Shakira Makes History with New Global Streaming Records
Global superstar Shakira has reached another historic milestone as “Dai Dai,” her FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem featuring Burna Boy, climbs to No. 1 on the Spotify Global chart, becoming the No. 1 song in the world. The global smash has also reached No. 1 in 12 countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Sweden, and Belgium.
The success of “Dai Dai” has propelled Shakira to new career highs. She has climbed to No. 6 among the world’s most-streamed artists on Spotify and has become the first artist in Spotify history to reach No. 1 with songs in both English and Spanish – another landmark achievement in her unparalleled career.
Shakira’s momentum continues across key music markets worldwide, with “Dai Dai” currently charting inside the Top 5 on the midweek charts in Portugal, Canada, China, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the official music video for “Dai Dai” continues to dominate on YouTube, holding the No. 1 position on the platform’s global music charts. The video has amassed nearly 500 million views, and is expected to continue dominating pop culture conversations in the coming months.
These latest achievements reaffirm Shakira’s status as one of the most influential artists of her generation, showcasing her extraordinary ability to connect with audiences across languages, cultures, and continents while continuing to redefine the global reach of Latin pop.
Building on the success of her record-breaking stadium tours in North and South America, Shakira is now preparing for an extraordinary run of 12 stadium shows at the Shakira Stadium this September and October. The highly anticipated concert tour is expected to be among the year’s biggest live music events.
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Steve Lacy releases new album Oh yeah?
Steve Lacy releases his highly anticipated third album, Oh yeah? via RCA Records. The album features the long-awaited collaboration “is it cool? (feat. SZA),” as well as the acclaimed lead single “the feeling,” which served as a brilliant reintroduction to Lacy’s ability to manifest modern Pop, Alt, and R&B in a sound that is less genre-defying and more genre-defining. The result is an album that is undoubtedly Steve’s most ambitious and personal art to date.
Oh yeah? is a record for guitar kids who love synths and synth kids who love guitars. It’s an album splashed with raw openness, energetic connection, sonic beauty, and some of Lacy’s most personal, transparent lyrics. With guest appearances from the likes of Erykah Badu and Cecile Believe, and SZA, Oh yeah? is intersectional, cutting, a comedy, a tragedy, and has allowed Steve to further design an aural world that is singularly him. That “him” has taken Lacy, who released his first EP almost ten years ago, to the highest of highs: at only 28, he has two songs in the Spotify Billions Club, as well as two Grammy Awards. He has stood alongside his musical peers like Kendrick Lamar and Solange, sells out shows across the globe, and is universally known as a style maverick whose eye for design grows bolder every day.
In a recent cover story, The Cut described Lacy as “potentially being Gen Z’s first rock star,” a big claim in an era of pop girlies, K-Pop kids hunting demons, and country balladeers. On first listen, Oh yeah? undoubtedly – and instantly – takes that potential and turns it into reality, a defining musical moment for an artist with many, many more to come.
Oh yeah? TRACKLIST:
1. oh yeah?
2. is it cool? (feat. SZA)
3. the feeling
4. pure colour (feat. Erykah Badu)
5. show you me
6. doom
7. nothing
8. lovesexdrugbomb (feat. Cecile Believe)
9. nice shoes / in your world
10. bebe
To usher in this new record, Steve will embark on a series of tour dates across Asia this Summer, including headlining slots at Summer Sonic and Lalala festival. For ticketing information, visit https://www.wearesteve.net/ + see below for a full list of tour dates.
ALL UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
August 13th – Toyosu PIT – Tokyo, Japan
August 15th – Summer Sonic Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan
August 16th – Summer Sonic Osaka – Osaka, Japan
August 19th – Olympic Hall – Seoul, Korea
August 21st – Lalala Festival Manila – Manila, Philippines
August 23rd – Lalala Festival Jakarta – Jakarta, Indonesia
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JENNIE captivates with ethereal new single “Less than a Lover”
The single is JENNIE’s ode to summer, capturing the excitement and lingering emotions of a relationship that exists somewhere between friendship and romance. Written by JENNIE, the song explores the space with someone who is more than a friend but “Less than a Lover,” JENNIE embraces the confusion and exhilaration of an undefined connection. Expanding her sonic palette with a softer alternative-pop sound, the track pairs lo-fi guitar textures and vintage electric keyboards, JENNIE’s vocals and lyricism, naturally expressing the subtle feelings that arise in a relationship that is neither friendship nor love. The accompanying music video, based on a story by JENNIE, sees her slip into another world, another character, another version of herself while shooting a short film with friends, where a faux love story shapes a new dynamic between them that was absent before.
JENNIE first teased “Less than a Lover” to a massive crowd during her historic headlining set at Governors Ball in June. Since then, she has dominated the festival stages at Mad Cool, Open’er and Roskilde. She will continue her summer festival run as a headliner at Lollapalooza in Chicago, before making her first-ever appearance at Summer Sonic Festival in Japan.
As one of the most influential global artists of her generation, JENNIE continues to redefine modern pop through her fearless artistry and creative vision. From record-breaking releases and sold-out performances to fashion partnerships, she has established herself as a singular force across music, fashion and culture, continuing to shape the entertainment landscape.
