Young artists keep OPM scene exciting and engaging

MANILA, Philippines — Listening to good music is part and parcel of Filipinos’ mundane life. Through it, they get to know established and new artists and discover their distinct voices, genres and singing styles.

Continuing such tradition of music and talent appreciation is PolyEast Records, which presents its young artists in Selena Marie, Drei Raña, Aaron Obra and Arron Rebustes. Their cover and original songs, released under the label, prove that the local music scene remains exciting and engaging.

“Doing covers is like a pretty normal thing to do for me and the rest of us,” replied Selena Marie when she, Drei, Aaron and Arron were asked about the importance of singing cover songs and original compositions, in a recent virtual press conference, “kasi we’re born in an era na mulat na sa social media (we’re born in an era which makes us social media-savvy).” These new platforms allow artists to create content showcasing their talents and provide them the space to be discovered by labels.

“Actually, I can say that it’s (doing covers) our comfort zone ‘coz it is (how) we started,” Drei jumped in. “Personally, it’s how I got discovered by posting cover songs on Facebook. So doing covers is a big part of my career.”

In doing a cover, the soul of the original artist, as Aaron put it, is already there. What singers like him can do is to add something new to the tune, which is to “spice the song up in a way by adding our soul into it,” added he.

Selena Marie’s goal is ‘to (touch) more hearts in the future, when it comes to like sa pag-kinig ng mga tao sa music ko, puso sa puso.’

From the vantage point of Arron, he said that the way artists tell the story and their ability to put across the song’s meaning matter most in creating music or in performing a song — be it a cover or an original.

However, recording an original song is on every artist’s bucket list. There’s a sense of fulfillment in it, especially when listeners can relate to the song and name the voice behind it.

“I guess doing original songs is very refreshing,” said Selena Marie, “which is a new thing to us. I guess it is an activity na parang kung saan namin ma-express lalo yung sarili namin kasi when it comes to doing covers, I think we (are kind of) limited when it comes to the idea kasi meron ng parang pattern.”

Drei also agreed with her and elaborated that “it’s a very different experience ‘coz you get to tell your own stories,” as compared to doing covers, in which “you’re singing songs from other artists.”

Given the number of artists dominating the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) landscape, these new names are foraying into it and armed with their unique characteristics that set them apart from everybody else.

“As a singer, kinakanta ko yung song na parang simple lang,” said Selena Marie. “I think there is beauty in simplicity, na parang mas na-e-express ko yung sarili ko and straightforward. For example, if I sing love songs, I just want the listeners to feel the love (through the songs), parang totoo lang sa kung ano yung kinakanta ko.”

As for Drei, he will just stick to his own style and express himself naturally in front of the camera. “Perhaps what makes me different from other artists is that I have a lot of musical influences, actually sobrang halo-halo talaga siya, from metal to K-pop to hip-hop, so I use those different genres to create some sort of type of music that is a bit different to my listeners,” said he.

Treading the same path, Arron showcases his uniqueness and embraces it by, “I think, giving my personality to the song. Duon ko po nalalabas yung strength ng boses ko,” shared he.

Drei Raña wants to release a full album that will display his diversity as a singer-songwriter.

Versatility is what Aaron can offer to listeners. “Which can manifest in my future music,” said he. “I think medyo na-di-distinguish na natin sa first and second singles ko po, they both have different sound, feel and style of singing, and I think that will separate me from others, ‘na uy, may bago na naman siyang ilalabas, uy, may bagong tunog na naman.’”

For this year, Selena Marie has just released her own version of The Boyfriends’ First Love Never Dies, which is a welcome addition to her previously released singles.

The original songs of Drei, on the other hand, are showcased in The LiveRARY performance. His latest release is ‘Wag Mong Paasahin. Aaron treats listeners to a new single, Sa’Yo, while Arron shares his music via the debut, original song Quiet Room.

During the virtual group interview, the artists also shared their hopes for their careers.

Selena Marie said her goal is “to tap (or touch) more hearts in the future, when it comes to like sa pag-kinig ng mga tao sa music ko, yun lang po, puso sa puso.”

Drei wants to release a full album that will display his diversity as a singer-songwriter. “It’s my goal this year,” said he. Same goes to Aaron, who also wishes to have his own album and tap new audiences and is excited for what the future has in store for him.

For Arron, the artist said that he wants to take things slowly but surely, and “I want to explore and learn new things, new genres and to get out of my comfort zone,” he added.

Aaron Obra also wishes to have his own album and tap new audiences and is excited for what the future has in store for him.