This September 29 to October 1 at the BGC Arts Center, celebrate the best of Filipino music with a stacked lineup of local artists, relevant talks, and fellow Filipino music enthusiasts at Pinoy Playlist Music Festival 2023.

Related: And We’re Live: Concerts, Festivals, and Fanmeets Coming to the Philippines This 2023 (and Beyond)

Filipino music has never felt more rich, diverse, and loved as it is today. Spanning generations and decades upon decades of different genres, styles, and messages, our diverse local music is rooted deep in our culture and history. There’s a reason why we show up and show out for every musical performance, whether it’s karaoke at your friend’s house or a full-out music festival featuring well-established musicians or up-and-coming indie artists!

Well, now we have the chance to show up and show out at Pinoy Playlist Music Festival 2023: Gunita At Mga Bukas, a 3-day music festival presented by the Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. through BGC Arts Center and curated by National Artist for Music Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, Moy Ortiz, and Noel Ferrer. PPMF will feature a wide array of Filipino artists and musicians, performances, and conversations all about the past, present, and future of Filipino music.

THE RICH TAPESTRY OF FILIPINO MUSIC

From September 29 to October 1, there will be over 45 performances across three venues at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig City: the Globe Auditorium, the Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall, and the Sun Life Amphitheater. The sets are designed with photos from the Camera Club of the Philippines and digital art by local artists.

Filipino artists, solos and groups, will give their usual best while also performing something a little different. Each performance will bear a tinge of “change” from how it’s usually performed or heard on playlists. Whether you’re a music connoisseur or someone who sticks to one genre craving to explore the diverse genres offered, you’ll definitely find your niche—or find something new to love—at the event.

To honor those that made rippling waves in Filipino music, PPMF will also pay tribute to the Ryan Cayabyab Awardees of 2023, Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, Mel Villena, and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, with special performances on each day. Exemplifying the theme Gunita at Mga Bukas (“Memories and Futures”), these tributes, along with the entire event itself, is an amalgamation of the past, present, and future—an exploration of how Filipino music is a unique blend of all three as new artists, new genres, and new stories emerge through the art.

CATCH THESE ARTISTS LIVE

Day 1: Abby Clutario, Adjeng, Jasmine and Noelle, Joey Ayala, Mijon, Pauline Cueto, Raven, Sam Concepcion, Simon Tan Walotao, Sitti, & Tamara. Special tribute performances for Mr. Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata by Pundaquit Virtuosi & Steps Dance Studio.

Day 2: Autotelic, Ebe Dancel, 春 haru, Kammerchor Manila, Leanne and Naara, Of Mercury, Rivermaya, The Edralins, CHNDTR, Viva, Vicor, & Wild Dreams Records Artists: Amiel Sol, Matt Wilson, Nicole Abuda, & Rob Deniel, & Young Cocoa. Special tribute performances for Mr. Mel Villena by AMP Decktet, The CompanY, Mike Guevarra, & Mitch Valdes.

Day 3: Arman Ferrer, Davey Langit, Debonair District, Gary Granada, Janine Teñoso, Lara Maigue & Gian Magdangal, Nica Del Rosario, Room for Cielo, Therese Villarante’s “Girl With A Broken String” feat. Ivy Gallur & James Gulles, & The Nightingales. Special tribute performances for Ms. Regine Velasquez-Alcasid by Katrina Velarde, Phi Palmos, Trina Belamide, Ima Castro, Sweet Plantado-Tiongson, Jona, & Jed Madela.

MUSIC IN CELEBRATION, ARTISTS IN CONVERSATION

Besides the live performances, PPMF will also host talks and workshops that delve into the current issues and circumstances surrounding Filipino music and its artists—namely, songwriting, artificial intelligence, and the Filipino audience.