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Independent pop artist Estelle Fly marks a new era of desire with ‘Bury it’ – a song about the power of unspoken attraction
Independent pop artist Estelle Fly is back with her first release of the year – ‘Bury it’ – a song about the power of unspoken attraction and the tension of deep yearning for someone you can’t fully have
Bury it’ marks a defining new chapter in Estelle’s music career. Confident and unapologetically herself, the single embraces vulnerability and desire with newfound conviction, signalling a new era that pushes her sound forward while introducing herself to listeners old and new.
“This song feels like both an ending and a beginning,” said Estelle. “It represents me beautifully closing the chapter of everything that’s brought me to this point, and introducing what I like to call an era where I am exploring the concept of desire.”
“It’s an era where I finally have the freedom to explore ideas and emotions I’ve always wanted to write about. Not just about love, but also longing, vulnerability, confidence, attraction, and all the beautifully complicated parts of being human that I don’t always share openly.”
Listen to Estelle Fly’s ‘Bury it’ here
“Sonically, I wanted ‘Bury it’ to feel intimate and somewhat hypnotic, almost like you’re caught in a memory you don’t really want to leave. Lyrically, there’s a lot that’s intentionally left unsaid that is expressed through the music. Sometimes the strongest emotions are not the ones we confess, but the ones that we keep to ourselves.”
“With ‘Bury it’, I wanted to capture the tension of yearning for someone, but knowing you can’t fully have them. The feeling of the push and pull between wanting someone and choosing not to act on it is exciting, confusing and strangely addictive all at once. This feeling that we end up burying is usually the one that we remember the longest.”
In the music video for ‘Bury it’, Estelle plays an actor who is often cast as on-screen lovers with her co-star. Off camera, they’ve always been good friends, but over time, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. When two people are reminded by the world constantly about their chemistry, you start to wonder if the feelings are acted out or have always been there.
Estelle Fly is one of the few pop artists from Singapore who strikes a fine balance between music and dance, having traversed through the entertainment scene in multiple roles as an idol and actress, and now an independent soloist. In 2025, Estelle released her latest EP ZONE, and took to the stage at Waterbomb Singapore. This year, she has been selected as a Spotify RADAR artist, and will be releasing new songs to mark her upcoming new era.
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Singapore-based Filipino artist, bloo!, releases debut EP, in moments of stillness
bloo!, the recording project of Singapore-based Filipino artist Thea Madrideo, has released her debut EP “in moments of stillness” on all major streaming platforms worldwide.
“in moments of stillness” is a five-track collection written entirely by Madrideo over two years in the quiet, disorienting aftermath of a life that changed overnight and in the slow, uneven work of returning to herself. The EP does not perform healing. It documents the act, honestly and in the order it actually happened.
Deeply entrenched in singer-songwriter intimacy and pop rock energy, bloo!’s sound carries the emotional directness of early 2000s lyricism, drawing from artists like Kitchie Nadal, Alanis Morissette, and Michelle Branch. Her lyrics move between English and Filipino, reflecting the natural texture of how she thinks and feels.
The five tracks move through a complete emotional arc. “soup” opens the EP in a state of sabaw, the Filipino slang for a mind running on autopilot, surviving but not processing, until the weight compounds and overflows. “back2me” is the anger that finally gets permission to exist: petty on the surface, cathartic underneath, ending in the realization that running back to yourself is more freeing than running back to the source of pain. “that’s why” is the record’s turning point: a vulnerable admission of self-blame and the courage it takes to finally place it somewhere real. “blue’s clues” is the reminder that healing is not linear, the song for the 3am moment when stillness creeps back in and you appeal to choose yourself again. “dramatic” closes the EP not with romance, but with gratitude, written for every friend and family member who stayed patient and didn’t think she was too much while she found her way back.
“They’re not perfect. Some of them are messy and petty and unresolved, in the way that real feelings tend to be. But they’re honest. And I think that’s the thing that matters most when you’re making music for the moments that are hard to name,” says Madrideo.
bloo! is named after the safe space where Madrideo wrote the EP’s first song and the ones that followed. The project is produced in collaboration with a close circle of Manila-based musicians and producers.
TRACKLIST
01. soup
02. back2me
03. that’s why
04. blue’s clues
05. dramatic
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WAIIAN and Rjay Ty finally join forces on long-awaited collaboration “2RARE
Following the breakout success of his full-length album, BACKSHOTS, Filipino rapper WAIIAN officially opens a brand-new era in music with the release of his new single, “2RARE,” featuring fellow hip-hop heavyweight Rjay Ty. Serving as the lead single from his highly anticipated album arriving later this year, the track announces the return of one of Philippine hip-hop’s most important young voices with sharper focus and an unmistakable hunger for what’s next.
Entrenched in hard-hitting production and razor-sharp verses, “2RARE” reveals an artist whose ambitions have only grown larger. More than a comeback record, the single stands as a declaration that the artist once considered a rare discovery has now stepped into the spotlight, ready to push further, move faster, and reach ever greater heights.”
“I chose ‘2RARE’ because it’s one of the loudest songs on the project, and I felt like it had been a while since I put out a straight-up rap track,” says the urban hitmaker. “It represents a side of me that fans have been waiting to hear again. At the same time, it gives a glimpse of what’s coming with the new album—the energy and the direction I’m taking in this next chapter.”
The release also fulfills a collaboration that fans have been hoping for since the start of his career. Although WAIIAN and Rjay Ty had shared several writing sessions over time, the opportunity to create a record that truly reflected both artists only arrived when the timing—and the chemistry—finally aligned. Rather than simply exchanging verses, the pair painstakingly crafted every element of the song alongside producers from Kashira, helming its structure, dynamics, and overall energy into a record that feels both effortless and intentional.
