Entertainment

With the release of their 2022 single “Paninindigan Kita,” the Filipino folk-pop group Ben&Ben ushers in a new era in music. The lively pop song, written by Paolo and Miguel Benjamin, depicts the boldness of battling for someone you love despite opposition from others.

“It is also an ode to a lover that might be hesitant to take a step forward in the relationship,” says the nine-piece outfit. “It’s a heartfelt song that gives a balance between understanding where the lover is coming from, and a gentle reassurance that the one singing the song is ready and sure, after learning a lot so far about life and love.”

Expressing persistence in pursuing romantic love, “Paninindigan Kita” hits the emotions even more majestically with layers of melodic guitar lines, dazed harmonies, and deft arrangements. With the help of their long time producers and friends, Jean-Paul Verona and Sam Marquez, the track soars in mythic spectacle while maintaining a pop-leaning sound. As Ben&Ben puts it, “We really wanted to be unapologetically ourselves and let our natural tastes flow deep into the core of the song arrangement.”

“Paninindigan Kita” holds a special place in the band’s catalog, with it being the first song that they recorded in an actual studio since the pandemic started. Ben&Ben made the entire song at Spryrta, the same place where they recorded their multiplatinum full-length album, Limasawa Street.

“A definitely memorable part of the whole recording was doing the whole song in the excess of a day, working from 10am to 6am and rushing to the airport to catch a flight to Cebu only a few hours later,” shares the award-winning band.

It’s worth noting that “Paninindigan Kita” sounds incredibly effortless as far as songwriting and creating melodies are concerned. This time, Ben&Ben takes pride in bringing to life their emotions though a song, and celebrating how universal some stories are, regardless of its specifity in details.

“We were able to block out the noise and focus on simply speaking to our Liwanag,” the Pagtingin hitmakers point out. “As compared to before, we’re a bit more open in the way we speak, and we’re a bit more bold and confident with our attitude towards the subject of love, especially because the writer has matured and gained a deeper understanding of how love works.”

This year, the nine-piece quintet aspires to reach a wider audience with their songs. With “Paninindigan Kita” ushering in a new era in terms of creativity and goal-setting, Ben&Ben are poised to take their career to new heights.

Sony Music Philippines’ “Paninindigan Kita” is currently available on all digital music platforms globally.

With their official debut single “BLAH BLAH,” published under Sony Music, KAIA sets their sights on going global.

Lee Oh Won, the producer behind some of the most memorable tunes by worldwide musicians including Stray Kids, SHINee’s Taemin, TVXQ, and SB19, is behind the bouncy bop. “BLAH BLAH” signals the emergence of ShowBT-managed KAIA as a P-Pop newcomer with hit making potential, with a futuristic sound that weaves together various components and styles. While watching them we enjoy the vibe and youthfulness, it is indeed delightful and fun to watch plus those amazing beautiful voices they have will surely hook the people.

The five-piece group wrote “BLAH BLAH” as a creative unit, deriving from their collective experiences in dealing with romantic love and infatuation, and how it’s not always “as beautiful as what we think.”

“Writing BLAH BLAH is somehow easier considering our chemistry has improved a lot since then,” KAIA’s very own Sophia shares in a statement. “We finally learned how to trust each other on a deeper level, hence the making of a song about love. Aside from this, everyone puts their 100% effort into this official debut. Even when one of us gets stuck in writing, the other four members make sure to help out when needed. That being said, our closeness and dedication made us more comfortable and confident in writing BLAH BLAH.”

The song is accompanied by a music video that provides a stark contrast between the dream world and the reality. With director Angelo Balanon at the helm of the visual narrative, the clip translates the very essence of the song with cosmopolitan, movie-like sheen that is at par with K-Pop and J-Pop music videos.

KAIA’s debut single serves as the first chapter of their journey towards self-discovery. As showcased in the concept trailer that preludes the music video, the multi-talented quintet deals with finding their own voice in an industry that is completely challenging and unfamiliar to them.

