Entertainment

Nobody’s Home, a Filipino alternative rock band, has presents the official music video for their new single “Cigarette Daydreams,”  which is a rendition of Cage The Elephant’s 2014 chart-topping hit. The video, directed by Swimming Pictures’ Ysa Aranda, shows the promising band on a wild road trip, performing in front of a warehouse and escaping reality “to achieve peace of mind,” as the lyrics suggest.

Aranda says the inspiration for the music video came from her own personal experience, specifically the feeling of ease that comes with driving. “I needed to go on a drive and imagine events that would fit with the music.” Apart from the song’s lyrics, driving has helped me deal, especially during these tough times, which is why the MV includes driving sequences.”

The visual narrative of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s End Of Summer, a short video that stands as a document of a serene scenery in “one of the most vital and threatened locations of our planet,” inspired Aranda’s take on “Cigarette Daydreams.”

Paying homage and making it their own

The song was produced by Nobody’s Home and Ely Buendia, and its overall treatment maintains the melodic charm of the original, while incorporating ‘90s-sounding guitar-rock affair, candied pop hooks, and pulsating synths to the mix.

“Generally, we wanted to pay respects and keep the original vibe of the song,” Frontman and principal songwriter Eon Buendia explains. “We stuck to that nostalgic acoustic feeling for the verses while making it simpler in terms of instrumentals. But when it came to the choruses, that’s where we changed the vibe from the original’s lighter feeling to a darker and synth-y tone that is more akin to the sound of the band.”

Nobody’s Home strikes a balance between paying homage to the song and making it their own—a task that they supremely aced with conviction and confidence. “The main idea we had was that the verses would be simple and we wouldn’t add much to it in order to keep the spirit of the original, and then the choruses would be where we came in and do our thing,” Eon shares in a statement. “And then we put elements that we usually use when producing our personal tracks such as vocal layering, synthesizers, and lead guitar lines.”

Production notes

The track’s producer, Ely Buendia, also commends the alt-rock outfit’s dedication in upping the ante of their version, while retaining the song’s feel-good catharsis in the process. “I just trusted the boys’ musical instincts, knowing that their own personal preferences would make sure that this will not be a note for note translation.”

In terms of production, Ely points out, “we at least wanted the production to be gritty yet polished, if at all possible, to honor the vibe of the original.”

Nobody’s Home’s cover of Cage The Elephant’s  “Cigarette Daydreams”  is now available internationally via Sony Music Philippines on all digital music platforms. Here’s a link to the music video.

Listen here: https://DefJamPH.lnk.to/PusoAtDiskarte_SP

Featuring some of the most important rap acts of our time and considered as one of the most respected record labels in the country, Def Jam Philippines. Puso At Diskarte” serves as the maiden track off Def Jam Philippines’ collaborative EP, RHAPSODICITY, which is touted as a “lyrical EP.” The upcoming compilation will also feature tracks such as the propulsive jam “Lahing Maangas,” the lyrical heavyweight “Diversity,” the future smash “Lakbay,” and the Pino G.-produced “Epic.”

Produced by CURSEBOX, the anthemic banger delivers show-stopping verses that set the bar high for hip-hop collaborations, and massive, titanium-grade beats that blur the boundaries between gangsta rap and contemporary urban music.

According to Allan Mitchell “Daddy A” Silonga, A&R Senior Manager of Def Jam Philippines, “Puso At Diskarte” started out as a concept which aims to gather hip-hop icons from different affiliations and groups within the community. “With the help of Dcoy, we’ve messaged them one by one, and explained to them the vision behind the project,” the label honcho shares in a statement. “We’ve always wanted to foster dream collaborations that push the envelope in terms of artistry and impact, and produce an iconic music video to complement the bigness of the idea. ‘Puso At Diskarte’ not only shines the spotlight on grander themes in hip-hop, but also elevates it as an art form and a cultural force.”

