THE Philippines is a country known for its abundance of amazing musicians: the likes of Lea Salonga and Regine Velasquez have been recognized even internationally for their singing prowess, and since the ‘70s, it has been showing the world just how great OPM can be.
This Pride Month, we want to shine a spotlight on the talented artists in the local music scene who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Here are some artists whose music you can stream if you haven’t yet heard about them.
Ly is a non-binary lesbian who started making music back in 2017, then released their debut single Amore two years later. The songs they release often fall under RnB, because they feel that this is the genre wherein they can most express themselves.
Before they started making music, they would often just produce beats for other artists. Initially, they had no plans to start releasing songs, but they started thinking: “What if? Wala naman mawawala.”
For Ly, it’s all about the music: “Totoong music ang isa sa mga bumubuhay sa’kin.”
You can listen to Ly on Spotify, where they just released their latest single, BLUSH. They describe it as neo-psychedelic music, which they felt inspired to make after listening to the genre on repeat for over a year.
“Nagawa ko siya ng isang gabi, naka-loop lang lahat ng instruments,” they shared. “Ang ganda lang pakinggan ng chord progression na nagawa ko, kaya naging fave ko siya.”
Ly also plans to release their first-ever EP this year, with a new sound and a new style, so that’s something to keep an ear out for as well.
Ashanti Bulanadi (better known as SHNTI) is a bisexual singer and rapper who describes her music as chill hip-hop. For her, the music she makes is for the people who stand up for others.
Her love for making music started as just a way for her to release her pent-up emotions.
She describes it as an “unexpected adventure with different creative encounters.”
She shared: “I learned a lot along the way, and my journey as a musician made me grow more as a person. The job isn’t easy, especially as a woman in a male-dominated scene, but it’s thanks to the people that support me that I get to push through [these] challenges.”
SHNTI’s music is available for streaming on Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud. If you’re trying to figure out where to start, SHNTI’s personal favorite from her works is F*ck It (I’m in Love Again,) a song she wrote to confess her feelings to a girl that she was friends with at the time of the release.
“We didn’t end up together, but the song added a yearning type of vibe that made a lot of people feel deeply,” she said.
“When I was writing the song, I couldn’t express as much as I felt, so I decided to fill melodies into [it] that would explain what I felt,” she added.
She has a handful of singles, music videos, and even merch up for release soon, so be sure to be on stand-by on her social media pages to learn more.
Séance’s first memory of making music was when he wrote a song at just 11 years old. Now 22, the pansexual, transmasculine non-binary artist has started a musical project named Séance and the Kleptoids.
At present, he makes alternative music, but his songs take a lot of inspiration from emo, grunge, industrial, rock, and even theatre music as well.
Séance makes music for himself and for anyone who may be able to relate to what he creates. He also sees his work as a love letter to every artist and piece of art that he’s ever taken inspiration from.
“As cliché as it may be, I’d like to think of it as my way of reflecting that energy and hope they gave me back into the world for others to find themselves as well, especially for queer kids like me,” he said.
Séance said that if you feel like an alien creature who belongs nowhere, who struggles to understand both you and the world around you, then his music is definitely for you.
You can stream Séance’s music on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp.
His first ever release was his song Serial Dater, which he wrote before his freshman year of college. It is about one of his exes who he stayed friends with after they broke up, and who would often rant to him about her new boyfriends.
“I noticed a pattern of them being similar and immature, and as one of her best friends, I wanted to shake her and say ‘you deserve better!’” he said.
He also plans to release a new EP entitled Star Nymph soon, to be shared with the public in just a couple of months. Séance describes the EP as a f*cked up coming of age story–one that you can tune into via social media pages and streaming platforms.
Kaya is a 22-year-old lesbian musician who started out by just jamming with her friends during their free time in class. During these sessions, she discovered a love for composing melodies, one that filled her with so much joy that she found it to be a liberating experience.
Soon enough, music became the medium for her to share her thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the world. At present, she releases folk and acoustic songs, and she said she makes music for the people she loves.
It was when she posted a song she wrote called Sa Dulo ng Bahaghari, which was about queer relationships, that she started to blow up.
Often, Kaya finds inspiration in the beauty found in the most ordinary parts of life. For her, it is the everyday moments–the mundane things–that capture her attention and fuel her creativity.
“I aspire for my listeners to find solace and tranquility within my songs, like a comforting embrace that envelopes them,” she said.
You may listen to Kaya’s first-ever single Paalala on Spotify. She describes it as a poetic expression of pure, comforting love.
Many local artists from Bicol helped to produce the song alongside her, she said.
“Coming from the regional music scene, I still wonder and explore as I move forward in growing in the music industry,” the Bicolano said.
Kaya plans to release a new single, Dito lang Ako, soon on her Spotify. The piece holds a special place in her heart, and aims to give comfort and reassurance to those that have no one else they can lean on.
Describing herself on her Facebook page as “a Filipino kid trying to make indie music,” 22-year-old queer singer Rienne has loved music since she was 13.
She was always the shy, silent kid, and it was through posting covers of songs on SoundCloud that she finally started breaking out of her shell.
She shared that she always thought she was too boring for others to listen to when it comes to performing her own songs, so it was only in 2020 that she started to consider doing music seriously.
After moving to America, the alternative indie artist’s music was featured in articles, TV programs, radio shows, and even in the newspaper. Her songs Try Again and honey were even used in the Filipino mini-series Sleep with Me.
She described her sound as reminiscent of bedroom indie pop music, with each release evolving after the other. At the same time, she tries to keep her music free and easy to remember.
“I have the attention span of a goldfish,” she joked. “I like to make it as catchy and relatable as possible.”
Rienne’s goal with her music is to tell her stories raw and as genuinely as possible. She makes music for those who get tired of life, but still choose to live for the fun of it–for the people who, every day, continue to try again.
You can listen to Rienne’s songs on Spotify. One of her favorites among her works is Hindi Kita Kailangan, which she felt was so freeing to make given that it’s about taking your power back and finding the courage to be happy on your own.
Rienne plans to release a new song at the end of June; while most details are still hush-hush, she hopes that it’ll hit home for all her listeners.