KAIA’s BLAH BLAH” a global-ready tune that merges pop music traditions with sonically fascinating ideas and lyrical autonomy, is undoubtedly your jam for P-Pop fans yearning for exciting new sounds.

KAIA’s official debut single “BLAH BLAH” is now available globally via Sony Music on all digital music platforms. The song is part of Sony Music Entertainment’s “Angat, P-Pop!” project, which aims to highlight this new generation of Pinoy Pop songs by up-and-coming artists from the label’s roster and beyond during the month of April.

ABOUT KAIA

KAIA is an upcoming 5-member girl group from ShowBT PH, the same company that launched P-POP Kings SB19. The members consist of Sophia, Angela, Charice, Charlotte, and Alexa. The name KAIA is inspired by two tagalog words: First is Kinaiya, which is a tagalog noun that describes your inner character. These aren’t just your good traits, but all the traits and characteristics that make you who you are. The second word is Kaya, which is a generic tagalog term Filipinos use in their everyday lives, mainly to overcome their struggles. “Kaya mo paba?” “Kakayanin.”

KAIA is a word that sounds feminine, but means powerful. Accepting who you are, and using it as a strength to overcome your goals despite what may be thrown at you. This is what the group represents now that they have finally debuted.

Harry Styles, the GRAMMY Award®-winning global sensation, released his brand new single and video “As It Was” today.

“As It Was” is the first song from his upcoming album Harry’s House, which will be released on Columbia Records on May 20. Harry collaborated with Ukrainian GRAMMY Award®-nominated director Tanu Muino on the music video for “As It Was,” which was shot last month in London. Here’s where you can listen to “As It Was” and see the video.

“Directing a Harry Styles video was a bucket list dream come true for me as he’s my favorite performer,” says Tanu. “Shooting him was bittersweet as it was one of the happiest days of my life, but on the second day of the shoot, my country Ukraine was invaded so you can imagine the insane emotions we had while shooting. Me and my team from Ukraine poured so much love into this video and you can see it on screen. It will be a music video I will never forget and now I can happily retire.” See full team credits below.

Harry’s House is the third solo studio album from Harry Styles and first music release since 2019’s record breaking sophomore album Fine Line. The new 13-track full-length album was recorded in multiple locations across the UK, Los Angeles and Tokyo from 2020 to 2021. It was written by Harry alongside frequent collaborators Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson, and Mitch Rowland.  Harry’s House is available for pre-order at all physical and digital retailers globally. In addition, exclusive configurations will be available at select retailers nationwide including a Target Translucent Yellow vinyl and a Sea Glass Green vinyl available on the artist’s webstore. Pre-order Harry’s House here.

On April 15 and 22, Harry will headline the iconic Coachella Festival, where he will perform “As It Was” for the first time. He’ll then return to the road this summer in promotion of Harry’s House, performing in stadiums and arenas all across the world, beginning June 11 in Glasgow. https://www.hstyles.co.uk/ has a complete list of dates.

Pre-order album here

Pre-save album here

The Philippines’ royal music family brings the Fox Theatre crowd to their feet with classic and new hits

The excitement was palpable throughout the nearly three-hour Revelation Concert featuring Filipino power couple Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza, as well as their daughter, Jayda.

The audience sang along and swayed to the songs belted out by Avanzado and Zaragoza, from their original sweet and tender love songs and ballads from the movies and drama series to the resounding medleys of hits from Bon Jovi and Filipino rock icon, Sampaguita. The walls of the 93-year-old historic Fox Theatre could hardly contain the euphoria as the audience sang along and swayed to the songs belt.

Jayda was quite the revelation as the multi-talented daughter of her celebrity parents. She held her own as she danced, played the keyboards, strummed her guitar,  and sang some of her original compositions.

Arlene Renelo was raving at how lively the concert was. She adds that “ Dingdong and Jessa – they did a great job entertaining everybody.”

Bay Area born and raised Reya Paulos happily admits, “It’s my first OPM concert ever and there was just so many entertaining parts. I loved seeing Jayda and ‘Bakit Pa’ was one of the songs I wanted to see, and I got to see it live.”

