Lifestyle | Entertainment
By Angela Nicole Guiral
Jun 20, 2024
Cover What is P-pop? This article explains the genre and its rise to popularity (Photo: @bini_ph, @justsarahgph, @officialsb19 / Instagram; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
What is P-pop? This article explains the genre and its rise to popularity (Photo: @bini_ph, @justsarahgph, @officialsb19 / Instagram; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
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Danced to Sarah Geronimo’s ‘Tala’, BINI’s ‘Pantropiko’, and even SB19’s ‘Gento’? This is the impact of P-pop—discover more about the genre here
Crucial ingredients formulate today’s best and most loved artists: equal dashes of talent, skill, star factor, solid fanbase, and social media virality. A plethora of names with such qualities come to mind, but one stands out the most—Filipina singer Sarah Geronimo. She has been dubbed popstar royalty after winning the talent show Star for a Night in 2003. Since then, Geronimo has been a staple in the country’s music scene, racking up on awards and endorsem*nts left and right. In 2016, a decade after her debut, she solidified her lasting impact with the song Tala, which became a global sensation. It now boasts over 200 million views on YouTube alone, underscoring her enduring influence and popularity.
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It is no secret that Geronimo inspires artists, having been recognised as a “global force” at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards. One is Filipina girl group BINI’s Sheena, who once said: “If you tell 7-year-old Sheena she would get the chance to watch Sarah Geronimo perform and have a conversation with her, she would not believe you.”
Another artist making waves is BINI, whose claim to fame came with their 2023 release Pantropiko. The official performance video garnered 33 million views on YouTube, bolstered by a slew of covers from fans both within the country and globally. On April 18, it clinched the top spot on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs for the Philippines, beating mainstays like Taylor Swift—a testament to the 4 million followers they have on the platform. The girl group maintained the momentum with the release of Salamin, Salamin, a hit that has solidified their presence in the music scene.
Way before YouTube, Spotify, and other digital streaming platforms, however, people relied on radios, televisions, and even live gigs to catch up on music trends. Bars like Club Dredd and Mayric’s were melting pots of contemporary Filipino music—with artists like Joey Ayala, Wolfgang, and Eraserheads, to name a few, frequenting them. Elsewhere is Myx, a channel most teens and adults will go to for an update on the charts and sing along with their favourite music videos. Nostalgic songs make up most of the roster, like Sam Concepcion and Tippy Dos Santos’s Dati, Daniel Padilla’s Nasa Iyo Na Ang Lahat, or Yeng Constantino’s Chinito, among so many others.
It was during these years that the younger generation was introduced to OPM (Original Pilipino Music), and the line between it and P-pop slowly blurred as the years went by.
What is P-pop exactly?
Contrary to popular belief, the concept of P-pop was already starting to develop in the 1990s to 2000s, in the form of fusing alternative rock with foreign music influences and the continuous rise of Pinoy novelty music that added jukebox beats to songs to make them danceable.
There was a conscious attempt to create a distinctively Filipino character in popular music by blending rock, folk, and ballads to satiate the palate of the wider masses. As a sub-genre of OPM, which came to national consciousness in the Seventies, P-pop can somehow trace its roots to the influences and impact of OPM icons like the Juan Dela Cruz Band and Sampaguita for rock, Freddie Aguilar and Asin for folk, Yoyoy Villame for novelty, Gary Valenciano and Rey Valera for mainstream pop, and more.
Fast forward to 2010 the usual rock bands and novelty songs started to fade out. A new pop genre without any influence of rock and hip-hop was born.
In 2010, Jake Zyrus made history by becoming the first Asian artist to break into the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Alongside this achievement, the 2010s also witnessed the rise of several other remarkable Filipino pop artists: Moira Dela Torre, Ben&Ben, Yeng Constantino, Toni Gonzaga, and Geronimo, who continued to reign supreme years into her career.
Related: Why Juan Karlos will never leave music behind
Above ‘Pasalubong’ by Ben&Ben featuring Moira Dela Torre
A decade later, pop music has once again morphed for the better, and this time due to social trends. With technology came exposure to international culture, and Filipinos particularly took a keen interest in South Korea. Groups like Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, Big Bang, and 2NE1 round up some big names that greatly influenced the younger generation—followed by global phenomena such as BTS, Blackpink, and PSY. These, together with Western groups like One Direction and Little Mix, inspired the rise of P-pop groups.
People saw the potential of Filipino artists, citing them as talented and “even better” than other countries. Careless Music chief executive officer Jeffrey Oh said, “You just gotta put in money and time. There’s so much opportunity here for us to overtake.” Taking a page from other countries’ books, Philippine talent agencies now scout for young potentials—whether through auditions, public casting, or word of mouth—and have them undergo rigorous training systems. In journalist Karen Davila’s interview with BINI, they revealed that they all originally auditioned for the reality show Pinoy Big Brother, but director Lauren Dyogi saw their potential and encouraged them to join a boot camp with elimination rounds.
One of the groups that pioneered the era of P-pop groups is SB19. They became the first Southeast Asian act to be nominated for the Billboard Music Awards and the first Southeast Asian act to make an appearance in the top 10 of the Billboard Social 50. Originally, they debuted under the Korean entertainment company SBTown but are now a self-managed group at 1Z Entertainment. The group persists in highlighting Filipino heritage, which is evident in its songs like What?, despite having stark Korean roots and influences.
Several other groups were thrust into the spotlight as well. BINI’s Pantropiko went viral in 2023, with critics claiming video platforms like TikTok and Instagram are the main cause. The song continues to rank high on the charts today. As the “nation’s girl group”, feats like getting the number one spot on the Daily Top Artists Philippines of Spotify on June 16, surpassing Taylor Swift, are now unsurprising.
Above Dance with the Filipina girl group BINI as you watch this performance video (Video: BINI Official / YouTube)
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, they expressed fear that their sudden rise to fame might lead to an equally swift decline. However, they quickly reassured themselves, acknowledging that they “deserved this” and “worked hard” for success. “We just hope it doesn’t disappear right away,” they added.
Alongside P-pop groups is the rise of a new wave of solo artists. Singers like Zack Tabudlo, Arthur Nery, and Maki are a few of the names at the forefront, consistently achieving high rankings on Spotify and earning various recognitions.
Read more: Singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo on his music, creative process, and dreams
What’s next for P-pop?
The future of the Filipino music industry looks promising, with top artists Sarah Geronimo, SB19, and BINI at the helm. With the advent of digital streaming platforms and the influence of social media, musicians can now distribute their work globally, reaching audiences that were once out of reach. This democratises the music industry.
Beyond mere accessibility, Filipino music’s ability to adapt is also a strength in itself. Today’s mainstream pop is slowly moving forward from mixing Filipino and English in their songs, with a growing appreciation and production in Visayan and other dialects, exemplified by the rise of Vispop and more. Alamat, a multilingual and multiethnic boy band that sings in seven Philippine languages: Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Bikolano, and Waray-Waray, is one of them.
Leveraging modern technology and the unique talents of Filipino artists, P-pop is set to reach new heights. This growth will enrich the local music scene, showcasing the Philippines as a main player and contributor. P-pop has already taken the country by storm; it’s high time it captivates the rest of the world.
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Topics
P-pop Filipino music OPM