WAIIAN explains, “I’ve wanted to collaborate with Rjay for a long time, but I never really felt ‘ready.’ Maybe because of the expectations, or maybe because it’s a little intimidating working with someone you’ve looked up to for so long. Now that I have the new studio, I was running out of excuses not to finally make it happen. We put a lot of thought into the entire song, not just laying down our verses and calling it a day. Every decision was made with one goal in mind: to make a song we’d all love to listen to ourselves. We figured if we loved it first, there’s a good chance the listeners would feel the same.”
Sonically speaking, “2RARE” emerged through experimentation rather than imitation. Created without relying on specific musical references, the track evolved organically as WAIIAN, Rjay Ty, and the Kashira production team pushed one another creatively, refining ideas until they landed a jab that felt unmistakably their own. The willingness to explore and experiment mirrors the artistic direction of the forthcoming album, which promises to venture across limitless sonic landscapes while remaining grounded in WAIIAN’s lyrical craft.
“I want my fans to believe in themselves and know that it’s cool to be different—to sound different, think different, and be different,” WAIIAN points out. “I hope this project encourages people to embrace what makes them unique instead of trying to fit in. That’s what I strive for with every song I make. If people walk away from ‘2RARE’ and the album feeling more confident in who they are and inspired to express themselves without fear of judgment, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.”
WAIIAN and Rjay Ty’s “2RARE” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.
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ICEBOX revisits OPM roots with emotional new single “SAAKIN
Following the breakthrough of his chart-topping hit, “ikaw ikaw ikaw,” which has amassed more than 30 million streams on Spotify alone and introduced him to a rapidly growing Filipino audience, Singapore-based singer-songwriter and producer ICEBOX returns to his OPM roots with the release of his new single “SAAKIN“—out today via PARKA.
Embracing the language and emotional depth that have long been central to his identity as a Filipino growing up overseas, “SAAKIN” reflects his evolving commitment to reconnect with his heritage through music.
Lyrically, the song serves as an intimate portrait of the emotional limbo that clings to one after the end of a relationship. Rather than presenting heartbreak as a singular moment, the track lingers in the liminal space between abandonment and longing: a place where one person has already let go while the other remains haunted by memories, unanswered questions, and the hope that refuses to disappear. In summary, the song captures the exhausting cycle of searching for closure in a place that no longer feels like home.
Although much of the song’s lyrical foundation was written nearly three years ago, “SAAKIN” underwent an extensive creative transformation before reaching its final form. Initially conceived as a school project collaboration with longtime friend Julia, the song has evolved through countless demos before ICEBOX revisited it alongside producers Dominic and Timothy of PARKA.
ICEBOX also credited the success of “ikaw, ikaw, ikaw,” his crossover collaboration with Filipino singer-songwriter Eliza Maturan, as an inspiration in shaping the final sound of his latest track.
“That song has obviously been such a monumental part of the catalysis of my music career,” ICEBOX admits. “I never really expected those three-hour writing and production sessions with Eliza amounted to such a hit, unlocking the doors to the Filipino market for me and exposing my art to a familiar yet new audience. Being able to garner and meet so many new fans both online and in person through my performances is one of the best privileges I’ve been able to experience after releasing ikaw, ikaw, ikaw, and it has definitely influenced how I produce and write my new songs (both in English & Tagalog) to fit the so-called ‘sound’ my new audience knows me for.”
After spending countless months listening to and consuming OPM, ICEBOX, along with his co-producers Dominic and Timothy, revisited “SAAKIN,” and the rest, as they say, is history. “I knew “SAAKIN” had to be more than just a school project demo. Not to mention, I was also planning to put it in my upcoming album, which included me really exploring new soundscapes and songwriting styles that were very different from the demo. What came out of those sessions is a track that carries the story and core of an OPM song but is fused with production techniques and textures that are derived from the sounds of my upcoming album.”
While “SAAKIN” serves as a personal statement on its own, it also offers listeners an early preview of ICEBOX’s forthcoming second studio album, which is scheduled for release sometime in September this year. Developed over the past year and a half, the 12-track project promises to further expand his musical identity through new sonic textures and a more intimate style of storytelling.
ICEBOX adds, “Lots of hard work, soul, and passion have been poured into this project, and we’re looking to do more shows in the Philippines for the album as well, and I sure hope nobody misses it because these coming songs are more than just earworms—they’re stories that you might resonate with one way or another, and I wouldn’t want to miss seeing them live.”
About ICEBOX
Leo, professionally known as ICEBOX, is a multifaceted singer-songwriter and producer who hails from Singapore’s emerging music scene. With an ever-growing curiosity and dedication to music, the 21-year-old Filipino’s musical journey displays his unabated pursuit of developing his craft.
Drawing inspiration from a rich tapestry of influences spanning genres and styles, Leo sculpts a sound that transcends auditory boundaries. Imbued with a sense of honesty and vulnerability, he translates his life’s intricacies into every word he pens. Leo’s commitment to authenticity sets him apart not just as a songwriter but also as a storyteller adept at creating resonance with his audience.
As he continues to evolve his artistry, ICEBOX remains unwavering in refining his art, positioning himself to leave a significant mark on Asia’s music landscape.
ICEBOX”s “SAAKIN” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via PARKA.
