POP NEWS DIGITAL

A new voice in Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is steadily capturing hearts: Isha Ponti. Emerging singer-songwriter Isha is set to release her highly anticipated new studio album, “LIKAS,” a deeply emotional and artistically rich collection of songs reflecting the realities of love, growth, healing, and self-discovery. The title LIKAS stands for Longing. Illusion. Kindness. Acceptance. Self-love. — five powerful themes that shape the soul of the album and the emotional journey behind every track. "Iba kasi itong album na ito. It's about my personal experiences concerning love, dreams, and heartaches. It's my story. It's not about the seasons of life. It's about my personal experiences that can resonate with you," Isha, 19, said during a media conference held at Noctus Bar in Timog, Quezon City, on May 30. "Iba't ibang scenario ang nangyari sa album na ito." Although Isha has experienced heartache, she said she is not currently in a relationship. ...

For OPM singer Nick Vera Perez, each day is a celebration of the remarkable woman who shaped his life. His mother’s unwavering love and selfless sacrifices inspire him to dream big, persevere through life’s challenges, and never lose sight of the importance of family. “Each day, my mother gently encourages me: ‘Don’t worry about me—I’ve had my time. Focus on your life and happiness, because you deserve it too.’ Her strength and wisdom guide me, and though I remain open to love, my greatest joy is being there for her.” Nick, who is also a registered nurse in the US, revealed he had three exes. "But I don't usually discuss them in public." He also said he’s not closing the door on another relationship. The good-looking singer refused to say whether his former girlfriends were connected with show business. Nick shares that what matters most to him now is finding someone who values and respects his devotion to his mother. “My love for my parents runs deep, and I hope to meet ...

  The Aurora Music Festival 2026 is all set to celebrate its milestone 5th anniversary at Clark Global City on May 2-3. Launched as a bold vision to spotlight Filipino music, Aurora has grown into one of the country’s most anticipated annual music festivals. Now in its fifth year, Aurora continues to unite the biggest names in OPM, delivering a unique live experience where generations of Filipino artists share one massive stage. To mark this milestone edition, the festival is pulling out all the stops. Headlining the two-day celebration are SB19 and IV OF SPADES, two of the most influential acts defining today’s Filipino music scene. Their performances are poised to be among the weekend’s biggest highlights, attracting fans from across the country. Yet Aurora is more than just its headliners. The festival has become known for assembling powerhouse lineups of Filipino artists rarely seen together, transforming each edition into a celebration of OPM’s richness and diversity. Over the...

OPM artist Jojo Mendrez, widely known as “The Revival King,” breathes new life into the beloved Filipino classic “Yakap,” originally popularized by Junior in 1979.  With his signature style and emotional depth, Mendrez delivers a heartfelt and contemporary interpretation that reintroduces the timeless song to a new generation of listeners. “It is a dream song for me,” Mendrez shared. “Star Music selected the track during one of our meetings and said it suited me perfectly. I also expressed my wish to have Jonathan Manalo arrange it—and they made it happen.” True to his title, Mendrez has built a strong reputation for reviving iconic OPM hits. Among his notable remakes is “Tuyo Na’ng Damdamin” by the Apo Hiking Society, which he was among the first to reinterpret and previously performed on Eat Bulaga.  He has also reimagined several classics, including “Magkabilang Mundo” (originally by Jireh Lim), “Sana,” and “Handog” by Florante—his version of the latter earning Revival Song...

                                                  PLDT Home’s live fundraising concert titled “At Home with PLDT: No Learner Left Behind” successfully raised over P1 million worth of funds to help address the challenges of many students, teachers, and schools nationwide as they adapt to the new normal in education and online distance learning. Led by the National Artist for Music Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, the online concert gathered some of the country’s most talented and respected OPM legends Regine Velasquez-Alcasid alongside husband singer-songwriter Ogie, Martin Nievera, and Pops Fernandez. They were joined by musical   theater artists 8 Taal Ensemble, Sheila Valderama, Yanah Laurel, Lara Maigue, Gabriela Pangilinan, Gian Magdangal,  Arman Ferrer, Flord Tena, and David Ezra who sang songs full of hope and inspiration for the future.     ...

