The fast-rising OPM outfit turns the restless cycle of overthinking into a genre-bending track fueled by funk, synths, and raw alternative rock

NEXTONE, one of OPM’s promising rising bands, makes a comeback with ““Nagkulang,” a fresh single that blends an upbeat groove with the emotional uncertainty of questioning one’s worth after a relationship falls apart.

Released through Sony Music Entertainment, the track carries crossover appeal through its distinctly late-night vibe, combining punchy beats, city pop elements, shimmering synths, and contemporary pop-rock sounds into a catchy, high-energy anthem.

The song’s concept began with the word itself. From there, the band developed a narrative centered on someone who, despite believing they did nothing wrong in a relationship, comes to terms with self-doubt in the wake of an unexpected romantic fallout.

Instead of treating heartbreak with a traditionally subdued or stripped-down approach, NEXTONE deliberately gives “Nagkulang” an energetic pulse. The contrast is central to the song’s appeal: its catchy melodies and driving production choices mirror the restless cycle of overthinking, while the repeated hook conveys the word that keeps playing inside the mind of the storyteller.

The eclectic quartet explains, “We really wanted the word ‘Nagkulang’ to feel like it was stuck in the listener’s head throughout the song. Because of that, we were intentional with how we approached the melody and production. The whole idea is about getting inside your head, questioning whether you did something wrong, and never really knowing the answer. That contrast between the catchy, almost light feeling of the song and the weight of what it’s actually about is what makes it feel a little crazy, almost like the song itself is driving you deeper into that overthinking.”

While the band has mostly explored guitar-driven arrangements in their previous work, “Nagkulang” enables the band members to experiment with funk, alternative pop, rock, new wave, and synth-heavy production. The songwriting process itself proved unusually instinctive. The chart-topping act completed the song’s structure and melody during the first session, before allowing the material to sit and eventually giving it a clearer sense of its potential.

“One of the most memorable parts of recording was working on the bass and guitar parts,” the band adds. “Those ended up being the more challenging elements because we didn’t want to overstuff the production, especially with the heavier synth parts already carrying a lot of the song.” The band ultimately opted for restraint, ensuring that each instrumental layer contributed to the song without overwhelming its central groove.

With “Nagkulang” marking a fresh creative direction for NEXTONE, the band sees the track as a stepping stone toward further growth in their upcoming releases. They shared that the song served as a mature turning point in their songwriting and production process, influencing the way they have approached the music they created afterward. The band also teased another release before the year ends, which they hope will offer a different sound from “Nagkulang” and serve as a fitting close to their musical journey this year.

NEXTONE’s “Nagkulang” is now available worldwide on all major digital music platforms through Sony Music Entertainment.

Her first independently written Filipino song finds beauty in vulnerability, uncertainty, and the courage to begin again

Following the chart-topping breakthrough of “Palayo sa Mundo,” which has recently crossed 70 million streams on Spotify alone, Filipino singer-songwriter Jolianne commences her new era in music with the release of “Daanan,” out today via Sony Music Entertainment.

Penned by Jolianne, “Daanan” conveys the experience of finding comfort in another person when you least expect it. Rather than portraying love as something immediate and perfectly formed, the song approaches it as a process that is built through small acts of vulnerability, familiarity, and right timing.

“Daanan is about falling in love for the first time and about having someone gently guide you through your firsts and learning, little by little, to let someone into your life,” the Cebu-born pop artist explains. “It’s about choosing to grow into love instead of rushing toward it and discovering yourself through the eyes of someone who sees you completely.”

The guitar-pop ballad is also about treating love as something “you slowly nurture and choose every day.” Jolianne adds, “Sometimes, you don’t know exactly where the road will lead—you just know that you want to keep walking, hand in hand with someone, until you find out together.”

For Jolianne, writing in Filipino meant deliberately stepping outside of her comfort zone. My comfort languages as a writer are English and Bisaya, so writing in Filipino felt like entering an entirely new space. It made me feel like a beginner all over again. Daanan challenged me to stretch beyond what I already knew, and I’m happy that I allowed myself to be a beginner again.”

That sense of discovery extends to the song’s creation. Jolianne initially recorded the melody as a voice note without chords or a beat, an unconventional starting point for her usual songwriting process. Produced by Luke April, the song gradually expands from a sparse, intimate opening into a fuller orchestral arrangement, mirroring its movement from uncertainty to surrender.

The accompanying music video, directed by Raliug and created with Lunchbox, brings the song’s central metaphor to life through dance. Jolianne plays someone learning to dance from an instructor she develops a crush on, with moments of awkwardness and hesitation reflecting the vulnerability of learning to let another person in.

“I really liked the idea of using dance because there’s something inherently vulnerable about letting another person teach you,” reveals Jolianne. “You have to be willing to look a little silly, make mistakes, and trust that they’ll catch you when you get the steps wrong. That became a visual metaphor for the love I’m talking about in the song: you don’t know what you’re doing at first, but you slowly become more comfortable with each other and learn the rhythm together.”

Jolianne’s “Daanan” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment. Watch the music video on Jolianne’s official YouTube channel, which premieres on Aug 14, 2026 at 6:00 P.M.

New effort from indie vet Aldus Santos is a hybrid of singer-songwriter fare and filmic soundscapery

The debut single from writer-musician Aldus Santos’ newest project, St. Ruin, drops today, August 14. It can now be streamed on major digital platforms via Lilystars Records.

Santos is best known for his work with aughts-era group The Purplechickens and neo-folk act Pamphleteer, as well as his music journalism (Rappler, NME, Billboard, Rolling Stone) and literary output, which includes concert reportage Alternate Endings (Offshore Music, 2020) and criticism-autobiography crossover The Demo Versions (Everything’s Fine, 2022).

He also co-wrote Eraserheads: Combo on the Run, a documentary on the famed band and their much-lauded 2022 reunion show, which had its streaming debut on Netflix in May.

“Uncool,” Santos shares, is a love letter to the departed, with “its verb tenses volleying between a pretend present, a protracted past, and a poignant future.” Santos adds that he wrote it for his only brother, who died of cancer in 2023.

Apart from Santos – who is on vocal, guitar, and harmonica detail – the track also features performances from bassist Yan Bagay Cruz (Bayang Barrios, Joey Ayala, Abby Clutario) and drummer Dave Cruz (Blind Stereo Moon). Electronic artist-producer kvtvlv’s synth and sound design work, meanwhile, elevates the melancholy tune into something akin to a filmic experience.

“Uncool” is the first advance single off the forthcoming EP A Cocktail Called Last Word, which Santos describes as “a grief journal in audio.” The EP is reportedly slated for an October release, and will be Santos’ first recorded output since Pamphleteer’s double-A-side Two Novellas in 2022. The St. Ruin songs, moreover, marks the writer-musician’s maiden appearance under the stellar Lilystars Records banner.

“You’d think it would be weird to get back on the horse and put out new music and launch a new alter-ego in your 40s…but not really,” Santos says, laughing. “A poet doesn’t stop hurting past a certain age.”    

Photo credits:

For images of Aldus Santos

Photography: Iverson Escalona | Art Direction: Janna Mangahas