Vic Vic Bautista

Sponge Cola has always been adept at capturing the divine feeling of a romantic high, the cautionary tale that follows, and the journey trapped in between the respective timelines, aside from churning out modern rock classics that carve a special place in our collective consciousness. The “Siguro Nga” hitmakers have perfected the art of spearheading the soundtrack of our lives with widespread appeal, and with the launch of their new single “Labis-labis” through Sony Music Philippines, they are putting a uniquely captivating yet relatable spin on the “love song” format.

According to guitarist Erwin “Armo” Armovit, their latest single is all about the “overflowing, overwhelming joy of being fully yourself with someone,” and was written from a sincere, heartwarming place. “Love is an inexhaustible source of inspiration that takes countless forms; and songs are stories set to music. Every person experiences love differently, but every person experiences love.”

Having redefined stories about romance and defeat from varying lenses, Sponge Cola refuses to pin down their songwriting sensibilities with a one-dimensional approach. As bassist Gosh Dilay puts it, “With love songs, there is always a new angle/new dimension to explore.”

True to its core, “Labis-labis” works because beyond its gloriously cinematic chorus and inescapable verses, the song isspecifically made to describe a moment—fleeting, short, but resonant to the experiences of the people around us, most especially those that chose to accept and reciprocate love in various shapes and forms, regardless of its possible consequences. Dilay perfectly sums up this emotional retreat into words, “it’s the gleeful feeling of excitement upon seeing someone you love, after being away for so long. Or even just after a brief period. That’s the magic of the song.”

Recording “Labis-labis” turned out to be fun and exciting for Sponge Cola, even if it has undergone the most transformations out of any songs that they’ve previously worked on. “The song started as a mid-tempo, all acoustic ballad and continuously evolved into its current state as we played it together as a band and incorporated modern arrangement ideas from our producer, Joey Santos.” Armovit said, “We had to play the song repeatedly and listen to really figure out what it needed and where it wanted to go.”

The track incorporated their funk, although subtly, while maintaining the arrangement’s unrepentant pop smarts. Musically, the compositions also took a more interesting turn, making it a bit more shaking and unique.

Sponge Cola’s “Labis-labis” is out now on all digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.

Zelijah

Zelijah’s new song “17,” which is out today through Sony Music Philippines, takes a ride down memory lane. The Filipino rapper/producer strikes a balance between honing a music palate that distills today’s algorithm-driven sounds and addressing the convergence of different music genres with a pop flair, trading verses with fellow hip-hop artist Ellis G on bossa-infused, lo-fi beats and stripped-down guitars.

“17” was supposed to be a sad little tune about cherishing the best years of our lives in a bubble, tucked away from the hassles of adult responsibilities. “But the vibe it gave us when we were working on the song was just purely nostalgic so we thought of writing the lyrics about the 2012 and 2017 era where both of us were 17 years old,” the multi-talented artist admits in a statement. “Personally, this age bracket is where we worry less about the world and only think about ourselves and all the mundane things— free from our life problems,” said Zelijah

Zelijah produced, mixed, and mastered the track alone in his home studio, reasserting creative control over his art. The multi-hyphenate artist is used to doing these by himself, having worked with several artists behind the scenes, from big names such as Young JV and Jason Dy to record-breaking behemoths such as Loonie and John Roa. “It was hard at first but then it just grows on you till it becomes a normal thing to do,” he shares. “Personally, having control over these sections makes the song more authentic to me. It also allows me to play around with different techniques and approaches that other engineers wouldn’t do.”

“It’s always fun working with Ellis to be honest,” says Zelijah. “We both push each other’s boundaries. We tend to one up each other but in a good way. There’s no room for sugar coating and fake compliments between us. We prefer to keep it blunt in everything we do for us to grow.” Zelijah thanked Ellis G for his contribution to “17.” Ellis G, for one, freestyled on the mic with a particular theme in mind, delving further into the enjoyable side of nostalgia in order to capture the feeling of everlasting youth.

Zelijah’s “17” is out now on all digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines. The song will be part of the upcoming EP, ‘Press F to Drop Out’—to be released soon.

Destiny Rogers

Destiny Rogers, a rising singer/songwriter, has released a new version of her debut single “Tomboy,” which features New Jersey rap sensation Coi Leray.

After Lisa of K-Pop group BLACKPINK posted a choreographed mini-film entitled “Lili’s Movie” performed to “Tomboy,” which has received over 39 million views and counting since its release last month, this new version has sparked interest in the song.

