Another future smash of the global superstar Jason Derulo after topping the charts and going viral in the Philippines and the rest of the world with the infectious bop “Savage Love.” The multi-platinum pop artist joins forces with Nuka on brand new single “Love Not War (The Tampa Beat),”—out now on Robots + Humans/Columbia Records. The hypnotic siren-infused instrumental finds Jason Derulo in his element, singing over tropical beats and summery, pulsating rhythms.

With a staggering 40 million followers across TikTok, Derulo is the biggest musician across the platform. The undeniably catchy yet enigmatic instrumental from 19-year-old New Caledonian producer Nuka captured the attention of many and amassed over 200 billion impressions worldwide.

Derulo being a big fan of the viral sensation, sifted through the videos and across the internet, sought after the creator. Regardless of the miles that separated the two artists, the power of music brought the two artists together to create new hit “Love Not War (The Tampa Beat).”

“Love Not War (The Tampa Beat)”follows on from a string of anthemic singles released by Derulo over the past year, with “Savage Love” being his fifth UK #1 with over 550 million global streams and the latter “Take You Dancing”amassing over 205 million global streams and counting.

Watch Love Not War (The Tampa Beat) HERE.

PhilPop, the country’s premier songwriting competition, makes another huge comeback with an exemplary batch of music entries from the National Capital Region.

With a diverse showcase of sounds spanning R&B, contemporary pop and folk-influenced genres, the latest roster offers catchy, radio-friendly fodders that tackle romance, forgiveness, and regret with precision and sensitivity.

Produced byPhilPop and distributed by Warner Music Philippines, this Friday’s commendable picks include two compositions by Aikee namely “Mapa,” interpreted by Chloe Redondo and Aikee himself, and “Bestiny,” interpreted by Kevin Yadao and Jr. Crown. Composer Kian Dionisio rounds up the Metro Manila cluster with his compelling original “HulingSayaw,” interpreted by NyoyVolante.

Two Entries

Prolific rapper and singer-songwriter AikeeAplacadorsnags two entries at this year’s PhilPop 2020 finals round.

On “Bestiny,” Aikeeexpresses his frustration on navigating the harsh realities of dealing with unrequited love and friendship. Kevin Yadao and Jr. Crown trades verses with smooth effortlessness, singing atop upbeat melodies, warm R&B beats and indelible harmonies.

“Mapa” is Aikee’s tribute to the parents that served as guiding light in times of utmost difficulty and trouble. This time, the acclaimed composer recruits newcomer Chloe Redondo on the inspiring pop/R&B ballad.

Both songs channel Aikee’s pop and urban sensibilities, while harnessing his skill as a versatile songwriter with a knack for inescapable chorus and earwormy hooks.

Life regrets as song inspiration

Kian Dionisio pens a heartfelt anthem of regrets and what ifs in life on “HulingSayaw.” Delicately woven with lush keyboards and stripped-down arrangements, his song “HulingSayaw” was inspired by Dionisio’s music career and the frustrations that come with nurturing the process. “I’ve been told that I was a late bloomer, not brave enough, and not driven enough,” Dioniso shares. “knew from the very beginning that I am a dreamer. But as I age, I started regretting all the opportunities and time that could’ve been so productive. If only I had started so much earlier, maybe I’m already living THE DREAM right now. This is one of my biggest regrets in life and I tried to incorporate the idea to the song.”

Acoustic pop balladeer NyoyVolante interprets Dionisio’s melancholic piece with just the right amount of skill and restraint. Volante worked hand in hand with Dionisio in capturing the emotional frailty of the track, delivering it with his own touch while staying true to the original’s message.

“Bestiny,” “Mapa,” and “HulingSayaw” are now available on streaming and digital platforms worldwide via PhilPop and Warner Music Philippines.

After a solid string of single releases, Singapore singer-songwriter Jean Tan finally releases her anticipated 5-song EP Blooms, available on 20 November 2020 on all major digital streaming platforms via Leeway. This EP includes singles released this year, such as “Serenade” and “Oak Cherry Wine”, as well as two new renditions of old songs as fitting bookends, “Everything I Love” and “All Things New (Blooms)”.

Although she has dabbled in folktronica and darker instrumentation in her previous Hideaway EP, Blooms brings Jean’s vocals centerstage, showcasing both sensibility and range of expression. A contemporary homage to the folk/vocal jazz/blues genre, Blooms is reminiscent of artistes such as Lianne La Havas, Norah Jones and the like. Jean’s voice is sweet with a touch of smoke, complimenting the bluesy guitar lines and soft pulse of the electric piano peppered throughout the tracklist.