Lyrically speaking, the all-star collab track documents the struggles of every hip-hop artist involved in the project and how they managed to survive the odds through determination, commitment, and hard work. All the participating artists penned their parts, with Daddy A co-writing some of the verses and the bridge. This exchange of ideas resulted into a compelling rap tune that fosters a sense of community and teamwork, honoring what Def Jam stands for in the first place both as a label and as a pioneering hip-hop dynamo.

As Daddy A puts it, “This EP will be remembered because of the lineup of artists and their collaborators. It’s really a miracle specially during this pandemic to put together a massive EP like this. This is gonna be epic!”

For more updates just follow Def Jam Ph of their social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube

About Def Jam Recordings

Founded in 1984, Def Jam Recordings began as a maverick independent label inspired by downtown New York City’s vibrant street culture and the emerging sound of hip-hop. Def Jam has represented the very best in cutting-edge music for 35 years, pioneered by iconic stars like LL Cool J, Slick Rick, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Over the following two decades, Def Jam established its dominance with superstar acts like Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man & Redman, Ludacris, Rihanna, Jeezy, and the inimitable Kanye West. Now in its fourth decade, Def Jam’s music and lifestyle has grown into a global brand – synonymous with creativity, quality and authenticity – encompassing a diverse roster of marquee and emerging stars like West, Justin Bieber, Alessia Cara, Logic, Pusha T, Jadakiss, Vince Staples, Jeremih, Big Sean, YG, 2 Chainz, Dave East, and Jhene Aiko, among others.

Alessandra de Rossi is now setting her sights on different waters from the success of her directorial debut My Amanda in July. Which she’s revisited more vigorously as of late: adopting the functional moniker ADR, reissuing her 2012 debut Adrift via Lilystars Records, even penning songs for her films. And no, De Rossi isn’t simply pimping playlists or fawning over new discoveries on her socials. She’s taking things a notch higher, putting up her own label AWOOO Records, which she’s formally unveiling to the public yesterday (September 24) after making an under-the-radar announcement earlier in the month.

To the character-actress-turned-indie-darling, it’s not so much about scratching a visionary itch but passing deserving talents the mic. “I think [Filipinos] really stand a chance in changing how the world looks and sounds,” she says, confident that local music can enjoy the same attention other art forms like cinema are getting. “All we need is to offer something pure, peculiar, and distinct. I think we can make it, too!”

And “pure, peculiar, and distinct” was precisely what she saw in AWOOO’s two inaugural artists, both women: the Fil-German San Carlos City chanteuse Hya, and the SoCal-based singer-songwriter Alfa. The former was a talent-show champ who’s previously made the rounds—Rising Stars Philippines, Just Duet, The Will to Win—before landing a spot in Bangon Talentadong Pinoy, where De Rossi was a judge who found herself fangirling instantly.

“She sounded like an angel, and my world just stopped. I knew in my heart that this girl, given a chance, could be someone new singers can look up to,” De Rossi says of Hya (or Lee’Anna Weber Layumas), whose impressive range and knack for soothing melodies the actress also singled out. Her lilting debut single “Raindrops,” arranged and co-produced with Nick Lazaro for La Balls Studio, is out today.

Alfa, whom Eric Gnezda of PBS’ Songs at the Center calls “everything you want in a singer-songwriter,” is a schooled multi-instrumentalist who gravitated towards songcraft very early on, eventually releasing three albums, an EP, and snagging herself top honors in the world category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2020.

While shades of chill wave and ambient pop permeate the music of AWOOO’s banner artists, De Rossi insists she is more after a feeling. “As long as you make me feel something, or if you make me feel like I’m not alone—when your music can be my best friend—it really becomes AWOOO,” she says playfully, speaking of how Hya provides “courage in times of unrest” and how Alfa “sings like no one is listening.”

“A world of our own” or AWOOO is a sublabel of Lilystars Records, whose head honcho Clem Castro serves as partner and de facto adviser. “It took twenty years for people to actually believe in me,” the AWOOO label head says, alluding to her slow but steady ascent in film and television. “I hope God blesses me with the right people, so that I can serve these artists and they don’t have to wait as long to be heard and understood.”  