Following Lisa’s post, Destiny’s single “Tomboy” peaked at #12 on the Spotify Viral 50 Global chart and is currently top 20 on the chart. Destiny connected with Lisa from BLACKPINK directly on FaceTime last night to thank her for the new wave of support for “Tomboy.”

“Tomboy” is Destiny’s signature single boasting over 44 million audio streams. Nylon raved upon its release: “Talk about a killer debut” and Ones To Watch called the single “a striking grand entrance into the music world.”

“Tomboy” was produced by Grammy-Award winning producers and songwriters, The Stereotypes (Bruno Mars “24K Magic,” Cardi B/Bruno Mars “Please Me”), and introduced Destiny to listeners and showcased her strong songwriting skills and soulful lyrics.

Destiny Rogers is currently working on new material in the studio. G-Eazy and Kiana Lede’s “A Little More” was co-written with her, and she is featured on Phora’s latest track “the art of letting go.”

About Destiny Rogers

21-year-old Destiny Rogers is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who was born and bred in Lodi, a small Northern California town. At age 6, she became obsessed with skateboarding and even thought she wanted to pursue her passion professionally. But, growing up in the church with her father who is a youth pastor and listened to AC/DC and Mexican mother who listened to Mariachi, Destiny was pulled in by the power of music. At age 9 she received her first guitar and by age 10 taught herself how to play by watching Justin Bieber covers online and thereafter realized she could sing.

After a few years of busking in Los Angeles on the weekends and facing trials and tribulations of the music industry, she was finally connected to members of Grammy-Award winning songwriter/producer team The Stereotypes (Bruno Mars, Cardi B) and eventually began working with them. She signed to their label, Beach Wave Sound in 2018.  The result is confidence in the languid R&B and hip-hop-inflected pop songs which can be heard on her Tomboy EP.

Destiny has performed at various festivals including Something in the Water, Lights On and Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw. She most recently wrapped tour with Ruel on his “Free Time Tour” with dates across North America and Europe.

Only hayu has your favorite reality show available for streaming and download. All good things must come to an end, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians is no exception, with its final season now available on hayu!

It was a good run of 20 hilarious, exciting, and touching seasons where we got a glimpse of their everyday lives and we literally grew up with the family. If you missed out on previous episodes, it’s time to catch-up and grab this last chance to keep up with Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kris, Kylie, Kendall on hayu.

Taken during the virtual party to the Kardashians style

To kick off the premiere of season 20, hayu Philippines brought together select media and influencers for a nostalgic virtual party true to the Kardashian style. This online celebration highlighted how much this royal family of Reality TV has made an impact on lifestyle trends, pop culture and so much more throughout the years.

Marking the end of an epic era, The first episode titled ‘Beginnings and Endings’ which premiered last Friday, March 19 once again sparked questions like- Will we finally get a reconciliation between Kourtney and Scott? What’s next for Khloe and Tristan? Will this show shed light on Kim’s ugly crying teaser on her Instagram during the last day of filming? All these and more drama but for sure viewers can definitely expect a heck of a ride for this ultimate fam finale. So if you’re feeling quite sentimental or even just intrigued on what’s to come be sure to stay tuned and witness how the Kardashian-Jenner will bid farewell to the reality tv world. Fresh episodes are available every Friday on hayu on the same day as its U.S. premiere!

But really? Are we ready to say goodbye to Keeping Up With the Kardashians yet?

Please spread the word and join the family for their final season of KUWTK. Reminisce about the 14 years we spent together by rewatching your favorite episodes over and over since ALL SEASONS are only available on hayu! Sign up for hayu.com or download the app to get your Kardashian fix as well as unlimited access to shows! With a FREE TRIAL, subscribe to a weekly plan for just Php49 or a monthly plan for Php149. Alternatively, buy a hayu prepaid pass to save money on your weekly, monthly, or quarterly pass.

About hayu

From NBCUniversal, hayu is the first all-reality subscription video-on-demand service of its kind – now available in 27 markets globally: the UK, Ireland, Australia, the Nordics, Canada, Benelux union, across European territories and in Asia namely The Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore on a full array of devices (mobile, tablet, laptop & connected TVs) at www.hayu.com.

With over 300 shows and more than 8,000 episodes are downloadable to watch-on-the-go, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians and its spin-offs – along with The Real Housewives, Below Deck and Million Dollar Listing franchises. The majority of U.S. shows debut on the service the same day as their U.S. launch for only Php149/month with a free 1 month trial and also at Php49/week with a free 7-day trial. Alternatively, access unlimited shows with a hayu prepaid pass, with weekly, monthly and 3-month options available to purchase upfront. hayu is also available through Cignal.

 About NBCUniversal

NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a premium ad-supported streaming service. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.