There’s still a place for duet songs in local music.
This much is true as a handful of duet singles from real-life couples, reel-life pairings and good ol’ fashioned collaborations make a blip on our radar this week.
Let's start with sweethearts Julian Trono and Ella Cruz on their brand new single entitled “Ikaw Na Sana.”
The original P-pop couple returns with an eclectic, mid-tempo electro track that’s just begging for some choreographed interpretation.
This is the first time after a long while since the so-called "Millenial Dance Royalties" have recorded a song together.
Not since their “Fangirl Fanboy” days at least.
Which begs the question: have they been going exclusive all this time? Does this mean that the “Tumalon” singers are ready to make that big leap together? The song title “Ikaw Na Sana” certainly suggests that. And there’s no doubt that the pair look cute and are sweeter together judging by those TikTok snippets we’ve seen.
So are they really going for the brass ring here? Fans are holding their breath.
Kean Cipriano and Chynna Ortaleza have already taken the plunge so to speak. They’ve taken the husband and wife route as well as the business partners gig. And in-between they’ve been busy with their growing family, which, aside from their young kids also include OC label talents that they’ve been nurturing.
And somehow within all the hubbub of that, they still manage to do some creative stuff together. Namely putting out singles here and there.
And it's getting more frequent lately. With the release of the alt-pop tinged “Sulyap” from 2020 and now with the just released single entitled “Walking On Water.”
The relationship-affirming mid-tempo track naturally treads the alt-pop sounds that we’ve come to know from Cipriano. But with Chynna singing alongside him, you get the sense that these pretty much enjoy everything that they do together.
One of our favorite collab-duets would be “Kapiling” featuring singer-actress Nicole Omillo and those hot shot young musicians at Ferodina. The song has a relaxing chill vibe to it that makes it perfect for those easy Sunday drive. We like the synth-tinged sounds, the saxophone solo and the overall minimalist band vibe that Ferodina, which includes Brian Feliciano, Joaquin Rodrigo, Fender Dimalanta and Steven Naguit, provides. It certainly underscore the long-distance relationship feels that “Kapiling” is dishing out.
Hands down, the breakout act of 2020 would be Bandang Lapis whose “Kabilang Buhay” was one of the biggest hits of the past year.
The song inadvertently underscored the feeling of losing a loved one in that most trying of years. But perhaps it was just good songwriting from Bandang Lapis who happens to have a knack of giving what their core listeners want to hear.
The new acoustic version of “Kabilang Buhay” certainly strips the song to its basic, but getting Lyka Gairanod to sing this tune makes it even more poignant.
There’s just something about Gairanod’s voice here that makes this song sound rawer and pure. Bringing “Kabilang Buhay” closer into the elegy that it truly is.