Filipino-Norwegian singer-songwriter, Clinton Kane is taking the country by storm with the release of his stripped-down pop ballad “I GUESS I’M IN LOVE,” following his viral success on TikTok and other online music platforms. Also out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Columbia Records and Sony Music.

Detailing the winding journey and range of feelings that come with finally finding true love, the emotional single is currently at No. 4 on Spotify Philippines charts, and has amassed nearly 23 million streams since its release last August 20, 2021. The track is currently a mainstay on various local radio charts, ranking within the top 20 of Manila-based mainstream radio stations, RX 93. 1 and 99.5 Play FM.

Over at TikTok, The Filipino-Norwegian star’s chart-topping track has been covered by Filipino artists, including SB19’s Pablo, whose stellar rendition garnered close to 200k views in less than an hour.

Overseas, the Australia-based artist has also debuted at the US Billboard Hot 100 at No. 90, and continues to climb on several official music charts all around the world, including his home country Australia (ARIA, No. 27), Canada (Canadian Hot 100, No. 50), UK (UK Singles Chart, No. 23), New Zealand (RMNZ, No. 27), and more.

“I GUESS I’M IN LOVE” has been building fan fever since Clinton Kane began teasing the track on his social media. With the song racking up pre-saves and over 40k fan-made TikTok videos using the sound, Clinton has finally shared the love song of 2021 that listeners everywhere have been waiting for. Continuing to connect with each release, “I GUESS I’M IN LOVE” follows his February breakthrough hit “CHICKEN TENDIES,” which has accumulated over 90M streams worldwide.

Don’t forget to follow Clinton Kane:

Website | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

The second edition of the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival (AMS) begins off with a week of activities highlighting the region’s dynamic music scenes, with the goal of strengthening and sustaining global connections both during and after the pandemic.

This year, AMS is expanding its program with the addition of a week-long panel discussion on Monday, September 6, featuring respected music industry leaders from Asia and around the world.

Deeper exchanges

AMS co-organizers recognize the importance of collaboration. Having built their professional and creative relationships through participating in international showcases and conferences through the years, one of the integral parts of these events is the panel discussions.

The esteemed panelists represent various music showcase festivals, agencies, labels, managements, and other music organizations and companies, including LUCfest, Sun Eater, DMZ Peace Train/Flipped Coin Music, The Venopian Solitude, Seen Scene Space, MASPAM Records, SCAPE, Warner Music Asia, and Tunecore.

Guest speakers and moderators will delve into topics including touring around Southeast Asia (September 6); identifying and differentiating consumer versus showcase festivals (September 7); dissecting case studies of successful ASEAN artists (September 8); the roles of independent and major music labels in today’s musical landscape (September 9); and a candid talk from AMS organizers themselves (September 10). The panel discussions will stream live on AMS’ Facebook daily at 8 PM, Singapore time.

Celebrating multi-genre, multicultural music artistry

As a showcase festival untethered to conventional methods of traditional or consumer music festivals, it’s vital for AMS to match the right artists with the right kind of talent buyers. “Seeing it through my own experience, music conference and showcase festival delegates who are most active are the ones who energetically jump from venue to venue hoping to see as many bands as possible. So, for AMS we also try to select artists who have that same secret sauce but do not have to belong in the same genres,” shares co-organizer Piyapong ‘Py’ Muenprasertdee.

Over the weekend (September 11-12), AMS will broadcast genre-defying sets from 28 ASEAN artists from ASEAN, including indie-pop band Sobs and singer-songwriter Kitty Purrnaz, which were added as part of the Singapore artist lineup.

Cultivating opportunities

The final part of AMS 2021’s program takes place on Monday, September 13. The privately held virtual networking event aims to open doors for ASEAN artists to grow and expand their network. Delegates from the panel discussions and representatives from ASEAN-based Okhna Park, Berita Angkasa, Gelombang Maju Jaya, FFWD Records, Amity Asia, altspace.id, Tala Records Asia, The Wknd, TONGTONG Asia, Raising The Bar, Island Records Philippines, Indie Manila, GNN Entertainment Productions, Melt Records, Where Are The Fruits, Pulse City, HipHopDX Asia, Baybeats/The Esplanade, Speakerbox, Cat Radio & Cat Expo, Big Mountain Music Festival, Maho Rasop Festival, Coracle Festival, Locally Trapped Wildlife, Hanoi Community Radio, and 1900 Le Théâtr, Dusted Recordings, and Gig Life Pro will join in the virtual networking event.

