Recorded during her 10 Year Manila Exclusive Set, the live album reflects a decade of growth, healing, and finding her voice as an artist
A decade into her journey in the spotlight, Ylona Garcia reflects on the music, memories, and experiences that have shaped her career with ylona, so far. (live), a nine-track live album set for release on October 5, 2026 via Sony Music Entertainment.
More than a compilation of live performances, ylona, so far. (live) offers a look back at the songs that have been part of Ylona’s journey, from her early years as a young performer to the artist she has become today. Through newly interpreted live versions of familiar tracks, the album revisits different chapters of her life while highlighting her growth, deeper self-understanding, and stronger sense of artistic ownership.
“It feels like a healing experience, and that means the world to me,” Ylona shares about the project. Revisiting the music she has released over the years brought back both beautiful and difficult memories: from the opportunities she once could only dream of to the pressures of growing up in the public eye and navigating expectations from both the industry and fans. “Looking back now, I’m incredibly grateful for all of it because it’s given me the perspective and experience to take more control over my career and, more importantly, to understand who I am as an artist.”
The album features nine tracks spanning Ylona’s career, including “my name is ylona garcia,” “lie so well,” “space,” “dahan dahan dahan lang,” “o pag ibig,” “don’t go changing,” “don’t say goodbye,” “win the fight,” and “entertain me.” As longtime listeners may know, the songs and their live renditions reveal how dramatically Ylona’s relationship with them has evolved.
“Before, I was so grateful for the opportunities I was given that it was hard for me to be fully present in them,” she explains. “I did my best to perform each song in the studio and on stage, but I was often more focused on making sure everyone else was happy than connecting with the music itself.” A decade later, she approaches these songs from a more personal place, letting her present-day perspective reshape music that once represented earlier versions of herself.
The album’s rollout began with “entertain me (live),” which was recorded during Ylona’s 10 Year Manila Exclusive Set at Backyard Live. The performance teased the overall vibe of the new record and its central theme of reclaiming her story.
“It became a reminder that people can take things from you, but they can’t take away your heart or your mind,” she says. “That’s what this project represents to me—taking back ownership of my story and who I am as an artist.”
The Manila exclusive set will also live beyond the stage through a series of performance videos recorded at Backyard Live, which will be released on Ylona Garcia’s YouTube channel. The videos invite fans to experience—or relive—the energy of the 10 Year Manila Exclusive Set while witnessing how Ylona reimagines songs they have known for years. In doing so, the artist also honors the people who have been part of her journey from the beginning.
“I hope they feel how much I care about my work and the impact it has on them,” Ylona says. “I wanted them to feel the intentionality behind reimagining music they already know through the perspective of who I am today. More than anything, I wanted to give them a glimpse of the artist I’ve become while still honoring the girl they first fell in love with.”
Among the album’s most poignant moments is “o pag ibig (live),” featuring Bailey May, a full-circle reunion that connects Ylona’s present with one of the earliest chapters of her career. Having not seen each other since they were 16, the two reunited onstage to revisit the song with a decade’s worth of life and experience behind them. Even after the years apart, the performance carried an unmistakable sense of familiarity. “Performing ‘O Pag-Ibig’ together honestly felt like no time had passed at all,” Ylona recalls.
At its core, ylona, so far. (live) pays homage to the stage that played a crucial role in shaping Ylona into the performer she is today. “Live performance was my training ground as an entertainer,” she shares. When the idea of turning her exclusive Manila show into a live album came up, Ylona immediately embraced it as a chance to celebrate not just the past decade of her life and career, but also the experiences and beginnings that paved the way for where she is now.
“I think these live versions capture all of who I am,” Ylona says.
Tracklist — ylona, so far. (live)
- “my name is ylona garcia (live)”
- “lie so well (live)”
- “space (live)”
- “dahan dahan dahan lang (live)”
- “o pag ibig (live)” ft. bailey may
- “don’t go changing (live)”
- “don’t say goodbye (live)”
- “win the fight (live)”
- “entertain me (live)”
ylona, so far. (live) is now available worldwide on all digital music streaming platforms through Sony Music Entertainment.
No Comments