch them through social media like Spotify, YouTube and TikTok that is now a trend. Visayan artists and musicians are collaborating to make a good Visayan music that they can show to the world what Visayan artists and Visayan musicians can dominate in the music industry. People nowadays not only Cebuano are streaming Vispop music because of how good, catchy, upbeat their songs are including their great lyrics. Now anything Bisaya is widely recognized and accepted.