International delegation (specifically East Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North America) comprise of MusicDish 独立小炒, New Noise, Sound of the Xity, Inter Idoru, Music From Okinawa, BIG ROMANTIC RECORDS, Highjinkx/Beeline Records, Golden Melody Awards, Tron Music, Clockenflap, Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO), This Much Talent, Club Media, Achord Agency, Earth Beat, Live At Heart, Smallfish Artist Management Agency, SXSW, Small World Music / Global Toronto, Beat House, and Jaded Media LLC.

AMS is brought to you by Fungjai, NYLON Thailand, and Bangkok Music City from Thailand; The Rest Is Noise PH from the Philippines; Steady State Records from Singapore; SRM from Indonesia; City Roars Festival from Malaysia; Baramey Production from Cambodia; and Monsoon Music Festival and Swan Zoo from Vietnam.

This year’s edition is co-presented by Malaysia’s Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA); the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); the National Arts Council, Singapore; a US-based digital music distributor TuneCore; Singaporean NPO that supports youth, talent and leadership development, *SCAPE; and Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO).

The festival is also supported by Music Copyright (Thailand) Ltd. (MCT) and festival partners Global Toronto; Live at Heart; Golden Melody Awards & Festival; LUCfest; ZAshare; Sound of the Xity; Trans Asia Music Meeting (TAMM); and Institut français de Hanoi-L’Espace.

Little Mix, the award-winning British girl group, returns to the worldwide pop mainstream with their latest single “Love (Sweet Love),” which is released today on Sony Music. “Love (Sweet Love),” a rising pop anthem about love and passion written by Jade and Leigh-Anne with solid gold hitmaker MNEK, Lauren Aquilina, and Sakima, is made more fascinating by the trio’s amazing vocal harmonies and the track’s lively arrangement.

The highly anticipated track is the first single off Little Mix’s first greatest hits album, Between Us, which the girl band considers as a “celebration of 10 years of hits, friendship and new tracks.”

“We are so excited for ‘Love (Sweet Love)’ to be the first single released from Between Us,” Leigh Ann shares. “We loved shooting the video for this song, it feels like a real moment and we can’t wait to share it.”

Little Mix’s upcoming compilation album, Between Us pays tribute to a decade of global tunes from a record-breaking pop band. All of their biggest hits are featured on the album including their No.1 singles “Wings,” “Black Magic,” “Shout Out To My Ex” and “Sweet Melody,” alongside major hits such as “Touch,” “Move,” “Power,” “Salute,” and their latest top 3 smash “Heartbreak Anthem.”

The campaign will also feature five brand new sensational Little Mix songs that the trio have been working on over the last few months, bringing their decade of chart smashes bang up to date.

Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards have established themselves as the world’s biggest girl band – they have sold over 50 million records worldwide, collected over 19 million Spotify listeners, received over 3 billion YouTube views, and collated 12 billion streams worldwide.

2021 has proved to be a record-breaking year so far for the band. Earlier this year Little Mix won ‘Best British Group’ at the 2021 BRIT Awards, the first female group in history to ever win the award. Then this August saw Little Mix celebrate 100 weeks in the Official UK Singles Chart Top 10, the most for a girl band in history.

The band’s blockbuster hit tune “Sweet Melody,” their 5th UK No.1 single, went to No. 1 earlier this year in the UK. Confetti, their sixth album, has yielded four smash songs and over 4 million track sales. The band will officially hit the road in 2022 with their much awaited Confetti Tour, which will visit arenas across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Little Mix’s “Love (Sweet Love)” is out now via Sony Music on all digital music platforms worldwide.