Edgar Prado and his wife Gem Prado had so much fun. One of their favorite parts was the original songs of Dingdong. Edgar admires Avanzado, saying “He’s very good. All his songs, I know. The couple is very good.”

Kimberly Dado summarized the event when she said, “It’s like we’re singing in a karaoke room with all our friends. It was a blast!”

Many from the audience held their cellphones high, recording the moment to be relished and shared with friends, while they sang along and danced to the familiar tunes.

ABS-CBN Managing Director for North and Latin America Jun Del Rosario acknowledges that “a concert where the crowd is engaged and having fun is a good concert.” He adds that “It was fun to see the performers and the audience having such a good interaction.”

During the second half on the concert, Avanzado shared how they had scheduled this concert for 2020, but due to COVID, plans took a back seat as the world stood still. And he declares that “The greatest revelation to me as a believer is that God is in control and this concert is a testament to that.” He continues to say that “Thanks to His faithfulness, we are here today in front of you doing what we love to do.”

Fox Theatre General Manager Ernie Schmidt was moved by the concert. At the end of the show, Schmidt went backstage to congratulate the family. He told Avanzado that “you got me dancing to your songs.” He adds, “I truly appreciated your testimony of your beliefs and I hope to invite you back so we can hear more.”

It was good to see the community gather in-person to enjoy live entertainment after many face-to-face gatherings were shut down due to the pandemic.

Del Rosario explains that for TFC to remain true to their mission of serving the Filipinos outside of the motherland, “we need to start investing in things that would somehow bring our community together again. We understand that people are also just starting to get used to going out and socializing again but we are hopeful that by slowly doing these gatherings we can bring big events back to North America, as this is our way of contributing to making our community whole again.”

Ding.com and Sendwave, along with Media Partners Philippine News Today, Inquirer.net, FilAm Star, and Asian Journal, made the Revelation Concert in Redwood City possible.

**DOWNLOAD PRESS IMAGE HERE // CREDITS: WM ENTERTAINMENT**

OH MY GIRL, a seven-member Korean pop group, has released a new full-length album, “Real Love,” which follows their Dear OHMYGIRL EP, which was released in May 2021, and their 2019 album, The Fifth Season. Their sophomore album highlights perfumes and persisting aromas as narrative motifs in presenting stories of adolescent passion and love, with lyrical sensibility and colorful storytelling that takes their work to fascinating new realms.

The self-titled single “Real Love” stands out with its sweet, addictive brass sound and pop melodies.  Its lyrics unravel OH MY GIRL’s interpretation of what it feels like to fall in love, and how that special moment feels unreal and unfamiliar. Aside from the lead track, the album explores an eclectic range of music styles spanning pop, EDM, R&B, Latin, and hip-hop influences.

OH MY GIRL made their debut in 2015, and steadily climbed their way to become one of the biggest K-Pop girl groups. Approximately seven years into their career, OH MY GIRL charted No. 1 for the first time on Billboard K-Pop 100 with their hit EP release, NONSTOP. In 2020, “Dolphin” garnered greater success by ranking within the Top 10 for 21 weeks, surpassing BTS’ “Dynamite.” Their song “Nonstop” has charted on Billboard’s K-Pop 100 for 77 weeks, while their lead track “Dun Dun Dance” from their previously released EP charted for 45 weeks and continues to maintain its placement even to this day.

LISTEN TO ‘Real Love’ HERE

‘Real Love’ TRACK LIST

1. Real Love
2. Drip
3. Eden
4. Replay
5. Parachute
6. Kiss & Fix
7. Blink
8. Dear Rose
9. Sailing Heart
10. Real Love (Inst.)

Real Love, OH MY GIRL’s sophomore album, is now available globally via Sony Music Entertainment Korea on all digital music platforms..

Follow and visit:

YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | TIKTOK

Clara Benin, a Filipino singer-songwriter, has released the video for her new single “blink.” The music video  sees the folk-pop phenom waking up in bed on a far shoreline of a beach, while navigating her road towards recovery and self-preservation, and is heavily inspired by Michel Gondry’s romantic sci-fi classic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The ethereal clip is directed by Josh Elefan, a close friend and frequent collaborator of Benin. “We actually came up with the concept together,” said the 28-year-old multi-talented artist. “This video is so personal to the both of us.”

