The rising alternative quartet celebrates the release of their debut full-length album with a headline concert at one of the country’s most iconic cultural venues

Stream their new single “Purgatoryo”—out on streaming platforms worldwide

Following the buzz generated by their breakthrough debut, Filipino alternative band fitterkarma is set to headline its first major solo performance, kung tayo’y nasa isang horror na pelikula, tiyak ako ang una mong papatayin: The Album Concert, on September 19, 2026, at the historic Metropolitan Theater Manila.

Presented by fitterkarma in partnership with GNN, the concert marks the official launch of the band’s highly anticipated debut full-length album, which is slated for release two weeks ahead of the live show.

For the first time, audiences will experience the record live exactly as it was envisioned: from its opening track to its emotional finale, performed in its entirety with elaborate production.

“Witnessing the record live will be a more fulfilling experience,” says vocalist and guitarist Joao de Leon. “For me, watching the songs performed live is the best way to experience it, because music being played live has no limits, reaching and releasing your emotions, and the record is meant to be felt above all.”

The concert also marks fitterkarma’s most ambitious live production to date, featuring an expanded stage design, exclusive concert-only arrangements, and a special collaboration with The Manila String Machine, whose orchestral backing promises to add new dimension to the band’s already cinematic sound.

“I think hearing any album in the order intended by the artist is an experience in itself,” shares guitarist Lory a.k.a. Mikee Mendoza. “So aside from the studio album itself, we hope to be able to elevate that experience by bringing it into a live setting and bring justice to the recorded versions of our tracks.”

Lory also explained how the collaboration with The Manila String Machine helped transform the songs into something bigger than what they initially imagined. “Since we’ve already worked with them on several recordings, it only felt natural to have them join us onstage for the album launch.”

Formed in 2023, fitterkarma is composed of Joao de Leon (vocals/guitar), Sophia Miranda (bass), Sanders Bayas (drums), and LORY (guitar). Known for combining Philippine folklore with macabre aesthetic and theatrical elements, the band has produced two of the biggest hits of the last two years: “Kalapastangan” and “Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo II,” both peaking at No.1 on Spotify Philippines Top 50 and Billboard Philippines Hot 100 charts for multiple weeks.

The critically acclaimed band has unveiled its latest single,“Purgatoryo,” a preview of its forthcoming debut album, kung tayo’y nasa isang horror na pelikula, tiyak ako ang una mong papatayin. Wrapped in atmospheric textures and simmering intensity, the track explores a heavier, noise-driven sound shaped by shoegaze influences while preserving the melodic pop elements that have defined the band’s distinctive style.

Tickets for the album concert are now available through Ticketmelon under the following ticket tiers:

Orchestra: ₱2,999.00 (Soundcheck Access, Meet & Greet 8pax/Batch, Signed Poster)

Orchestra Side: ₱2,199.00 (Soundcheck Access, Signed Poster)

Loge: ₱2,199.00 (Soundcheck Access, Signed Poster)

Orchestra Back: ₱1,666.00(Poster)

Balcony: ₱999.00 (General Admission only)

Independent pop artist Estelle Fly is back with her first release of the year – ‘Bury it’ – a song about the power of unspoken attraction and the tension of deep yearning for someone you can’t fully have.

‘Bury it’ marks a defining new chapter in Estelle’s music career. Confident and unapologetically herself, the single embraces vulnerability and desire with newfound conviction, signalling a new era that pushes her sound forward while introducing herself to listeners old and new.

“This song feels like both an ending and a beginning,” said Estelle. “It represents me beautifully closing the chapter of everything that’s brought me to this point, and introducing what I like to call an era where I am exploring the concept of desire.”

“It’s an era where I finally have the freedom to explore ideas and emotions I’ve always wanted to write about. Not just about love, but also longing, vulnerability, confidence, attraction, and all the beautifully complicated parts of being human that I don’t always share openly.”

Listen to Estelle Fly’s ‘Bury it’ here

“Sonically, I wanted ‘Bury it’ to feel intimate and somewhat hypnotic, almost like you’re caught in a memory you don’t really want to leave. Lyrically, there’s a lot that’s intentionally left unsaid that is expressed through the music. Sometimes the strongest emotions are not the ones we confess, but the ones that we keep to ourselves.”

“With ‘Bury it’, I wanted to capture the tension of yearning for someone, but knowing you can’t fully have them. The feeling of the push and pull between wanting someone and choosing not to act on it is exciting, confusing and strangely addictive all at once. This feeling that we end up burying is usually the one that we remember the longest.”

In the music video for ‘Bury it’, Estelle plays an actor who is often cast as on-screen lovers with her co-star. Off camera, they’ve always been good friends, but over time, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. When two people are reminded by the world constantly about their chemistry, you start to wonder if the feelings are acted out or have always been there.

Estelle Fly is one of the few pop artists from Singapore who strikes a fine balance between music and dance, having traversed through the entertainment scene in multiple roles as an idol and actress, and now an independent soloist. In 2025, Estelle released her latest EP ZONE, and took to the stage at Waterbomb Singapore. This year, she has been selected as a Spotify RADAR artist, and will be releasing new songs to mark her upcoming new era.

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The Singapore-based Filipino singer-songwriter embraces his heritage in a deeply personal Tagalog release that explores love, loss, and closure

Following the breakthrough of his chart-topping hit, “ikaw ikaw ikaw,” which has amassed more than 30 million streams on Spotify alone and introduced him to a rapidly growing Filipino audience, Singapore-based singer-songwriter and producer ICEBOX returns to his OPM roots with the release of his new single “SAAKIN”—out today via PARKA.

Embracing the language and emotional depth that have long been central to his identity as a Filipino growing up overseas, “SAAKIN” reflects his evolving commitment to reconnect with his heritage through music.