The opening track, “Everything I Love”, prefaces the EP wonderfully with its sheer lightness. It reads more like a poem than a song, and it’s no wonder why since it is a lyric collaboration with prolific local poet Felix Cheong. With its simple acoustic instrumentation, the track feels like family and proves that one doesn’t really need very much to find joy.

And then we have the closing track “All Things New (Blooms)”. On first listen, it sounds like a sad soliloquy; but on closer examination, it is as the title suggests – a sliver of newness after a period of stasis, a near-perfect reflection of the times we live in. Although inspired by Sylvia Plath’s poem “Tulips”, the floral imagery does not seek to despair as it did in the original text but instead, reminds us that the withering is a sign of a bed of blooms to come. Seasons come and go, and the presence of winter gives spring its meaning.

In fact, that is just what is so special about this collection of songs. Taken in context of Jean’s last EP Hideaway, which was written in a 7-year period of battling illness, Bloomsrings in resounding assurance that for every time of darkness and death, follows a time of light and rebirth. It maps the passage from dawn to dusk, starting with a fresh morning awakening in “Everything I Love”;charts us through the noonday sun and its open sky in “Fly”, and brings us on a drowsy, love-soaked song and dance in “Oak Cherry Wine”. By the time we arrive at “All Things New (Blooms)”, we are drifting off into the promise of another day, and another, and another. At the cello swells in wondrous countermelody at the end, we are left with the all-important message: that people heal, systems are restored, and life resumes as it always was.Only through the winter of Hideaway can we taste the spring of Blooms.

Listening to the Blooms EP from start to finish reminds one of Jean’s best-performing singles yet – “Colours” – written for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. Just the same, listening to these songs fills our mind’s eye with colour, but not the electric kind. This time, the shades are a little more muted, unfiltered, and matured, aging well with the years. It is slightly bitter, but we like it better. 

Hip-hop producer Wovensound has brought together Singapore rapper Ihasamic! and Vietnamese-Australian hip hop artist Joey Maker for his latest single, “No Road Home,” released under international record label, Umami Records.

“No Road Home” is an eclectic blend of old school hip-hop beats, haunting piano chords, conscious rapping, and even a suave guitar solo. In terms of creative inspiration, Wovensound cited Immortal Technique’s “Dance With The Devil” as the track responsible for laying the preliminary touches of his latest collab song. “I wanted a beat that felt that way and brought out that kind of vibe and emotion in people”, said Wovensound.

The lyrics of “No Road Home” tell a cautionary tale of flexing and lying for short-lived clout, and suffering the consequences after. Joey Maker shares, “My writing was inspired by the stories of some of my close family and childhood friends – kids I used to see weekly as I went through high school but have lost contact with since adulthood. Growing up amongst the Australian-born Vietnamese community, there was always a mystique and a lure – even an idea of status – associated with gang culture. We idolised triad movies like Young and Dangerous and looked up to Sydney gangs as much as we feared them. Unfortunately, some of the kids I grew up with got caught up in the image – the image became their reality, and they never made it back. I still think about them today.”

“No Road Home” is the second single of Wovensound’s 6-track debut EP Vertigos Fulfilled, dropping in June 2021. Wovensound and Ihasamic! will also be releasing their 4-track collaborative EP REPACK in early 2021.

Listen to No Road Home via Umami Records:

Not even the pandemic can stop the Bangkok Music City train. It will be livestreamed on November 28-29, 2020—for Thailand-based showcase talents at least—from co-working hub Glowfish Sathorn. The Thailand-based festival-conference is refashioning what it does best for a COVID-19 year. The same elements that have endeared BMC to its supporters are still very much around, but in lieu of its signature staging at creative district Chareonkrung. “I think that the COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way for virtual music events, whether conferences, concerts, gigs or festivals,” says festival co-founder Piyapong ‘Py’ Muenprasertdee. “Even though physical is still the best way to experience live music, virtual solutions help make things more cost-effective and efficient,” he adds.

But if the marquee of slated performers is any indication, the milieu ceases to matter a great deal, and it’s clear that BMC remains unflagging in scope, breadth, and imagination. From the immediate region, there’s rock trio FLEUR! and singer-songwriter Leonardo Ringo from Indonesia; ambient duo EusengSeto and Kent Lee from Malaysia; indie-pop stalwarts M1LDL1FE from Singapore; and a multi-fangled delegation from the Philippines: indie rockers She’s Only Sixteen, Lions & Acrobats, and One Click Straight; rap collective Bawal Clan; electronic artist Smow; and pop tunesmith Zack Tabudlo.      