Ben&Ben, the multi-platinum-certified and highly praised Filipino band, has officially released Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno, their highly awaited sophomore album via Sony Music. The 13-track album showcases the songs, stories, messages, experiences, learnings, and insights that accompanied Ben&Ben on their self-reflective but satisfying journey, and it result is significant chapter in Ben&Ben’s history as it expands their sound with rewarding experiments and thematically bolder songwriting. Ben&Ben tracks are also played during our virtual meeting and it really soothes us as we listen. I really enjoyed listening to them as we played their 12 Tagalog songs with collaboration from other artists like Moira Dela Torre and Juan Karlos and it’s really my favorite since it possesses strong passion and emotions.

 “Each song, much like an entry in one’s personal journal, encapsulates something uniquely special to represent something in a certain point in time,” the nine-piece collective shares in a statement. “We felt it would be important for our second album to be a work that brings us closer to our listeners and introduces them more to the wide spectrum of what we are capable of and of who we are as people.”

During the zoom meeting

Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno surpasses expectations in terms of musicality and production, giving way to an exquisite piece of pop songcraft that feels more like a natural progression from their equally compelling debut album, Limasawa Street rather than a retread of the comfortably familiar. Since working on Kuwaderno, Ben&Ben have been more open to collaborations that venture beyond the confines of their early work.

On their second album, they have teamed up with the biggest names in the Philippine music industry on six of the songs, including “Swimming Pool” (Feat. Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar), “Pasalubong” (Feat. Moira Dela Torre), “Lunod” (Feat. Zild and juan karlos), “Sabel” (Feat. KZ Tandingan), “Kapangyarihan” (Feat. SB19), and “Sugat” (Feat. Munimuni).

“We’ve always wanted to collaborate with these artists, but we were also always a bit too shy to ask,” says lead vocalist and guitarist Paolo Benjamin. “When working on the second album however, our songs and the arrangements gave us confidence to reach out in hopes that these collaborators would likewise believe in our music enough to work with us. Thankfully, they did, and we are immensely grateful for their generosity in sharing their hard work and talent with us.”

Pre-production for the album began in the latter part of April 2021 when Ben&Ben recorded their first two songs “Upuan” and “Magpahinga.” The former will have a music video featuring He’s Into Her stars Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano to be released on August 29, 6pm (Sunday) via Ben&Ben’s official YouTube channel. Directed by Niq Ablao, the visuals take us into a simple yet timeless story about prom, and the jitters that come with finding the courage to ask someone out.

Ben&Ben continued to record with some of their artist colleagues near the end of May, and the album’s remaining songs were finished in mid-June. These songs include “Kuwaderno,” which sets the mood and tone for the album; “Kasayaw,” a metaphor that alludes to the difficult question of whether two people are in the same groove or not; “Elyu,” a classic sounding song about wanting to be free of something; and “Kasayaw,” a metaphor that refers to the difficult question of whether two people are in the same groove or not. “Kayumanggi,” an anthem that praises the beauty and depth of Filipino identity, and “Ilang Tulog Na lang,” a paean to long-distance love.

Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno is written, arranged, and produced by Ben&Ben, with Jean Paul Verona and Sam Marquez (One Click Straight) involved in co-producing, mixing, and co-engineering duties. Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Leon Zervos, who has worked with the likes of Maroon 5, Pink, and Rihanna, heads the overall mastering of the tracks.

Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno is available now on all digital music platforms worldwide, including Spotify, from Sony Music. Fans can also expect exclusive entertainment available only on Spotify.

This might be your opportunity to show everyone what you’ve got, to be the first Pinoy Drag Supreme. The first ever drag reality talent competition, Drag Den Philippines. Audition now on top short-form video app TikTok, where today’s biggest, undiscovered talents are strutting their stuff.

The show will be hosted by the inimitable drag icon Manila Luzon, who has grown popularity through several seasons of the US show RuPaul’s Drag Race. As the unparalleled platform for creativity and self-expression, TikTok is the perfect platform where aspiring participants can add fun and excitement to their audition entries!

