PhilPop In The News

05/10/2021

PhilPop returns this year with a digital bootcamp that puts a spotlight on up-and-coming songwriters and composers in the Philippines.

Now ready to implement a more inclusive but intensive approach to mentorship and training, the country’s premier songwriting institution will be holding a 14-week program for aspiring participants to learn and further hone their skills in the field of songwriting, marketing and branding, recording and arrangement, intellectual property rights, music appreciation, and more.

12/21/2020

Noah Alejandre and Reanna Borela were announced the winners of the Philpop 2020 Songwriting Festival for their bilingual pop anthem Suyo.

Suyo, which touches on romance amid cultural differences, was awarded the festival's top prize on Sunday, December 20 during the Philpop Grand Finals Night held online. The song beat 14 other local entries from Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

11/20/2020

PhilPop, the country’s premier songwriting competition, makes another huge comeback with an exemplary batch of music entries from the National Capital Region.

11/18/2020

CNN Philippines, New Day - November 18, 2020 at 50:00

11/15/2020

Get to know these upcoming artists from Mindanao!

The Philpop 2020 Songwriting Competition is getting closer and closer to finding its winner, narrowing down thousands of entries to its Top 15 finalists.

11/11/2020

It's finally the weekend, but it looks like this week isn't ready to take a break.

Following the super typhoon that devastated the Philippines earlier this week, the world is now holding its breath for the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections. If you haven't developed hypertension this year, this week would probably do it.

11/08/2020

MANILA -- “Alam mo [You know], you just have to finish it.”

Christian Chiu, professionally known as XT on Sax, recalled this advice from NatNat, a fellow singer/songwriter from Koronadal. Chiu was struggling to finish the songs he was writing back then, and this simple advice helped him get over the hump.

11/03/2020

MANILA -- The ongoing 2020 PhilPop songwriting contest is for the first time showcasing the diversity of the competition.

The dialects with their gentle inflections and phrasing from the different regions take center stage. You’ll prominently hear Ilokano, Illongo, Bisaya to go with the usual Tagalog and English. The diversity has given music fans a smorgasbord of ear candy. 

10/29/2020

MANILA -- Art imitates life.

In the case of songwriter and singer Kian Dionisio, the epiphany arrived years later. And as another saying goes, “better late than never.”

Dionisio, whose song entry to the 2020 PhilPop songwriting contest, “Huling Sayaw” was named one of the 15 finalists, once struggled with his confidence.

10/30/2020

Another batch of Philpop hopefuls are set to perform on Rappler Live Jam.

The Philpop 2020 Songwriting Competition is the same one that launched the careers of many OPM artists that we know and love today, and out of thousands of submissions from all over the country, 15 entries were selected to vie for the grand prize.

10/26/2020

MANILA -- The entries to the 2020 PhilPop songwriting contest from the Visayas and Mindanao region are either ballads, jazz, rhythm and blues, or even alternative. However, that doesn’t begin to speak of its diversity. 

The songwriters hail from places like Leyte, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, Cebu, and Koronodal, and the songs are written in Bisaya, Illongo, and Tagalog.

10/25/2020

The Philpop 2020 Songwriting Competition announced its Top 15 finalists last September – and they will be performing their original songs on Rappler Live Jam.

Making the cut out of thousands of entries across the Philippines are Jerika Teodorico, Noah Alejandre and Reanne Borela, and Michael Catarina from the Visayas.

10/23/2020

PhilPop, the country’s premier songwriting competition, has officially released the songs from the finalists of the Mindanao cluster on Spotify and other digital platforms worldwide this October 23, Friday.

Distributed by Warner Music Philippines, the maiden batch reflects the diversity and appeal of the region’s music heritage, and champions authentic representation of the contemporary ‘Mindanaoan’ experience.

10/05/2020

MANILA -- “There’s no formula yet for Philippine music to go beyond our borders. But we are on our way to finding that opportunity for future global hitmakers.”

Warner Music Philippines managing director Ian Monsod’s excitement about the 2020 PhilPop Music Festival songwriting competition was palpable. And he wasn’t alone in waxing elation. 

09/25/2020

The Philippines’ premier songwriting institution announced on Thursday it has completed the roster of 15 finalists for its annual songwriting contest amid challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

From thousands of submissions, PhilPop has finally completed its roster of Top 15 finalists, which included nine from Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Metro Manila clusters.

08/24/2020

PhilPop has revealed the Top 6 finalists from the Visayas and Mindanao clusters at this year's edition of the prestigious songwriting festival.

PhilPop 2020 began accepting entries last April with thousands of aspirants coming in from from all over the country in five different clusters: Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and National Capital Region.

07/03/2020

The two OPM icons explain the importance of writing in one's own language – not only for the songwriters themselves, but for Filipino music as a whole

When it comes to mainstream Filipino music, English and Tagalog still seem to be the language of choice for most songwriters. A cursory listen to any top 10 OPM playlist should say as much.

06/30/2020

PhilPop has always been a reliable and trusted platform in fostering appreciation for quality and original compositions that reflect Filipino culture, experience, and identity. This year, the country’s premier songwriting competition plans to continue its mission of promoting homegrown music on a scale that’s never been done before: by going global and forging regional ties.