IN THE PAST years, the rise of the Philippine Pop Group (also known as P-pop groups), is undeniable and has seen local and international recognition. Thus, the environment of the Original Pinoy Music as we know has never been the same.
The Philippines represents a huge body of melodic pop music starting in the early seventies. The rock band Hotdog introduced their name through the sound of success in their singles “Manila,” “Bongga Ka Day,” and “Annie Batungbakal.”
The OPM stars of the 1980s were Regine Velasquez, APO Hiking Society, Sharon Cuneta, Janno Gibbs, and Vina Morales who made history in the Filipino music industry. In the 1990s, Eraserheads, Smokey Mountain, Afterimage, Ariel Rivera, and Donna Cruz shaped their own careers.
Over the years, we have also seen several P-pop/ dance groups such as the SexBomb Girls to the STREETBOYS, from the Pop Girls to XLR8.
The Philippine music industry has taken many forms over the years. From folk love songs like kundiman, to covers, to rock, and now the P-pop wave.
History of Pinoy pop
Overtime, Pinoy pop marked a landmark moment for different genres which has gained local and international recognition, some even surpassing their rivals in the J-pop and K-pop industry. Whilst modern Pinoy pop groups are mainly marked by dance routines or polished production and completely clean teen pin-ups, the history of its genre was once a subversion.
The origin of contemporary Filipino music can be traced from what we call the “golden age,” but the effects of the American occupation were still evident to the Filipino mainstream until the mid-‘70s. Yet the band Hotdog managed to break this barrier, proving that the Filipino composition could also be achieved commercially. Through this, a new era of pop music made by Filipino audiences was born.
With this, the late Dennis Garcia, Hotdog’s lyricist, coined a term that would eventually be used until today: the “Manila Sound.”
The Manila Sound era marked a turning point in Filipino pop music, proving that local music is not all about the mode of entertainment, but a reflection and celebration of Filipino culture.
Before the ‘70s ended, a new terminology for Filipino Pop music was born, as we understand it today, the Original Pinoy Music or OPM.
Rising P-pop artists
In 2019, numerous P-Pop groups launched their brands in the country but have eventually captured worldwide attention.
ECLYPSE
Pinoy pop group Eclypse is one of the rising P-pop groups in the market and was first formed by KUMU Philippines in 2022. The seven-member group consists of original members Gilly, Lex, and Dean, and additional members Clyde, Gab, Rave, and Joshuel.
The group was formerly called Yama, a name after the virtual gift in KUMU, “Yamashita.” However, in 2023, KUMU announced that the group would be transferred to Merlion Entertainment and would change its name to Eclypse.
In April, the group finally made their debut with the release of their debut singles, “MASCOT” and “Shake It Down.”
BGYO
In 2021, BGYO was launched under ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy and is made up of five members, namely Akira, Gelo, JL, Mikki, and Nate. They made it to Billboard’s Next Big Sound Chart shortly after their debut. Their songs usually revolve around hope, youth empowerment, and self-love.
LITZ
Composed of five girls—Ashtine, Heart Ryan, Fatima, Bianca, and Yumi—Viva Entertainment also launched a P-pop group LITZ which stands for Life In The Sunshine, with their famous song, “Kidlat.” The members are between 18 to 22 years old and were personally handpicked by Vic del Rosario and trained by choreographer-artist Goercelle Dapat-Sy.
YARA
Just like other girl groups, YARA is one of the rising P-pop groups in the local music industry. YARA was taken from the Arabic word “butterfly,” and launched under the management of Sony Music Philippines.
The group was best known for being contestants in the reality show “POPinoy” which they joined in June 2021.
They were formed as a girl P-pop group in November 2021 and became the first Girl Group Grand Winner in the “POPinoy.” They released the MV of their pre-debut song, “Para” in November 2022.
KAIA
KAIA is the sister group of SB19. They are managed by ShowBT Philippines and their first in-house P-pop girl group. They were first introduced in November 2021 and had their official debut on April 8, 2022, with their single, “Blah Blah.”
The group consists of six members including Sophia, Charice, Angela, Alexa, Charlotte, and Joanna, but in January 2022, ShowBT Philippines announced that Joanna had departed from the group due to “internal matters,” and that KAIA will be continuing as a five-member group.
1ST.ONE
P-pop group 1ST.ONE under First One Entertainment consists of Ace, Max, Alpha, Joker, J, and Jayson. The group name was taken from their management, FirstOne’s Company in South Korea.
The group officially debuted in the local music scene in July 2020, and in 2023, the group had the highest budget P-pop music video worth P20 million for their new song “Problem Child.”
R RULES
On November 24, 2021, R Rules was formally introduced with its digital single “DNY,” a hip-hop song in Japanese and Filipino-English. They are MCA Music’s first girl group consisting of Riyo, Reina, Ruri, and Risa.
G22
G22, named after the Glock 22 pistol, entered the Pinoy pop industry in February 2022 under Cornerstone Entertainment.
G22 consists of AJ, Alfea, and Jaz who made their official debut on February 25, 2022. The group was also tagged as “Female Alphas of Philippine Pop.”
AJAA
Just like G22, AJAA is a P-pop group under Cornerstone Entertainment that currently consists of its members JC, Ash, Alex, and Axl.
The group name was taken from the initial letter of each member’s name and alludes to the Korean phrase “aja!” which means “fighting” or “good luck.”
The four-member P-pop boy group officially debuted in September 2023, with EP “4Ü” with a colorful sound “Hany,” “Best Day Ever (BDE),” “Cuppy Cake,” and “Torpe.”
Future of PH music industry
As the music industry continues to expand, there’s also a need to broaden our common understanding of OPM. Today’s pop music scene is in constant challenges.
To understand the Pinoy pop era, looking forward to what it may become is also important, especially since this era is moving toward accessibility. The rise of different digital platforms and music production software makes it easier to release artists’ music, even without the traditional support of a brand or the pressure of sales.
As music production becomes more accessible to audiences, different artists are now creating their era for many Filipinos, with SB19, BGYO, and BINI now seen as the faces of Pinoy Pop.
In today’s ever-changing world, determining what may be Filipino pop music’s future is always uncertain. Yet, the decision no longer rests in the hands of the few but rather in the hands of everyone.