• Day 1: “Filipino Songwriting: From Dreams to Sheet” with Trina Belamide, Jonathan Manalo, and Moy Ortiz

• Day 2: “AI: Friend or Foe of Filipino Music?” with Thyro Alfaro, Gino Cruz, and Marlon Barnuevo, moderated by Maria Isabel Garcia

• Day 3: “The Difficult Filipino Audience (Perfect Ka, Teh?)” with Direk Floy, Dexter Martinez Santos, and Paolo Valenciano

Pinoy Playlist Music Festival 2023 is all about the Filipino, and all about the music. Get your 1-Day Pass or Festival 3-day Passes via the TicketWorld website (or call 8891 9999) or at the BGC Arts Center TicketWorld Box Office.

For more information, visit their website and follow BGC Arts Center on Facebook for more updates. See you there!

Continue Reading: Everything We Know So Far About the Manila Pop Culture Convention 2023

SEVENTEEN’s new album Seventeenth Heaven is getting us way excited for new songs, new promo, and fun visuals, some of which we’ll get to hear and see at their upcoming FOLLOW concert in the Philippines!

Related: Moments From Seventeen’s BeTS in Bulacan That Hit Different

SEVENTEEN’s right here once again as the world-famous, record-breaking 13-member K-pop group announced a new album, a new comeback, and a new Asia tour with a stop in the Philippines all in one month! Their 11th mini album, titled Seventeenth Heaven, will drop on October 23, 2023 in all its bright, funky, amazingly SEVENTEEN glory. Get ready for a month of teasers, promo, and killer visuals with the comeback calendar below! And no doubt, the album will feature new songs that they’ll perform at their biggest, grandest, most iconic tour yet: the FOLLOW To Asia tour, with stops in Bangkok, Bulacan, and Macao!

X/pledis_17

X/pledis_17

As their fandom CARATs marveled at the promise of the new comeback, the buzz of their much-anticipated concert grew louder and more intense. After three successful Philippine shows last year at their Be The Sun concerts in October and December, the supergroup is coming back big with their Philippine show at the Philippine Sports Stadium on January 13, 2024. Before then, though, here are some reasons why their new album is garnering so much hype around it and the upcoming concert!

A NEW AESTHETIC

X/pledis_17

The promos for Seventeenth Heaven are bright, fun, and colorful, a different creative direction set apart from their previews albums such as FML and Face the Sun. It signals, perhaps, the comeback of “freshteen,” a fun, fresh, and upbeat branding they’ve been known to have. Regardless of the type of music or aesthetic the new album will have, and given that SEVENTEEN has excelled in the different genres they’ve explored, we predict that it’s going to be a banger in all aspects.

NEW SONGS ON THE SETLIST

The band already embarked on their new FOLLOW tour before the announcement of their 11th mini album, so we mostly know what the setlist is going to be at FOLLOW in Bulacan. The setlist echoes that of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour’s as it included a mix of songs from all of their past eras and albums, such as Pinwheel from their 2017 album Teen, Age and their 2015 debut song Adore U. Now, with Seventeenth Heaven giving us a handful of new tracks, we can’t wait to see how the setlist changes with a new title track and b-sides!

ALBUM INCLUSIONS

SEVENTEEN 11th Mini Album 'SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN' 발매 및 예약 판매 안내

ALBUM INCLUSIONS#SEVENTEEN #세븐틴 #SEVENTEENTH_HEAVEN pic.twitter.com/CG957HwC4k

— 🐱 (@yupsheskitten) September 19, 2023

Who doesn’t love the little trinkets that come with K-Pop albums? Whether you’re excited about the usual inclusions like the photobook, photocards, stickers, posters, or the CD itself, or whatever idol groups cook up to include in their albums like bookmarks or keychains, album inclusions are a staple in the K-pop experience. This time, the members are giving CARATs another art project like the weaving kit in their Semicolon album in the form of a “paper art kit.”

MEANINGFUL REFERENCES

If you’re a CARAT, you might find something familiar about the names of each Seventeenth Heaven album version. That’s right—they’re dates that mean something to the band, their fandom, and the album. 5/26 is SEVENTEEN’s debut date, May 26. 2/14, February 14, is CARATs’ “birthday,” the day they were given their fandom name. 10/23 is the release date of the album. It drops on 10/23/2023. What do you get when you add those digits together? 1+0+2+3+2+0+2+3 = 13, the number of members in the group. Intentional or not, that’s some Taylor Swift levels of easter eggs.