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Miguel Mendoza comes full circle with his own rendition of award-winning hit “Isa Pang Araw
Nearly eight years after his composition “Isa Pang Araw” captured the hearts of Filipino audiences as the official theme song of the blockbuster film, Miss Granny, acclaimed Filipino singer-songwriter, composer, and producer Miguel Mendoza lends his voice to the award-winning piece that first emerged from one of the most vulnerable phases of his life.
Originally recorded by Sarah Geronimo for the 2018 film, “Isa Pang Araw” became one of the most viral movie theme songs of its time, earning the 2019 Awit Award for Best Song Written and Performed for a Movie/TV/Stage Play and a nomination for Best Original Song at the 67th FAMAS Awards. Now, Mendoza returns to the composition not as its songwriter alone, but as its interpreter, delivering an intimate rendition that reconnects the song with the personal story that inspired its creation.
Some songs begin as assignments. For Mendoza, however, “Isa Pang Araw” ultimately became something far more personal. Faced with the challenge of writing another piece, he found himself drawing from a deeply emotional period following the passing of his father. The longing for one more conversation, one more embrace, and one more day together became the foundation of what would eventually be one of the biggest hits of 2019.
“I wasn’t simply trying to write another song for the film,” Mendoza shares. “At that point in my life, I was grieving the loss of my father, and I found myself writing from a place of longing. Isa Pang Araw became my way of expressing everything I wished I could still say and every moment I wished I could relive.”
Now, Mendoza revisits the composition through the perspective of the person who first lived its story. Far from reinterpretation, Mendoza describes the release as a homecoming: an opportunity to honor both the journey behind the song and the people who have carried it with them through the years.
“For years, people connected with the song through Sarah’s beautiful performance, and I’m incredibly grateful for that,” he says. “But this recording is different because it allows listeners to hear the song from the voice of the person who experienced the emotions that inspired every lyric.”
Mendoza first gained prominence as a finalist on Philippine Idol in 2006 before becoming the Third Star Dreamer of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 in 2009. Since then, he has established himself as one of the country’s respected music creators, writing songs for some of the industry’s biggest artists while also earning recognition for his work in film, including the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Musical Score for One Great Love.
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Miguel Mendoza’s version of “Isa Pang Araw” is now available on all major digital streaming platforms worldwide via FlipMusic.
Fresh from making history with their critically acclaimed debut performance at Lollapalooza in Chicago, SB19 has released their latest single, “LAWLESS,” which they premiered live for the very first time on one of the world’s most prestigious music festival stages.
“LAWLESS” marks a new direction for the award-winning quintet, transitioning from a locally established act to a global supergroup brand. In “LAWLESS,” SB19 declares that they’re an outlaw on the run: gutsy, more determined to take chances, and not the type to seek approval.
No longer constrained by conventional industry expectations, SB19’s latest bop sets their sights on disrupting the norm, reflecting a state of creative and career liberation. As the lyrics best describe it, “I’m lawless, better be cautious.”
Buoyed by maximalist production and cinematic soundscapes, “LAWLESS” takes P-Pop to a more sonically riveting ground, fusing hip-hop swagger with contemporary pop, Western, and surf rock influences.
Accompanying the release is an equally audacious but strikingly entertaining music video that subverts classic outlaw tropes through tongue-in-cheek homage to Western films. The visuals show SB19’s signature blend of wit, charisma, and boundary-pushing creativity.
SB19’s “LAWLESS” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment. Watch the music video here.
Production Credits:
Composers:
John Paulo Nase (RADKIDZ)
Joshua Daniel Nase (RADKIDZ)
Josh Cullen Santos
Tomas Costanza
Tim Gent
Charles Anthony Rangel
Lyricists:
John Paulo Nase (RADKIDZ)
Josh Cullen Santos
Tim Gent
Charles Anthony Rangel
Mixing Engineer: Emil Dela Rosa
Mastering Engineer: Emil Dela Rosa
Producers:
John Paulo Nase (RADKIDZ)
Joshua Daniel Nase (RADKIDZ)
Tomas Costanza
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Offshore Music honors the legacy of the Eraserheads’ Fruitcake with Rob Cham merch collaboration
Filipino independent record label Offshore Music teams up with award-winning illustrator and comics creator Rob Cham for a special limited-edition merchandise to mark the 30th anniversary of the Eraserheads‘ critically acclaimed fourth studio album, Fruitcake.
The limited-edition t-shirt features Cham’s modern take on the album’s whimsical world, giving listeners a fresh visual entry point into one of the most important works in Philippine music.
Known for his distinct visual storytelling, Cham approached the project as both a tribute and reinterpretation of the original Fruitcake universe.
“I wanted to do my take on the storybook while also keeping it something that people would see and be curious about what the album is about,” the acclaimed artist explains. “I wanted to make other fans of Fruitcake happy and tried to capture the energy that the album has. While working on this, I listened to the album nonstop, reread the book, and looked up all the old music videos to get in the headspace. There are so many crazy characters and visuals and pure imagination in the album and storybook, and I wanted to make people feel as excited as I was when I first learned about the album.”
As Fruitcake reaches its 30th anniversary, Cham hopes the merch encourages fans to revisit the album and discover it anew.
“I hope people give the album another listen and reconnect with their memories of Filipino Christmas,” he says. “For those discovering it for the first time, I hope they experience it from start to finish and piece together the story. I hope they find something new they hadn’t noticed before and wear this shirt with love for this album. More importantly, I hope it becomes a meaningful part of their collection.”