There's a new band in the music scene called Crib and they just launched their debut album. "Crib has been in the music scene for almost 10 years now. We are active in gigs. Now we have an album," says TJ Sarvida, lead vocals of the band, who is a dead ringer for actor Paulo Avelino, during an interview at the Metro Walk in Pasig City recently. Sarvida says that the band use to play back-up to some of the popular OPM artists aside from their nightly gigs prior to invading the mainstream music scene. "Our genre is sub-genre rock, also known as adult-oriented rock. Our influences include Toto, Michael McDonald, Hall and Oates, Christopher Cross, etc. For newer artists, our influences are Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran," adds Sarvida, a young entrepreneur. Asked to describe their self-titled album, Mike Caleda, keyboards and vocals, who composed most of the songs, says: "Collective experiences namin ito at ginawa namin sa music. Kung mapapakinggan ni...

OPM singer Martin Nievera has advised aspiring singers to be kind to everyone if they wanted to succeed in the music industry. "Don't forget who you are, where you came from. As you reach for the stars, keep your feet planted," said Martin, during an interview on "Tonight With Boy Abunda" on ABS CBN. "Please enjoy what you're doing. Embrace the mistakes. Let them be life lessons and let that reason you to be the singer that you want to be the singer and performer that you want to be; "But more than anything, don't forget the people that you met on your way up because they will be the same people that you will meet on your way down," said Martin. "So be kind to everyone. Treat people the way you want to be treated and you will be a superstar," he said. Asked about love lessons for his son Robin, Martin said: "Sana he doesn't take for granted the small moments, the small details in a relationship." ...

Singer-composer Ogie Alcasid has given a netizen some lessons after he criticized him on social media. "I was performing with these guys and sabi nya 'ikaw lang ang hindi sikat dyan.' Okay. Opinions are opinions and that was certainly his opinion. But parang me galit eh. May galit sa pagte-tweet nya," said Alcasid, during an interview on "Tonight With Boy Abunda" on ABS CBN. "So instead of dagdagan pa, I always say 'God bless you' because that is written. If someone curses you, you bless them. When someone blesses you, you bless them. So this one person who's cursing me, so I just blessed him. "And the magic began after I did that. Then he kept on going. So sabi ko should I engage this person? Okay I will because I always believe 'hurt people, hurt people.' "So here's one person who is obviously going through something and he's taking it out on me. So I tried to give him my opinion about the matter...

Broadway star Lea Salonga has criticized local celebrities who still lack professionalism and those who are being "coddled, catered to or indulged" by major movie outfits or television networks. Salonga made the comment on her Facebook after she had brunch with some of her friends. However, the popular OPM artist, who is currently one of the mentors for "The Voice Teens," did not identify the unprofessional stars. The complete post of Salonga: "Had brunch with a bunch of fantastic friends... watched Kinky Boots for the third time (how on earth does Nyoy keep getting better??? Mikkie, can you explain please??? And the Angels... again, KENAT), then had dinner with members of my Atlantis family. And of course by the end of the evening, everyone let loose and crazy, helped along by a bit of red and white wine. "We talked about people that weren't present (sige, sana mapraning kayong lahat), those we wished were there, and those we wish to ...

Another Barretto is making her presence felt in local show business. So far, Claudia Barretto is not into acting but she is passionate about music these days. "Ever since I was younger, I enjoyed singing. And I was a very shy person and that's the only thing that was holding me back. So the only reason I did not enter the industry sooner it's because I was really shy. But it wasn't an effort to go to music. It just happened that I was passionate about music. I love singing," said Claudia, during an interview on "Tonight With Boy Abunda" on ABS CBN. Claudia has recorded her debut song "Stay" which already went No. 4 on Spotify Viral 50 Philippine chart. Its music video has already notched 116,000 views. "It was written by Moira dela Torre. She's a Cornerstone talent. I specifically asked for something  that wasn't usual. Like something that's gonna be new to the OPM scene. "So she gave me 'Stay.'  W...