Philippines, 10th March, 2020 – Today, Spotify launches RADAR, the global emerging artist program with 19 global sister programs spanning more than 50 markets. RADAR represents Spotify’s commitment to emerging artists across all stages of their development, in order to help them deepen their connection to new and existing audiences around the world.
With the launch, Spotify announces a brand new playlist titled RADAR Philippines that highlights the must-know tracks and hot new artists across a full spectrum of genres.
Philippines’ very own SB19, VVS Collective and Soulstice are among the artists featured in Spotify’s RADAR program joining a potent roster of Spotify’s past emerging artist programs including Jasmine Sokko, Stray Kids, Ben&Ben, IV Of Spades, Lauv, Joji, and more.
Boon Ken Wong, Asia Team Lead, Music Culture & Editorial, Spotify said, “The launch of Spotify’s RADAR program puts a mix of Spotify’s best-in-class editorial and marketing abilities behind some truly exciting up-and-coming global and Asian talent. The RADAR Philippines playlist features some of the most interesting talent currently coming out of the Philippines – a treasure trove of emerging sounds where home-grown talent is in abundance.”
SB19 chimed in with their thoughts on being featured in RADAR: “We are so honored to be a part of Spotify’s newest program, RADAR, and together with the newly discovered prodigies of music, we will do our best to make more melodies and strive harder for the growth of Philippine Music. Without Spotify, this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you so much!”
With eight Filipino artists identified as ones to watch, it is clear that Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is showing no signs of slowing down. Home-grown boy band SB19, who are making waves with their meteoric success, shows that the next big thing in boybands is already on Spotify’s RADAR. Equally, the love of hip-hop in the Philippines continues to grow, with talents such as VVS Collective and Soulstice featured as part of the RADAR program.
Get to know some of the artists involved in RADAR at launch:
RADAR Philippines
SB19
SB19 is the first ever Filipino idol boy group trained under a Korean entertainment company. These boys are well rounded performers who can sing and dance a wide variety of genres, write their own music and create their own choreography. Their aim is to break into the Philippine music scene, introduce a new culture as well as be a boy group that can compete with international boy bands and make the Filipino people proud to call their own.
August Wahh
August Wahh debuted in 2007 and has since become a force in the Philippine music scene, sharing the stage with the likes of Fred Wesley, Taylor McFerrin, and opening for Daniel Caesar, RAC, and Erykah Badu. Originally from General Santos City, she moved to Manila to pursue her passion collaborating with a diverse selection of musicians.
syd hartha
A young singer-songwriter who is unafraid to take bolder, more introspective direction in music-making, syd hartha burst onto the scene with songs that bridge the gap between intimacy and empowerment. After releasing confessional tunes that quickly received buzz from the indie press, her first major success came with 2019’s “ayaw”—a bluesy folk number that affirms her stand against sexual harassment and abuse towards women in general.
Route 83
Route 83, an electronic pop duo from Cebu composed of music producer Carlisle Tabanera and singer/songwriter Relden Campanilla, first introduced their music with future beats combined with Cebuano lyrics which can be heard from their tracks “Padayona” featuring rap-singer Flo, “What (Unsa Man?)”, and their fan favorite, “Pagmahay.”
Soulstice
Soulstice burst onto the local rap/Hip-hop scene with a vibrant original entitled “Ivana.” The song is a joyful ode to beauty or in this case, an appreciation for the muse that inspired the Soulstice crew—which includes MScript (Rome Lagarde), Rowmee G (Jerome De Leon) and Seth (Ronald Abasta)—to write this certified viral track.
VVS Collective
VVS Collective is an up-and-coming rap and hip hop group behind the viral hit “Walwal” with over 9 million streams on Spotify Composed of ‘King Promdi’, ‘Gabrang’, ‘Tommy the Sauce’, and ‘Max Dylan’, each member brings a rich flavor to the group’s dynamic as they write and produce their own music.
LTNM
LTNM (Love Thy Neighbor Movement) was formed last in Laguna in 2016. Their original compositions are modern contemporary with a touch of classic OPM sound as influenced by the bands from the 90s. Their songs speak about Love, Inspiration, Hope, Equality, & their lives’ testimonies.
Ace Banzuelo
Delivering magical sounds through his own style, Ace Banzuelo is a young independent singer-songwriter and music producer. He had already started singing and performing at age four then continuously joined local auditions, singing contests and television shows. He started to teach himself how to produce music at age 13 and experimented with different types of music.
Check out our For the Record blog post for more information on Spotify’s global emerging artist program, RADAR.