Released in 1996, Fruitcake is widely regarded as the band’s Christmas concept album, cementing its place as a cult favorite among fans. Recorded entirely in English, the 22-track record follows the journey of a young girl through the fictional community of Fruitcake Heights.
The launch of the Rob Cham x Fruitcake 30th Anniversary merch line will be available at the Offshore Music Bazaar on June 26, 2026, at Thai Mookata, Makati City—same day and venue as the Fête de la Musique The Indie Stage.
NCCA Celebrates Centennial of Art Deco Style with 2026 Calendar
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) continues its calendar tradition with the release of the 2026 edition. This time it commemorates the 100 years of Art Deco in the Philippines, coinciding with the global celebration of the architectural style and highlighting its beauty and enduring impact on the country’s landscapes.
Titled “A Century of Art Deco in the Philippines,” the calendar features 12 notable structures—one for each month—around the country that demonstrate how Art Deco influenced civic buildings, educational institutions, residences, and cultural landmarks across the archipelago during the twentieth century.
The calendar was conceptualized and designed by journalist, filmmaker, and cultural researcher Roel Hoang Manipon, who also wrote the texts and took many of the photographs featured in the publication. Additional images were contributed by Mervin Concepcion Vergara, Gerard Rey Lico, Ben Scharlin, Bien Alvarez, Lorraine Sy-Lianteng, Iya Cabrera, and Roezielle Joy Iglesia.
In his introduction, Manipon situates Art Deco within both global and local contexts, underscoring its importance in the country’s cultural history. He writes: “As it marks its hundredth year, Art Deco in the Philippines deserves recognition not only for its beauty but also for its role in shaping the country’s vision of modernity.”
The calendar opens with the Generoso M. Villanueva House, popularly known as Daku Balay, in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, followed by the First United Building in Binondo, Manila, one of the country’s earliest Art Deco office buildings. Other featured structures include the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Malate, Manila; the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary Building in Sampaloc, Manila; and the Bulacan Provincial Capitol Building in Malolos City, Bulacan. Also highlighted are the Far Eastern University buildings in Sampaloc, Manila; Molo Mansion in Molo, Iloilo City, Iloilo; the Quezon Provincial Capitol Building in Lucena City, Quezon; the Old Municipal Hall of Jaro in Jaro, Iloilo City, Iloilo; the Old Tanauan Municipal Hall, now housing the Museo ng Tanauan, in Tanauan City, Batangas; and the Gala-Rodriguez House in Sariaya, Quezon. The calendar concludes with the Metropolitan Theater in Ermita, Manila, one of the Philippines’ most iconic Art Deco landmarks which celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2026.
The 2026 NCCA Calendar serves not only as a timekeeping tool but also as an accessible cultural reference—inviting Filipinos to rediscover how Art Deco helped shape the Philippine built environment and its aspirations for modernity.
Exhibits showcase UNESCO-inscribed Ifugao celebration and NCCA transmission program
The Huwah celebration culminates with the UNESCO-inscribed Punnuk tug-of-war, photographed by Roel Hoang Manipon
Two exhibits celebrate Philippine intangible cultural heritage in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Month and Museums and Galleries Month.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) presents “Haggi̱yo, Huwah! A Living Heritage of the Tuwali Ifugao of Hungduan, An Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” and “Community, Creativity and Continuity: The Story of the NCCA Schools of Living Traditions” at its NCCA Gallery in Intramuros from October 13 to 30, 2025. Both mounted by a curatorial team led by Renee Talavera, chief of the Program Management Division of the NCCA Secretariat, they offer ways on how rituals and traditions endure—through memory, practice, craftsmanship, and the passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
“Haggi̱yo, Huwah!” showcase an age-old tradition that continues to be practiced by Tuwali Ifugao communities of Hungduan, a town in the Cordillera highlands.
The Huwah, the post-harvest celebration of the communities of Hapao, Baang, and Nungulunan, culminates in the Punnuk, a tug-of-war game performed in the waters of the Hapao River.
“The Punnuk,” writes journalist, cultural researcher and Gawad Urian-nominated documentary filmmaker Roel Hoang Manipon in the exhibition note, “is a convergence of ritual, memory, and play that closes the year’s labor on the terraces and reaffirms the ties of kinship and community.”
The Punnuk was inscribed in 2015 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The exhibition displays samples of the kina-ag, an anthropomorphic figure used in the Punnuk; a jar where bayah or rice wine is stored, used for the baki or divination ritual; and traditional Ifugao attire. Wooden figures, made by Hungduan carvers, depict the guyyudan or tug-of-war using the pakid, a wooden implement with a hook.
The exhibit is brought to life by Manipon’s photographs of the communities and the Huwah—the breathtaking Hapao rice terraces, the harvest of rice in granaries, the mumbaki performing a ritual and the guwe or annoucement, the making of the kinaag, the dramatic tug-of-war, the throwing of paraphernalia into the river, etc.
Complementing the display is a short documentary written and directed by Manipon, offering visitors an immersive glimpse into the energy and devotion that animate the Punnuk—where the river becomes both a stage and a spiritual cleansing ground for the community.
Running alongside “Haggi̱yo, Huwah!” is “Community, Creativity and Continuity: The Story of the NCCA Schools of Living Traditions,” which shows the NCCA flagship program and how Filipino communities keep their traditional crafts and practices alive through teaching and learning.
The Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) are community-managed centers of learning where recognized cultural masters transmit indigenous, folk, and traditional knowledge to the youth through learning by doing. Launched in 1995, the program has implemented over 300 SLTs nationwide in different cultural communities—from the Dumagat Remontado and Kalinga in Luzon to the Panay Bukidnon in the Visayas and T’boli and Mandaya in Mindanao.
In 2021, UNESCO inscribed the program in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, hailing it as a model that “best reflects the principles and objectives of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
The exhibition showcases crafts and products created by SLT learners—woven textiles, sleeping mats, basketry, traditional attire—alongside photographs by Gerald Marcfred Dillera of cultural masters and apprentices at work. As Manipon writes in his exhibition note, “Each object and image tells the story of continuity—of how elders, youth, and communities together weave cultural memory into everyday life.”
Like its companion show, the SLT exhibition is also accompanied by a short documentary written and directed by Manipon, “School of Living Traditions of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts: Safeguarding Philippine Cultural Traditions, Empowering Communities.”
Viewed together, the two exhibitions create a tapestry of cultural vitality—one flowing with the rhythm of an Ifugao river, the other pulsing with the craft and creativity of communities across the archipelago. “Haggi̱yo, Huwah!” and “Community, Creativity and Continuity” are affirmations of a culture still alive, still moving, still teaching. As the exhibitions remind us, heritage is not a relic preserved behind glass but a living current that binds the past and the future, like the rivers and hands that continue to shape it.
Both exhibitions run at the NCCA Gallery, 633 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, from October 13 to 30, 2025.
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Henry Moodie releases new single “beat up car”
The track serves as follow-up to the chart-topping hit “drunk text,” which gained prominent traction in the Philippines thanks to viral covers by Paolo of Ben&Ben and Paolo Sandejas
Future global pop superstar Henry Moodie has released his incredible new single, ‘beat up car’ via Robots & Humans (UK), Columbia Records (US) and Sony Music Entertainment. The single is accompanied by a music video.
The release of the track follows the regional success of his previous hit “drunk text,” which peaked at No. 1 on streaming platforms in Malaysia and Indonesia, and charted across Southeast Asia. The aforementioned song also gained traction and virality in the region, with notable covers from NCT (popular K-Pop boy group) member Chenle, Paolo of Ben&Ben, and Paolo Sandejas.
On Henry’s new single “beat up car”, the British pop sensation delivers yet another epic ballad; his exquisite vocals flourish as the crux of the new single, accompanied by sublime production that features exquisite guitars alongside an invigorating beat. It is beautiful and charming in equal measures, holding a deep relatability that fans and news listeners will no doubt resonate with. The single is accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Ned Botwood, and together they demonstrate once again why Henry Moodie is seen as one of the most exciting new UK pop stars on the scene today.
Speaking about ‘beat up car’, Henry said, “beat up car is a song fantasizing about running away with someone who makes life feel less scary. When I’m feeling down, I have a couple people I know I can call to remind me of all the beautiful parts of life – love and friendship. I wanted this song to feel uplifting and cinematic – just like how it feels to be with a soulmate!”
At just 19-years-old, Henry Moodie already achieved more than 250 million streams worldwide, landed in the Top 10 most viewed UK artists on TikTok in 2022 and has been named amongst Amazon Music’s Artists To Watch in 2023. Following the completion of a songwriting diploma at music school BIMM, Henry found his voice as a solo musician and songwriter, oozing a level of emotional vulnerability, and sweeping, timeless lyrics.
Henry released his debut EP, ‘in all of my lonely nights’, in the winter of 2023. With a combined 250m streams across tracks including self-penned and produced ‘you were there for me’, global hit ‘drunk text’ and the heartfelt ‘pick up the phone’, a track which received 350k streams in it’s first day alone. With his first headline UK and European tour selling out in days, support tours with Mimi Webb & Lauren Spencer-Smith under his belt, Henry has currently been embarking on his biggest solo tour to date with over 15,000 tickets sold in UK, Europe & USA plus festivals in Asia during the summer.
‘beat up car’ Single Artwork – DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES HERE
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FOLLOW HENRY MOODIE ON SOCIALS
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Henry Moodie’s ‘beat up car’ is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Robots & Humans (UK), Columbia Records (US) and Sony Music Entertainment.
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Finding Nellie: Olongapo mystery solved by father-daughter team
Introduction
On November 6, 2021, Dr. Leo De Castro —a Philosophy professor at the University of the Philippines—received four birthday cakes from an old grade school friend. They both studied at Nellie E. Brown Elementary School (NEBES), a public school in Olongapo City.
Connected to Subic Bay and facing the West Philippine Sea, Olongapo is known for being part of a US Naval Base from 1901 to 1959. Placenames in Olongapo tell stories about this time, as streets, schools, and establishments carry foreign names – most of which can easily be traced to navy officials who were previously stationed there, local government officials, and even American presidents.
But who was Nellie E. Brown?
This is the question that Leo’s daughter, Ellie, kept asking. Her Dada, his brothers, and the people they grew up with apparently didn’t know.
There are many stories about who Nellie could have been: a teacher, a volunteer, or maybe even a business owner. But no one knows for certain as official documents about the school’s first days are missing. The official history of NEBES, as documented by the Department of Education, mentions that Nellie was a Peace Corps volunteer who helped build the school. However, the timing doesn’t match: the Peace Corps started only in 1961, while the school was founded in 1953.
Why was a school named after her? And why doesn’t anyone seem to know?
