Spotify relaunches K-Pop global playlist
AS K-POP dominates the global music landscape, Spotify is elevating the K-Pop listening experience with a complete relaunch of its flagship playlist (and its accompanying Twitter handle), K-Pop Daebak, now known as K-Pop ON! (
). With over 230% growth in listening and with almost 8 billion monthly streams globally, the genre has definitely taken over Spotify — as noted by the over 4.7M searches for “K-Pop” on the platform across the last 90 days. The new name — K-Pop ON! () — is a double-entendre, combining the Korean word “” meaning, “100,” or “whole,” with the English word “on” to display the action of “turning on,” a word that’s accessible to many languages around the world. To celebrate the launch, listeners can look forward to seeing some of their favorite K-Pop artists including NMIXX, BTS, aespa, BLACKPINK, Red Velvet, NCT Dream, SEVENTEEN, ATEEZ and more on billboards around the world including LA, NYC, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Toronto, with more content to come across the platform and Spotify’s owned channels.
Pinoy pop convention set for April
Pinoy pop — or P-Pop — groups and fans will come together for 2022 PPOPCON, a two-day event filled with music and fun activities. The Pinoy Pop Convention (PPOPCON) will be held on April 9 and 10 at the New Frontier Theater and Araneta Coliseum in the Araneta City center in Quezon City. The event is expected to be attended by the groups SB19, MNL48, BGYO, BINI, Alamat, 1st.One, Press Hit Play, and 4th Impact. Up and coming acts like VXON, KAIA, DAYDREAM, YARA, VER5US, G22, and more will be gracing the convention stage as well. “P-Pop is quickly gaining international attention and many fans are recognizing the talent and passion of many P-Pop acts. Through PPOPCON, we are celebrating the growing P-Pop community through the first event of its kind right here at the City of Firsts,” said Andhie Salutin, Project head of PPOPCON. The convention will be held at the New Frontier Theater and will be capped off with a concert at the Araneta Coliseum. The hybrid concert will happen on-ground, with fans to be allowed inside the venue, and will be livestreamed online simultaneously. The concert will be held on April 10, 3-7 p.m. The convention will feature fanbase activities, booths, selling of official merchandise, games, and performances by some of the trendiest names in P-Pop today. Concert ticket prices start at P1,000. Both convention and concert tickets can be purchased at www.ticketnet.com.ph. For more information about the event, visit www.ppopcon.ph.
Faith Da Silva releases new single
ACTRESS-singer Faith Da Silva expresses the pain of letting go in her latest single, “Sana Sabihin Mo Na Lang.” “Letting go of someone you love after holding on and fighting for your relationship for so long is never easy. The song is about being in that difficult situation and being able to choose yourself instead of your partner or the relationship to make things better for the both of you,” Ms. Da Silva said in a statement. The new song is her first single as an official recording artist of GMA Playlist. Her previous singles with GMA Network, “Pabalik-balik,” “Stay,” and “Wag Na Lang,” were used as the theme songs of GMA dramas The Good Daughter, I Can See You Season 2, and Las Hermanas, respectively. “Sana Sabihin Mo Na Lang” is available to stream on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube Music, and other digital platforms worldwide.
Taste Buddies moves to a new time slot
NEW EPISODES and a special lineup of celebrity guests are lined up in GMA Network’s lifestyle show Taste Buddies as it moves to a new time slot on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. before 24 Oras Weekend on GMA-7. On the show, hosts Solenn Heussaff and Gil Cuerva explore more great food, trendy restaurants, and unique places for the whole family to enjoy.
Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran release collab single
THREE-TIME Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Camila Cabello has released her new single and music video, “Bam Bam,” featuring Ed Sheeran, via Epic Records. “Bam Bam” was produced by Ricky Reed, Edgar Barerra and Cheche Alara, and was written by Ms. Cabello, Mr. Sheeran, and Ricky Reed. The song marks the singer’s first release this year. The video was directed by Mia Barnes, in collaboration with Dave Meyers, who also directed Ms. Cabello’s “Havana,” “Senorita,” “My Oh My” and “Liar” videos. Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8VfKZCOo_I. Pre-order/Pre-save “Bam Bam” at Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran – Bam Bam (feat. Ed Sheeran) (lnk.to)
Benjamin Khen releases new single
POP R&B artist Benjamin Kheng returns on the scene with a new song, “Good for a Time,” an acoustic pop-R&B song that features Filipino artist Bea Lorenzo on vocals. Mr. Kheng teamed up with fellow Singaporean singer-songwriter, Linying, best known for penning and performing the theme song for Singapore’s 2021 National Day Parade, “The Road Ahead.” “‘Good for a Time’ is more than just a breakup song, it’s about a couple presently breaking up and going through the painful process of unteethering while looking back fondly and appreciating the love that was.” Mr. Kheng said of the song. The single is available to stream on all digital platforms.
Ashe releases first new song since debut album
California-based singer-songwriter Ashe has released “Another Man’s Jeans” (out on Mom+Pop Music), with an accompanying music video. “Another Man’s Jeans” cuts right to the chase in conversation with an ex. “‘Another Man’s Jeans’ is about unashamed and uninhibited confidence, loosening up and having a good time. It sounds like what carefree feels like. It’s sexy! And loud! And fun! It’s a reminder to not take life too seriously,” said Ashe in a statement. The song follows the release of Ashe’s debut album Ashlyn. The record featured “Till Forever Falls Apart” with FINNEAS, which was named one of the best songs of 2021 by the Los Angeles Times and just surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify.
Rising rapper Hero releases new song
SINCE becoming a part of the Universal Records artist roster, Hero has slowly but surely risen to be a respected MC in the local hip-hop scene. He has released a new track called “Primera” under Universal Records, another product of his teamwork with producer Russel “Goodson” Tiquia. The two-minute song is packed with bars that show off his talent as a wordsmith. The official music video of“Primera” was artistically filmed at a prominent boxing training gym. Directed by Aaron Maagma. The song is currently available on streaming platforms including Spotify.
ANIMA brings Filipino film talent to global stage
SEVERAL notable Filipino films supported by ANIMA — formerly known as Globe Studios — made the country proud as they reaped awards and recognition in the past year, uplifting Philippine cinema amid the dragging impact of the pandemic. “Globe continues its commitment to strongly support Filipino talent. ANIMA has been a strong ally of Filipino film creators, producing films that have been acclaimed both locally and on the global stage,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO, during the WAGI! Celebration of Filipino Excellence event at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Feb. 18. ANIMA is now under the umbrella of Kroma Entertainment, Inc., a new entertainment company backed by the Globe Group of Companies. WAGI! featured director Erik Matti’s award-winning On The Job (OTJ): The Missing 8, the lone Filipino entry to the 78th Venice International Film Festival in 2021. Its lead actor John Arcilla won the coveted Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the festival. Another award-winning film backed by ANIMA is Leonor Will Never Die, the first Filipino feature film to premiere in the distinguished Sundance Film Festival in over 15 years. The film, the directorial debut of Martika Ramirez Escobar, received the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Innovative Spirit at the prestigious US independent film event. ANIMA’s other works include Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral and Fan Girl, which were streamed over Netflix, and the web series Gaya sa Pelikula. To learn more about ANIMA, visit https://www.anima.ph.