It doesn’t matter how you see yourself! TikTok and Drag Den PH are calling all drag queens, drag kings, bio queens, pageant queens, whoever your drag persona is – all drag artists 18 years old and above can take part in the Drag Den Philippines auditions, giving everyone a fair chance at being the first-ever Pinoy Drag Supreme! If you’re from Visayas and Mindanao, don’t worry, your airfare will be taken care of!

How to join is very easy:

• Just create a TikTok video showing your best before-and-after drag transformation look.
• You may choose to include the actual transformation process, or even a performance—anything goes!
• Feel free to use any song you like.
• Post the video on TikTok with the hashtag #DragDenPHAudition and include a creative caption introducing yourself.
• Don’t forget to tag @dragdenph @wetvphilippines and to fill out this form: bit.ly/JoinDragDen.
• You may submit as many videos as you like.

Time to show the world what you’ve got by express yourself and show why you deserve to be part of #DragDenPhilippines.

Just visit to this link: https://bit.ly/DragDenOnTikTok to learn more.

Going to school is how children learn best and a place where we begin to know ourselves better. We discover the things we like, the things we are good at, and the people we would love to be with. It holds a special place in our hearts, the time with our friends inside the four corners of the classroom is something we cherish forever.

Then and now have changed a lot but admit it or not, our social needs are challenged. Students are all behind their computer screens as they continue their studies. At a time when physical get-togethers are impossible, there’s nothing we can do but reminisce about that moment.

Island Records Philippines believes in the importance of music in bringing back the best moments of our youth that happened in school. For example, there’s nothing like the shared energy and unmatched connection at school concerts. The magic that binds people and music is unique for that moment and for that space but is lasting in everyone’s memory.

With their new initiative called Social U, Island Records Philippines strives to bring this moment back through a series of virtual concerts across four universities in the country. For students who can only wish to be in school with friends, the event aims to break out of the two-dimensional screen through virtual campus tours made more memorable and exciting with music.

The two-hour concert will be happening inside a virtual campus where every student of the respective school is invited to. The tour will host different brand games and activities that students can freely enjoy. On top of these, OPM artists and other homegrown acts and students will bring the live feel through the virtual concert.

The virtual school tour also aims to be an avenue for getting to know one another and for creating strong peer relationships among students. Especially with the opening of a new academic year amidst a pandemic, Island Records Philippines wishes to build a sense of community that is important not only as support for their academic endeavors but also as a solid footing towards creating bigger impacts in society.

In cooperation with youth organization We The Youth Vote, the initiative also aims to be a stage that highlights the value of everyone’s right to vote, especially with the nearing deadline for voter registration. The partnership aims to educate students about their suffrage and at the same time impart the bigness of the role of every Filipino youth in the upcoming elections.

Social U’s virtual school tour will be running in four universities:

1. Far Eastern University – The first stop and happening on August 27, 2021. Autotelic, Zack Tabudlo, Leanne and Naara, Over October, Dia Mate, and Elise Huang are on the line-up for FEU’s virtual crowd. Also joining in the musical experience is FEU’s very own IABF Powerband, 1st runner up of Sayawit 2020’s Battle of the Bands.
2. De La Salle University – Next stop will be on September 3, with Cheats, Juan Karlos, Zack Tabudlo, Fern., Elise Huang, and Dia Mate joining the virtual concert.
3. Polytechnic University of the Philippines – On the 25^th of September, Social U will arrive here together with Allison Shore, Juan Karlos, Zack Tabudlo, Over October, One Click Straight, and Scye.
4. University of the East – The last leg would be happening on September 27. Arthur Nery, Juan Karlos, Zack Tabudlo, Fern., One Click Straight, and Autotelic will prepare performances for the concert.

Social U A Virtual Concert is made possible by Island Records Philippines and Universal Music Group For Brands, co-presented by FoodPanda, Globe Prepaid, and Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi, and is in cooperation with We The Youth Vote Philippines.

In the midst of pandemic physically together may not be possible, but Island Records Philippines and its partner brands and organizations believe that music still holds the power to make the hearts of Filipino students stay connected. The youth can become one—from concert sing-alongs to moving towards a greater goal for the future of the country.

Visit Social U: Facebook to learn more.