Overseas Filipino artists that you should listen to!
The world recognizes the beauty of Filipino musicians all around the globe. Icons like APL.DE.AP, Bruno Mars, and Jake Zyrus ensured that Filipino talent left a mark in the music industry. This streak continues to date, with Pinoy artists becoming more known in both indie and mainstream media. Here are some of the artists raising the flag of Filipino pride abroad!
Overseas Filipino artists that you should listen to!
Beabadoobee
Beabadoobee (pronounced as bibaa-doo-bee) whose real name is Beatrice Laus, was born in the Philippines but raised in the UK. She is a singer-songwriter known for her lo-fi and indie rock sound. She gained popularity in 2020 when her song Coffee made rounds on TikTok, along with her album Fake It Flowers. Her soft voice pairs beautifully with her bubble grunge style and sounds that her fans absolutely love. Bea proudly displays her Filipino heritage in her recent music video entitled Glue, set in her hometown Iloilo.
Manila Grey
The R&B duo known as Manila Grey consists of Filipino-Canadian Nean Carlo “Neeko” Villarosa and Justin “Soliven” Villarosa. They are known for their smooth R&B and hip-hop sound and have received recognition for their music in Canada and the Philippines. This, paired with the production quality of their music videos exudes major BGC vibes. Manila Grey even captured the attention of the music scene well enough to have been nominated at The Juno Awards as one of the Breakthrough Artists of 2021. Manila Grey’s themes mostly revolve around hip-hop culture, blended with unique immigrant experiences, and “death, self-discovery, and rebirth”.
No Rome
Rome Gomez, known internationally as No Rome is a Filipino musician. He was born in the Philippines and raised in the United Arab Emirates before moving to the UK to pursue his music career. No Rome is a singer, songwriter, and producer who creates a unique blend of pop, R&B, and electronic music. In 2018, he signed with Dirty Hit, the UK-based record label that is home to acts like The 1975 and Wolf Alice, and released his first major label EP, RIP Indo Hisashi. He has since been recognized for his songwriting and production skills, working with artists such as The 1975 and Charli XCX.
Ena Mori
If you’re a contrarian to the current surge of minimalism, you’ll definitely love Ena Mori. Born Filipino-Japanese, Ena Mori has been an up-and-rising musician known for her “weird,” colorful, and defiantly imaginative concepts. Her talent made her casually brush shoulders with the likes of Zild and James Reid on casual music sessions. Ena Mori’s recently performed her song Vivid on WISH 107.5, following the release of her album entitled DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONES! Her pop music heavily emphasizes her strong identity and celebration as an artist, shown through synth, 80s percussion, and musical thwomp. Ena would also be performing in the highly anticipated SXSW Music Festival this March 2023.
Music changes every so often, and with artists like them, Filipinos will always have a competitive edge on the international stage. Let’s show our support to our kababayans and let’s raise the value of OPM! Want to read more articles like this? Click here!