Finding Nellie
What Ellie thought would be a quick Google search turned out to be an adventure that has lasted more than two years.
Finding Nellie is a project that has made a team of National Geographic explorers (archaeologists, educators, and storytellers) scour through offline and online archives in the Philippines and abroad; inquire with libraries, cemeteries, historians, and even active and retired U.S. military personnel; get in touch with local politicians (even a Senator!); and message anyone who might remotely be related to a Nellie Brown on social media, via telephone, and even by knocking on their doors. On Instagram, the team shares every step of this journey through its colorful and interactive Field Notes.
With the help of the National Geographic Society, Finding Nellie has allowed Ellie and her teammates to connect and reconnect with friends and family; foster an appreciation for community roots; and bring world history lessons a little closer to home – especially to the current students of Nellie E. Brown.
Two years and a few months later, the team is ready to announce: that Nellie has been found.
On April 11, 2024, Finding Nellie, led by Ellie De Castro, will announce the official identity of Nellie E. Brown. The event will be held at the grounds of Nellie E. Brown Elementary School, from 7:00-9:30 a.m., in front of the school’s current students, faculty, and the City of Olongapo’s active community participants. It will be followed by an interactive exhibit that showcases the team’s journey of #FindingNellie.
For more details, visit the project’s online spaces:
Instagram: @finding.nellie
TikTok: @finding.nellie
Website: https://www.elliedecastro.com/finding-nellie
Team Members’ Biographies
Ellie De Castro
Ellie is a Filipina archaeologist whose work focuses on finding avenues to connect heritage and youth. She led the Handi Project from 2015-2020, where she organized field trips to bring students from the Ifugao indigenous group to their world-renowned heritage sites, which they previously didn’t have access to. For the Dewil Valley Museum in El Nido, Palawan, she produced educational materials, artwork, and activities for the youth of the valley to engage them with the archaeological sites in their neighborhood. These projects focused on creating opportunities to connect with heritage resources in communities. Ellie seeks to enable participants of her projects to appreciate their homes in a new light and see the wonders of the world in their immediate surroundings.
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Basic Medical Sciences degree from the University of the Philippines-Manila and a Master of Science degree in Archaeology from the University of the Philippines-Diliman
Peg Keiner
Peg is an educator in the USA with 17 years of experience, including 4 years as an elementary technology coach and 8 years leading an inquiry-based International Baccalaureate school as the Director of Innovation. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Earth Education Expert, a 2018 National Geographic Certified Educator, and United Nations Association-Chicago Global Goal Ambassador. As a 2017 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, she created immersive 360 content to transport students to Antarctica through inquiry science lessons. As a 2019 Nat Geo Education Fellow, she led the development of a week-long student workshop for GeoChallenge Participants and created the #31daysofcitizenscience video series to amplify the use of citizen science tools.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology and Design from Northern Illinois University.
Rachel Hansen
Rachel is an educator in the USA with 13 years of teaching experience, including 4 years of co-teaching experience with an English teacher, and 2 years spent working on an interdisciplinary team in a project-based program. She has much experience using participatory design and inquiry-based learning in her classroom. In 2021, Rachel was awarded the AP Human Geography Distinguished Teaching Award from the National Council for Geographic Education.
Rachel has endorsements in American History, World History, US Government, and Geography, with a B.A. from The University of Iowa in History. She is finishing her M.A. in Geography at the University of Northern Iowa, where her research focuses on tracking student learning progressions as they engage in map-making to tell stories of their communities.
Beyoncé releases new album, COWBOY CARTER
The eighth studio album, from the world’s most innovative artist, arrives after a monumental two-song release as a no-holds-barred, multi-genre nod to Americana country culture
Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, COWBOY CARTER is taking the world by storm with its top-notch songwriting and production, as well as incredible commercial success. The critically acclaimed record is expected to land at No. 1 on several countries for the tracking week, particularly in major markets worldwide.
The album arrives following the successful release of two lead singles, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES.”
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” landed across nine different genres on US music charts including Pop, Hot AC, Country, Rhythmic, Urban, and R&B, and making history with Beyoncé becoming the first Black female artist to reach No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 1 on the Hot 100 Chart with a Country song. It also spent four weeks at the top of the UK music charts.
COWBOY CARTER, executive produced by Beyoncé, is about genres, all of them, while deeply rooted in Country. This is the work of an artist who thrives in her freedom to grow, expand, and create limitlessly. It makes no apologies, and seeks no permission in elevating, amplifying, and redefining the sounds of music, while dismantling accepted false norms about Americana culture. It pays homage to the past, honoring musical pioneers in Country, Rock, Classical, and Opera.
The album is a cornucopia of sounds that Beyoncé loves, and grew up listening to, between visits and eventually performances at the Houston Rodeo – Country, original Rhythm & Blues, Blues, Zydeco, and Black Folk. The album wraps itself in pure instrumentation in a celebratory authentic gumbo of sounds using among others, the accordion, harmonica, washboard, acoustic guitar, bass ukulele, pedal steel guitar, a Vibra-Slap, the mandolin, fiddle, Hammond B3 organ, tack piano, and the banjo. There’s also plenty of handclaps, horseshoe steps, boot stomps on hardwood floors and yes, those are Beyoncé’s nails as percussion.
“The joy of creating music is that there are no rules,” says Beyoncé. “The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity. With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones. I didn’t want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature.”