SEVENTEEN FESTIVAL THEME?!

this ‘outro’ during follow concert + the first teaser to be wristbands

SEVENTEEN FESTIVAL THEMED ? 🌼🩵💛 pic.twitter.com/SjRsRrXJJT

— 우지냥이 (@lunehoon) September 19, 2023

Given the album art, the festival wristband teaser and album inclusion, and the copious amount of spoilers about “festivals” during the band’s FOLLOW concert in Seoul, Seventeenth Heaven seems like it’s going to channel big party vibes, outdoor music celebrations, and endless fun. With FOLLOW in Bulacan being held at the Philippine Sports Stadium, it’s sure to be a blast—rain or shine. 17-hour long Aju Nice encore anyone?

Continue Reading: How to Get Early Access to K-Pop Concert Tickets Using Weverse

We’re so ready to add new music to our everyday playlists, starting with these Filipino music artists on the rise.

This year is already off to a good start for music. As fast-rising stars like Fil-Am musician, Olivia Rodrigo–who just released her first single drivers license–proved that it’s not too early to be considered the 2021 song of the year, we’re hopeful that more Filipino musicians will be recognized for their talents as well. We’ve picked out a fresh array of Filipino artists you should be streaming now so that this time next year, you can proudly say that you were one of the OGs.

RELATED: 10 Filipino TikTok Stars We Want To See More Of This 2021

Rob Deniel

The artist behind the hit song, Ulap, is Rob Deniel; a 17-year-old singer-songwriter. Ulap, which has about 2 million streams on Spotify was apparently single-handedly written, produced, and arranged by Rob on the app, Garageband. Gen Zs, am I right?

Fern.

Fern. is coming back with a new album and we’re excited for the new sound he has to offer. Mark our words, people. You’ll be seeing his name everywhere soon. While you wait for his comeback, have a listen to his latest single, Want U Bad.

BGYO

Without spoiling anything about their debut on January 29, we can confidently say that BGYO is the next P-Pop boy group you’ll be raving about.

…. Let’s just say that once you hear their song, you’ll be seeing the light as to why they have such a strong fanbase already.

Nathan & Mercury

Welcome to the indie scene as we welcome the band, Nathan & Mercury, composed of Nathan Huang on guitar and vocals, Angelo Sison on bass, Alex Samonte on guitars, and Daniel Monong on drums. You might have heard their single, Fools, while watching Gaya sa Pelikula. So, if you like the sound, then you should check out their discography.

Zack Tabudlo

Zack Tabudlo is a promising musician in the alt-pop and R&B landscape. His song, Nangangamba is almost at 1 million streams on Spotify and an insider tells us that he’ll be releasing more music soon. Don’t miss out!

Darren Espanto

You’re obviously no stranger to the powerhouse voice and charming good looks of the one and only Darren Espanto. He’s releasing new music real soon, so while you wait, feel free to jam to his hit songs.

Lala Vinzon

Is it just us or does Lala Vinzon give you superstar vibes, too? She’s got the face of a leading lady and the voice of a pop star in the making. Our personal favorite is her latest release, Pansamantala.

Huhsmile

Huhsmile is a fantastic songwriter and her latest song feels like it came straight out of a kilig rom-com series. Have a listen to Kung Pwede Lang by huhsmile!

J-Nine

If you’re into R&B, then check out the upcoming R&B singer, J-Nine. You’ll love her aesthetic and let’s face it: undeniable beauty. To all the gamers out there, this one’s for you. Listen to GG by King Promdi, featuring J-Nine.

Alexa Ilacad

She’s not just a veteran actress, but an up and coming musician as well. You’ll be having Love At First Sight when you listen to this rising star‘s latest single.