RISING OPM star MRLD has done what most singers struggle for years to achieve– break into the international market.
Early in her career, the 17-year-old singer-songwriter has already penetrated the Indonesian music charts through her hit “An Art Gallery Could Never Be As Unique As You,” which made it to the Top 150 songs on Spotify in the country.
MRLD’s viral hit actually ranked 139 on Spotify Indonesia’s Top Songs, with an average of 100,000 daily streams. This makes the Catbalogan, Leyte-native the only Filipina artist to make it to the list. Released in 2021, her song has amassed 54 million streams on the platform.
Not only that, MRLD’s success actually landed her on a massive billboard in Times Square New York, something she never expected ever to happen.
With over four million monthly listeners, she is now the second most streamed OPM artist on the platform next to singer Moira dela Torre.
“It still is surreal!,” she told republicasia.
“I really am so happy that a song I wrote 4 years ago would still hit places. I remember waking up knowing that this song topped the charts of Indonesia and other SEA countries. Knowing that I have international listeners really does give me this drive to continue writing English songs,” she added.
Grateful and overwhelmed, MRLD wishes to visit Indonesia soon.
Who is MRLD?
Image by O/C Records
Even if she is breaking through local and international music borders, MRLD or Meriel de Jesus in real life is still your regular teenage kid who simply wants to explore life. Despite the success she has experienced, she still takes to heart the importance of other aspects outside of her music success. Her studies tops her list of priorities.
Unlike those who choose career over school, the “Ligaya” hitmaker fights to strike a balance between work, school and life.
At 17, MRLD is a 12th grader, a hitmaker, and a songwriter.
“There are days where I say to myself this feels like a dream, but it’s not. And [the] world exists and I really am an artist who makes music and is rising right now. I never cared about fame when I started music,” she said.
Chasing a dream
She used to be just a kid who “literally just loves to write songs,” she said.
“I had nothing but passion and dreams, but at some point, I am somewhere I never thought I’d be in in the first place. As they say, ‘Malayo na pero malayo pa.’ My dreams are big and there’s nothing else I can do but to chase them. I am very thankful to everyone who made my dreams possible,” she added.
On February 10, she dropped another single on Spotify titled “Just Because.” The official audio of the song released on the same day on YouTube already has 11,000 views as of writing.
She is currently signed under O/C Records, a record label owned by OPM icon Kean Cipriano.