And the inspiration further takes into account Southern and Western culture beyond music, the Rodeo, Western films, and the stories of the original cowboys of the West. It was at the Rodeo where she first saw diversity and camaraderie among people who love Country music and an Americana lifestyle, steeped in community, culinary offerings, grills, and Western gear. And it was for everyone. Among the crowds were Black, Hispanic and Native American Cowboys, who made their valuable, authentic allowances to the culture. Their stories are synonymous with American history.
The music is wrapped around an outpouring of passionate, bold storytelling that captivates the listener with Beyoncé’s familiar, powerful voice at the center. Her vocals shine a blinding light on a narrative steeped in truth-telling, revealing hidden histories, and reveling in all the magic you seek when you take an intentional journey back to your roots. Beyoncé is a student of history, and she continues the American music masterclass that started with act i RENAISSANCE in 2022, that was a deep dive into dance music and its creators, and the celebration of those who lived in joy despite being made to feel like outliers.
On COWBOY CARTER the work of an artist who created on her own terms, in the absence of rules, persists boldly. The songs caress, cradle, and encourage the listener’s curiosity through 27 gifts of revolutionary surprises, erasing the limitations placed on genre-based music. As a producer, Beyoncé explores and experiments with chord and key changes effortlessly mixing genres, bending, and blending the unexpected to break down every wall of musical confinement. It is a rare body of work that could so seamlessly hosts remakes of classics like “BLACKBIIRD” by The Beatles and “JOLENE” by Dolly Parton with sonically diverse creations like “SWEET HONEY BUCKIN,” “RIIVER DANCE” and “II MOST WANTED.”
“My process is that I typically have to experiment,” Beyoncé says. “I enjoy being open to have the freedom to get all aspects of things I love out and so I worked on many songs. I recorded probably 100 songs. Once that is done, I am able to put the puzzle together and realize the consistencies and the common themes, and then create a solid body of work.”
The album is an experiment indeed. Each song is its own version of a reimagined Western film. She took inspiration from films like “Five Fingers For Marseilles,” “Urban Cowboy,” “The Hateful Eight, “Space Cowboys,” “The Harder They Fall” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” often having the films playing on a screen during the recording process. Some aspects of the percussion were inspired by the ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack, where it was more Bluegrass. This body of work undulates from singing cowboy and Blaxploitation to Spaghetti westerns and fantasy with Beyoncé weaving between personal experiences, honoring Black history, to exaggerated character building. The limited-edition vinyl depicts a microphone in the shape of a gun ala Thelma and Louise running from the law, but the gun is invisible, hyper exaggerated reality.
The character, Cowboy Carter was birth from these experiences and inspired by the original Black cowboys of the American West. The word cowboy itself was used in a derogatory way to describe the former slaves as “boys,” who were the most skilled and had the hardest jobs of handling horses and cattle, alike. In destroying the negative connotation, what remains is the strength and resiliency of these men who were the true definition of Western fortitude.
While RENAISSANCE was a stated rebirth after the Pandemic, COWBOY CARTER is a declarative frequency and academic shift, as the world prepares to shift again, that redefines and rebuilds what is Country and Americana, and who gets to be included. The album opens with “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” a hymn-like alarm that incinerates old ideas about art and the people who create it.
Beyoncé ensconced herself with a stellar group of collaborators, including The-Dream, Pharrell, NO I.D., Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Tedder, Ryan Beatty, Swizz Beatz, Khirye Tyler, Derek Dixie, Ink, Nova Wav, Mamii, Cam, Tyler Johnson, Dave Hamelin, and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter to find the secret gems in each song. The process, sometimes years in the making, often meant combining pieces of different recordings, changing the instrumentation here, adding a snare there, to land at the perfect spot in the right time.
“This album took over five years,” she says. “It’s been really great to have the time and the grace to be able to take my time with it. I was initially going to put COWBOY CARTER out first, but with the pandemic, there was too much heaviness in the world. We wanted to dance. We deserved to dance. But I had to trust God’s timing.”
And the musical alliance here includes contributions from an impressive list of artists as vocalists, musicians, and orators, including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Mylie Cyrus, Post Malone, Jon Batiste, Rhiannon Giddens, Nile Rodgers, Robert Randolph, Gary Clark, Jr., Willie Jones, Brittney Spencer, Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy.
COWBOY CARTER is the musical concoction you did not expect from the world’s most innovative artist and producer, who has made it the norm to push the boundaries in delivering art that challenges the senses. It’s about culture, legacy, and a critical addition to the American songbook from the most important and creative talent in a Century.
“I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects,” Beyoncé says, “but it’s the best music I’ve ever made.”
Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER is available now via Parkwood Entertainment, Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment.
COWBOY CARTER TRACK LIST:
1. AMERIICAN REQUIEM
2. BLACKBIIRD
3. 16 CARRIAGES
4. PROTECTOR
5. MY ROSE
6. SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON
7. TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
8. BODYGUARD
9. DOLLY P
10. JOLENE
11. DAUGHTER
12. SPAGHETTII
13. ALLIIGATOR TEARS
14. SMOKE HOUR II
15. JUST FOR FUN
16. II MOST WANTED
17. LEVII’S JEANS
18. FLAMENCO
19. The LINDA MARTELL SHOW
20. YA YA
21. OH LOUISIANA
22. DESERT EAGLE
23. RIIVER DANCE
24. II HANDS II HEAVEN
25. TYRANT
26. SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’
27. AMEN