Lyrically, the song serves as an intimate portrait of the emotional limbo that clings to one after the end of a relationship. Rather than presenting heartbreak as a singular moment, the track lingers in the liminal space between abandonment and longing: a place where one person has already let go while the other remains haunted by memories, unanswered questions, and the hope that refuses to disappear. In summary, the song captures the exhausting cycle of searching for closure in a place that no longer feels like home.

Although much of the song’s lyrical foundation was written nearly three years ago, “SAAKIN” underwent an extensive creative transformation before reaching its final form. Initially conceived as a school project collaboration with longtime friend Julia, the song has evolved through countless demos before ICEBOX revisited it alongside producers Dominic and Timothy of PARKA.

[ADVANCE PREVIEW OF “SAAKIN”]

ICEBOX also credited the success of “ikaw, ikaw, ikaw,” his crossover collaboration with Filipino singer-songwriter Eliza Maturan, as an inspiration in shaping the final sound of his latest track.

“That song has obviously been such a monumental part of the catalysis of my music career,” ICEBOX admits. “I never really expected those three-hour writing and production sessions with Eliza amounted to such a hit, unlocking the doors to the Filipino market for me and exposing my art to a familiar yet new audience. Being able to garner and meet so many new fans both online and in person through my performances is one of the best privileges I’ve been able to experience after releasing ikaw, ikaw, ikaw, and it has definitely influenced how I produce and write my new songs (both in English & Tagalog) to fit the so-called ‘sound’ my new audience knows me for.”

After spending countless months listening to and consuming OPM, ICEBOX, along with his co-producers Dominic and Timothy, revisited “SAAKIN,” and the rest, as they say, is history. “I knew “SAAKIN” had to be more than just a school project demo. Not to mention, I was also planning to put it in my upcoming album, which included me really exploring new soundscapes and songwriting styles that were very different from the demo. What came out of those sessions is a track that carries the story and core of an OPM song but is fused with production techniques and textures that are derived from the sounds of my upcoming album.”

While “SAAKIN” serves as a personal statement on its own, it also offers listeners an early preview of ICEBOX’s forthcoming second studio album, which is scheduled for release sometime in September this year. Developed over the past year and a half, the 12-track project promises to further expand his musical identity through new sonic textures and a more intimate style of storytelling.

ICEBOX adds, “Lots of hard work, soul, and passion have been poured into this project, and we’re looking to do more shows in the Philippines for the album as well, and I sure hope nobody misses it because these coming songs are more than just earworms—they’re stories that you might resonate with one way or another, and I wouldn’t want to miss seeing them live.”

ICEBOX”s “SAAKIN” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via PARKA.

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Blending sharp lyricism, fearless energy, and a dream collaboration with Rjay Ty, the new single shows an artist reaching for even greater heights

Following the success of his breakout album, BACKSHOTS, Filipino rapper WAIIAN kicks off a new chapter in his career with the release of  “2RARE,”  a collaboration with fellow hip-hop artist Rjay Ty. The track serves as the lead single from his upcoming album, set to arrive later this year, signaling the return of one of the country’s most influential young rappers with renewed confidence and a clear vision for what’s ahead.

Driven by hard-hitting production and incisive lyricism, “2RARE” highlights WAIIAN’s artistic growth and evolving ambitions. More than simply marking his return, the single reflects his determination to keep raising the bar. Once recognized as a promising talent, WAIIAN now steps fully into the spotlight, ready to expand his reach, embrace new challenges, and continue elevating Philippine hip-hop.

“I chose ‘2RARE’ because it’s one of the loudest songs on the project, and I felt like it had been a while since I put out a straight-up rap track,” says the urban hitmaker. “It represents a side of me that fans have been waiting to hear again. At the same time, it gives a glimpse of what’s coming with the new album—the energy and the direction I’m taking in this next chapter.”

The release also fulfills a collaboration that fans have been hoping for since the start of his career. Although WAIIAN and Rjay Ty had shared several writing sessions over time, the opportunity to create a record that truly reflected both artists only arrived when the timing—and the chemistry—finally aligned. Rather than simply exchanging verses, the pair painstakingly crafted every element of the song alongside producers from Kashira, helming its structure, dynamics, and overall energy into a record that feels both effortless and intentional.

WAIIAN explains, “I’ve wanted to collaborate with Rjay for a long time, but I never really felt ‘ready.’ Maybe because of the expectations, or maybe because it’s a little intimidating working with someone you’ve looked up to for so long. Now that I have the new studio, I was running out of excuses not to finally make it happen. We put a lot of thought into the entire song, not just laying down our verses and calling it a day. Every decision was made with one goal in mind: to make a song we’d all love to listen to ourselves. We figured if we loved it first, there’s a good chance the listeners would feel the same.”

Sonically speaking, “2RARE” emerged through experimentation rather than imitation. Created without relying on specific musical references, the track evolved organically as WAIIAN, Rjay Ty, and the Kashira production team pushed one another creatively, refining ideas until they landed a jab that felt unmistakably their own. The willingness to explore and experiment mirrors the artistic direction of the forthcoming album, which promises to venture across limitless sonic landscapes while remaining grounded in WAIIAN’s lyrical craft.

WAIIAN shared that he hopes listeners will embrace their individuality and recognize that there’s value in being different—whether in the way they think, create, or express themselves. He said his goal is for the project to inspire people to celebrate what makes them unique instead of feeling pressured to conform. Through every song he creates, he aims to encourage self-confidence and authentic self-expression. If listeners come away from “2RARE” and the upcoming album feeling more secure in their identity and empowered to be themselves without fear of judgment, he considers that a success.

“2RARE” by WAIIAN and Rjay Ty is now available for streaming on major digital music platforms worldwide through Sony Music Entertainment.