Boy bands have been making waves for decades now, and the recent ones that have been making international waves and catching the hearts of people all over the world are Korean boy bands known for their catchy songs, stunning visuals, and synchronized dance moves.
The Philippines also has its fair share of boy bands and one seems to be capturing the hearts of the Filipinos recently because of their ethnic diversity and their push to honor the different languages and ethnicity in our country.
On Taneo, Top: @piopio_ph Layer & Bottom: @oriasstudios. On Mo, Layer: @piopio_ph Top: @wethepeople.ph Pants: stylist’s wardrobe, Accessories: stylist’s wardrobe, artist's own
ALAMAT, an 8-member sing-rap-dance boy band who came from different regions of the Philippines. ALAMAT is a Viva-managed boy band that first debuted in Feb 2021 after nine months of training. The members Taneo, Mo, Jao, Tomas, R-Ji, Valfer, Gami, and Alas were all from Viva’s PWEDE: The National Boy Band Search.
On Jao, Top: @piopio_ph Layer & Bottom: @oriasstudios, Shoes & Accessories: stylist’s wardrobe. On Tomas: Layer: @piopio_ph, Top: @wethepeople.ph, Pants & accessories: stylist’s wardrobe Shoes: Artist's own
True to their identity as a group, ALAMAT has recently launched its first song entitled 'kbye'. The song has a very upbeat melody, but its lyrics speak otherwise. It tackles what people now call “ghosting,” or a person disappearing from another person’s life without saying goodbye.
The first verse of the song explains how the singer knows the real reason for the ghosting. “Huwag mo nang pigilan ang laman ng iyong damdamin. Alam ko na ang tunay mo na dahilan.” [ Don’t hide what you’re feeling inside, I already know your true reason ]
While the first part of the chorus questions the intention of the ghoster for leaving, the latter part of it shows that the feelings of the one who left and the one left behind are the same: they’re both tired of the relationship. “Ba't bigla ka na lang umalis? Hindi ka nagpaalam. Siguro ang pag-big mo sa 'kin ay pansamantala lang. Sana'y noon pa lang agad mo nang inamin, madali lang naman akong kausapin. Sawa't pagod na rin naman ako sa atin,wala akong paki, hindi ka kawalan sa akin.” [ Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Maybe your love for me was just temporary. You could’ve admitted it a long time ago. I am easy to talk to, I’ve been sick and tired of us actually, I don’t care, it’s not my loss. ]
On Valfer, Top: @piopio_ph, Bottom & Accessories: stylist’s wardrobe, Shoes: artist's own. On R-ji, Layer: Chris Diaz, Top: @wethepeople.ph, Bottom: @piopio_ph, Shoes: artist's own, Accessories: stylist’s wardrobe
While the first verse expresses disappointment, the second verse conveys nostalgia over the relationship that the singer and the ghoster had. “Naalala ko pang mga alaala mga sandaling ikaw ay kasama. Iba ang dala ng ngiti at mata kahit sa'n man magtungo ay nariyan ka. Di mapaghiwalay gabi man o umaga, mapa-almusal o pagtulog sa kama, hanggang sa paggising ika'y nakikita sa sobrang saya.” [ I still remember the moments I was with you. Your smile and eyes were dazzling wherever I was, you were there. Always together, day or night. During breakfast or when in bed. Every morning I woke up, it was you I saw. The sheer joy made me teary-eyed. ]
The song might look like your typical pop song about love problems, but what makes this unique is the fact that it was written using the seven other major languages in the Philippines: Tagalog, which comprises a majority of the music, and a verse each using the Ilocano, Kapampangan, Bicolano, Waray, Hiligaynon, and Visayan languages.
On Gami, Layer: @oriasstudios, Top: stylist’s wardrobe Bottom: @piopio_ph, Shoes: artist's own,
Accessories: stylist’s wardrobe. On Alas, Layer: @oriasstudios, Top: @wethepeople.ph, Bottom & Accessories: stylist’s wardrobe, Shoes: artist's own
In an interview, ALAMAT's creative director, renowned director Jason Paul Laxamana, explained that the purpose of doing this is by honoring the different mother tongues of the Philippines. While there is no shortage of OPM songs, most of them are written using the Tagalog language, and other languages also deserve recognition from the Filipinos.
'kbye' was also incorporated with music from ancient instruments such as the kulintang and bamboos used in dancing 'tinikling.' Filipino elements are easy to spot as well in the music video — from the colorful and sparkling 'banderitas' of our fiestas to the "King of the Road" Philippine jeepney, from the beautifully mounted Capiz (Kapis) shell windows to the thirst-quenching 'Samalamig or palamig' ( traditional Filipino sweet chilled beverages) jugs to further reinforce its bid to honor the Filipino culture.
Let us all support this fresh take on OPM and watch the official music video of 'kbye' here:
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