Even though January 2022 has only begun, we already have some pretty fire bangers from Ylona Garcia, Zephanie, Kep1er, and more.
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It’s safe to say that 2021 was a great year for music. Western acts like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo were playlist must-haves. Many K-pop groups and idols dropped pure bops throughout the year, some of which we still listen to on the regular. And the year was arguably one of OPM’s strongest thanks to the rise in P-pop and other new generation stars like Zack Tabudlo and Arthur Nery. Hopefully, 2022 will be just as good if not better for music and with what has been released so far, it looks like 2022 won’t disappoint. Even though we are just halfway through January, we already have songs and albums worthy to soundtrack our upcoming days. Here are just some of the new releases we have been playing on repeat.
ENTERTAIN ME – YLONA GARICA
Ylona Garcia really knows how to make a bop. The young star started off the year on the right beat with the drop of her latest single, Entertain Me, which was released in partnership with Valorant. The pop-synth anthem about self-confidence is high key one of her best songs she has released in her career so far. Her vocals are on point, as usual, the beat is very addicting, and it’s earworm-worthy of any playlist. And the accompanying music video she released for the song is one of her best, too. From the visuals, looks, set, and more, she did that. When you’re done listening to the song, why not play a few rounds of Valorant with the newly released Pinoy agent, Neon.
HATDOG – ZACK TABUDLO and JAMES REID
For a song with such a unique name, HATDOG is an emotional jam and is some of Zack and James’ finest vocal work to date. Zack Tabudlo and James Reid are back with their next high profile collab and the results are as good as you expect it to be. The track is a soulful pop ditty featuring a swoon-worthy chorus and guitar work, which is all about loving and waiting for the right person despite hesitation on the other side. While the song starts out as an easygoing pop/R&B tune with soulful, slow-rock edge, it reaches its soaring emotional crescendo near the end to make for a memorable end.
THERE AND BACK AGAIN – ERIC NAM
For some people, Eric Nam may be known these days as the founder and co-host of DIVE Studios Podcast. But the Korean-American singer-songwriter has been in the music game for over a decade known. Throughout his career, Eric has dropped some playlist worthy tunes, and his latest effort, There And Back Again, is no exception. Serving as his second all-English album, the anticipated project is some of Eric Nam’s most addicting and irresistible tunes to date. Collaborating with GRAMMY Award-nominated producer Rabitt on the album, Eric delivered a multi layered journey revolving around his interesting career path. And the best part about this seven track sleek and smooth pop record was that it’s his first as an independent artist.
GOT THE BEAT – STEP BACK
Was Step Back the gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss anthem we were expecting? No, it was not. In fact, it reminds us of the Jollibee delivery song. But regardless, the fact that we got this song and more importantly this team up is an achievement in it of itself. Seeing some of SM Entertainment female legends and soon-to-be legends come together for a project is a dream come true for many, including us. If SM can give us Super M, then they can also do GOT the beat. The song itself can get quite addicting and the vocals showcase between the ladies is phenomenal. Hopefully this won’t be the last time we’ll see of GOT the beat because we want more.
GASOLINE – THE WEEKND
The Weeknd decide to surprise everyone at the beginning of the year by announcing and quickly releasing his latest studio album, Dawn FM, which is arguably the first big release of the year. The Weeknd initially got his start and fame through his experimental approach to R&B, over the years, he has shifted into a decidedly more pop realm. Dawn FM is The Weeknd’s latest exploration of the pop-synth-retro-R&B genre and he’s proven once again that he’s still got it. It also features a few collabs, including one with Jim Carrey. If you loved After Hours, Dawn FM should be right up your alley.
THE BEAT – VXON
There’s a new P-pop boy group in town and their name is VXON. Pronounced as vision, VXON comes from powerhouse entertainment company Cornerstone Entertainment and serves as their first-ever boy group. Composed of members C13, Sam, Patrick, Vince, and Franz, the group just made their debut with their debut single, The Beast. It’s a hard-hitting pop-EDM anthem that shows the group has a promising future ahead of them.
WA DA DA – KEP1ER
Kep1er was arguably one of the most anticipated girl groups to make their debut in 2021 thanks to the popularity of Girls Planet 999. And after a delay that pushed their debut to early January, Kep1er has landed and it’s explosive. WA DA DA is an addicting debut single that features an earworm of a chorus. Along with the release of the track was there first EP FIRST IMPACT and it’s worth the listen. With all the hype that was behind the group, Kep1er did great.
PAG-IBIG NA KAYA – ZEPHANIE and JEREMY G
In case you didn’t know, Zephanie poised to become one of the new generations biggest stars. They don’t call her the New Gen Princess for nothing, and Zephanie just made one of her biggest career moves to date with the release of her debut studio album, Zephanie. The album has been a long time coming for many of her fans and she did not disappoint. If you want to know why she has the hype, give the album a listen. It’s filled with vocal showcases like her smooth duet with Jeremy Glinoga. Speaking of Jeremy, he also dropped a new single called someday that’s worth a listen.
RUBY – WOOZI
Woozi is not the first member of SEVENTEEN to release solo music, but Ruby definitely stands out from their past work. Serving as his official solo debut first English language single, Ruby is a rock anthem about falling in love to the point where it’s intensity is like the color red, like a ruby. TBH, we were caught off guard with the more mature look and sound. But it’s a welcome change and it suits SEVENTEEN’s resident producer really well.
POLAROID LOVE – ENHYPEN
ENHYPEN recently dropped their repackaged album, DIMENSION : ANSWER, filled with three new tracks. And while the comeback single, Blessed-Cursed, is not bad, our pick is going to go to the album’s B-side, Polaroid Love. The song’s upbeat, catchy, and fun vibe is a great contrast to Blessed-Cursed and it’s slightly darker, more bad boy-esque sound. Polaroid Love is a fun pop love song that you want to listen to while out on a picnic or in a large grassy field with the sun and the blue sky out. And let’s not forget how Jake’s intro has been giving us butterflies.
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