From a bit beyond the region, meanwhile, BMC will be graced by hip-hop outfit Normandie Gang Band from Japan; festival globetrotters WEDANCE, indie groove-meisters CADEJO, and self-styled “pastel psychedelic” band Dabda from Korea; electro-jazz duo Non-Confined Space and indie-folk quartet Shallow Levée from Taiwan; and alt-disco faves The Derelicts from India.

A veritable indie crème de la crème beyond the hemisphere, furthermore, is in the offing: pop rockers Ali Barter and Hayley Mary from Australia; pop-punk quartet Single by Sunday from Scotland; all-female punk-metal act Browsing Collection, indie-poppers The Bongo Club, and post-hardcore mainstays KÅRP from Sweden; soul outfit YellowStraps, punksters MSS FRNCE, and rough-and-tender songwriter The Rodeo from France; as well as indie rockers Pompeya from Russia.

Even more names from varying cultures and regions are set to be revealed in the coming days. The announcement, in fact, follows Bangkok Music City’s domestic lineup reveal, which includes celebrated talents such as Alec Orachi, Daniel Ryn, Newery, YONLAPA, H 3 F, electric.neon.lamp, DOGWHINE, LAAN, Beagle Hug, VijitTawan, Maimhon, The 10th Saturday, Varis, Diaries, LingRom, Makara, Kunst, Faustus, Robbers Bliss, and RattanakosinBreakin Crew for the November 28 showcase; as well as My Life as Ali Thomas, daynim, Venn, Summer Dress, DCNXTR, Supergoods, S.O.L.E., Lukpeach, PanpanYeeyee, Yew, Zom Marie, Cloud Behind, HED, The Kopycat, YEP MAY YEP, La Nuit, Grayray, loserpop, Quicksand Bed, and Hope the Flowers for November 29.     

“On a larger scale, I envision BMC to become a vehicle to help support the sustainable development of the creative industries—starting with my field of work, which is music,” Muenprasertdee, who worked in asustainability and climate change consultancy before he started BMC, shared in a previous interview with Gig Life Pro. “I wanted to find a way to make the music industry more sustainable and turn [being an] indie musician into a stable career choice.” 

While it takes after predecessors like SXSW (US) and Zandari Festa (Korea), BMC prides itself in its distinct character, as well as the rabid devotion of the people surrounding it: participants, performers, audience, and organizers alike. A true believer in representation and sustainability for music creatives, Muenprasertdee goes on to say, “I hope to make [the experience] as good as possible and improve it every year.  I also hope to reinvite people who not only create business value, but also long-lasting relationships and friendships with others.”

Billed as an entertainment and technology summit, Bangkok Music City will also feature talks and sessions on music copyright, gaming and e-sports, artificial intelligence, music streaming, political communications, and a sprawling array of related subject areas. 

Visit Bangkok Music City online (https://bangkokmusiccity.com/) or go here to get tickets: https://www.ticketmelon.com/fungjai/bmc2020.

We Got, the eight-piece reggae collective serves another sun-dappled jam in the form of new single “Cindy”—out today on Spotify and other digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music. “Cindy” was produced by Raymund Marasigan, and mixed and mastered by Shinji Tanaka and Hazel Pascua, respectively at Kodama Studio. The arrangement was done by Mack and the rest of the band.

Delving into the unconscious with tropical instrumentation and laid-back horn arrangement, We Got gives us a taste of Jamaica on this swinging love anthem about an imaginary character that exists in the minds of those who choose to dream about her.

In a statement shared by the band’s vocalist Mack Dela Cruz, “Cindy” was described as a song about people who daydream, and whose dream felt like an endless loop. “There are sequences that happen over and over. This song is dedicated to those who want to have something that could give them ‘inspiration’ even though they know their dreams haven’t been realized yet.”

Dela Cruz adds, “Recording was not as hard since we’ve been playing this song for years already, and Sir Rayms was there to guide us. We’re lucky enough that ‘Cindy’ turned out just the way we wanted it to sound.”

Marasigan, their frequent collaborator, was also responsible for producing the band’s previous singles “Lihim Na Pagtingin” and “Ligaya.”

As for future releases, the ska/reggae act is gearing toward releasing four more songs that are suitable for road trips, siesta, and sorts of mood. “We are still active with online interviews and online appearances and we hope that this pandemic is over soon we can go back to play face-to-face with our fans, supporters and followers.”