Clara Benin was featured on a big billboard in Times Square in New York a month before International Women’s Day for Spotify’s EQUAL campaign, a global movement that acts as an effort of the streaming company to showcase the work of great women and gender-nonconforming musicians.

Having amassed more than 40 million streams on Spotify alone, Clara Benin is the first Filipino signed under Sony Music’s OFFMUTE— a Southeast Asian record label that’s entirely dedicated to giving artists a voice, an audience, and an opportunity for cross-collaboration within the region.

The Parallel Universe singer-songwriter is currently working on a couple more singles in the coming months.

OFFMUTE has Clara Benin’s “blink” available on all digital music platforms. Here’s a link to the music video.

Follow CLARA BENIN on socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarabeninmusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarabeninmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarabeninmusic

Follow OFFMUTE on socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offmuteASIA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/offmute

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offmute/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offmute

About Clara Benin

Clara Benin is touted as the indie darling of the Philippines. She is one of the first artists under Sony’s new regional label OFFMUTE. Her signature angelic voice and melodic acoustic guitar playing bring a kind of serenity that her listeners gravitate towards. She has collaborated with Singaporean artists Charlie Lim for a remake of her hit single “Wine” and Gentle Bones for the pop track “A Day At A Time”.

Widely loved for her warm and quiet demeanor, the acoustic-folk artist has played in notable festivals like Wanderland Arts and Music Festival in the Philippines, Music Matters in Singapore, and Zandari Festa in Korea. She sold out her first solo concert in 2016 for her album “Coming Home” and had a back-to-back concert with fellow artist Ben&Ben in 2018.

It’s official: 4th Impact has joined Sony Music Philippines and ShowBT Philippines’ stable of musical artists, which already includes P-Pop superstars SB19 and five-member girl group KAIA. 4th Impact made waves in the UK after finishing fifth on The X Factor and charting at No. 10 on iTunes Brazil with their 2020 single “K(NO)W MORE.” Late last year, the award-winning girl group co-headlined the crossover orchestra concert Forte with SB19, which received rave reviews for its exceptional merging of classical and Pinoy pop music on a live stage format.

After being officially welcomed by Sony Music Philippines and ShowBT Philippines as part of the family, 4^th Impact expressed gratitude for the interesting developments in their career. “It’s an answered prayer for us,” the sister act shares in a statement. “We once prayed for a management who will really take care of us and believe in what we can do. We feel ShowBT and Sony Music are the right companies to help us reach more of our dreams. And it is such a great honor to be part of their roster and be lined up with the P-Pop Kings: SB19.”

To mark the beginning of this eventful partnership, 4^th Impact has released their new single “Here We Go,” which was produced by Choi YoungHo (Handsome People) and Zrademusic (Adrian K, Methuselah K.). With a masterful blend of R&B diva chops, hip-hop sass, and stadium-sized energy, the upbeat track positions 4^th Impact as a vocal powerhouse deserving of global acclaim.

“We wanted it to be a new anthem,” said the chart-topping quartet. “It’s an empowering song that aims to celebrate Filipinas all around the world, and how they’ve shown grace and excellence amidst troubling times.”

4^th Impact revealed that it’s their first time writing a song, and that their own life story is the main inspiration behind the lyrics. “We wanted to empower everyone, especially Filipino women, to believe in themselves and hold on to their dreams. Everything is possible if we just work together as one.”

The music video for the pop-R&B song features the Cercado sisters Almira, Irene, Mylene, and Celina looking sassy and confident in a star-making performance. It’s also on 4th Impact’s debut single album, which includes the following songs:

1. Here We Go
2. K(no)w More
3. Here We Go (Instrumental)
4. K(no)w More (Instrumental)

 “Here We Go” by 4th Impact is currently available on all digital music platforms worldwide, courtesy of Sony Music Philippines. Here’s a link to the music video.