2 weeks ago
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February 28, 2025 | 12:00am
For some strange reason, local producers have not been able to come up with girl acts as strong as the males these days. But the lead girl of these days is Lady Gaga in her duet of Die with a Smile with Bruno Mars. There are also Billie Eilish, SZA and Indonesian pop star NIKI. The only Pinoys are KZ in her Palagi duet with Monterde, Janine Tenoso in a collab with the hot band Cup of Joe and BINI, whose Blink Twice though still has to rise to the Top 10.
As usual, one of the first things I do every day is check out the hit charts, Billboard, Spotify and now also the new IFPI list. It has become such a fun undertaking since local pop music started selling more than the imported variety. Then, I look for answers to my questions.
Did singer-songwriter Amiel Sol’s beautiful Sa Bawat Sandali make No. 1? Happily, it did on Spotify on Feb. 23 with streams of 21,759,181. That is aside from the over two million views on YouTube of the music video that features the new hot love team of young stars Andres Muhlach and Ashtine Olviga of the series “Mutya ng Section E.”
Is R&B sensation Dionela still there? Yes. And I must say, doing very well with Marilag on No. 2, plus Sining, his collab with Jay R, Oksihina and Musika also in the list. Also present is today’s hip-hop star of the moment HELLMERRY with My Day. And what about TJ Monterde? He is still a strong presence with Palagi, where he shares the spotlight with his Mrs. Monterde, KZ Tandingan.
Then, there are the stalwarts, artists whose songs have been in the chart for several years now like Arthur Nery with Isa Lang and Take All the Love; Hale and Kung Wala Ka; Orange and Lemons with Hanggang Kailan… Umuwi Ka Na Baby”; Nobita with Ikaw Lang; and the streamiest band of them all, Up Dharma Down with its 10-year-old Tadhana.
All very good. Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is selling very well. In fact, it is in one of its strongest periods ever having now relegated most of the foreign releases into the sidelines.
But wait. There is something very noticeable in the list that I find somewhat alarming. Where are the girls? For some strange reason, local producers have not been able to come up with girl acts as strong as the males these days.
The lead girl of these days is Lady Gaga in her duet of Die with a Smile with Bruno Mars. There are also Billie Eilish, SZA and Indonesian pop star NIKI. The only Pinoys are KZ in her Palagi duet with Monterde, Janine Tenoso in a collab with the hot band Cup of Joe and BINI, whose Blink Twice though still has to rise to the Top 10.
Music industry pundits beginning from the long ago time have often said that it is easier to sell male idols because the main consumers of pop music are females. The demand starts at the age of eight and continues on to the teen years during which it is at its strongest. Hence, the proliferation of teen idols. Looks like this is still happening now.
But it is still wrong to underestimate the girls. Girl singers when they make it to the top become bigger stars and stay there for a long, long time. That is why Lady Gaga, Eilish and SZA are still there. That is why there are stars like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. That is also why Nora Aunor, Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez are our biggest singing stars.
Hopefully soon, there will be new singles from Janine and KZ. Also from talented newcomers like MRLD and Eliza Maturan. Maybe even from Ashtine who also happens to be a singer and was with a girl group early in her career.
And now from the latest Spotify Daily Chart: Sa Bawat Sandali, Amiel Sol; Marilag, Dionela; Luther, Kendrick Lamar; Isa Lang, Arthur Nery; Sining, Dionela with Jay R; blue, yung kai; Die with a Smile, Lady Gaga with Bruno Mars; Dionela, Oksihina; Billie Eilish, BIRDS OF A FEATHER; TJ Monterde with KZ, Palagi; Up Dharma Down, Tadhana; Maki, Dilaw.
HELLMERRY, My Day; SZA, BMF; Cup of Joe, Tingin with Janine Tenoso; Dionela, Musika; BINI, Blink Twice; Over October, Ikot; Hale, Kung Wala Ka; Cup of Joe, Misterioso; TJ Monterde, Dating Tayo; Arthur Nery, TAKE ALL THE LOVE; Orange & Lemons, Hanggang Kailan…Umuwi Ka Na Baby; NIKI, Backburner; and Nobita, Ikaw Lang.
