The new kid in town has passed the vibe check.
In only over a month after its release, the Pampanga based rapper’s first single under indie label Off The Record reached a milestone on music streaming platform, Spotify. With the track’s laid back beats, it has certainly become a crowd favourite having been included in the app’s top playlists like Kalye Hip-Hop, Bago Sa Rap, and OPM Rising. Indeed, the perfect song to just vibe to.
“Yung mga diwata kasi, magical, mythical creatures,” the 21 year old pointed out during his recent guesting on ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime Online U guesting. He continues to explain, “Napili ko yung title na diwata or term na diwata kasi yung gusto ko maachieve doon sa kanta ko is ma-experience ng mga nanonood yung magic or experience ng love. Yung magic ng pagiging inlove. Kasi pag in love ka parang kaya mo lahat eh. Parang iba talaga yung power ng love sa tao eh. Parang ang dami niyang nagagawa sayo eh. Napalungkot ka niya. Pinapaexcite ka niya. So yung magic ng love, kaya ko nagamit yung term na diwata, is parang diwata kumbaga yung anong mahal mo - kahit hindi naman tao, eh. Yung diwata mo, puwedeng maging work mo, yung studies mo, di ‘ba. Parang kung ano yung nagpapasaya sayo. Yun ang ibig sabihin ko sa Diwata.” (I chose the title “diwata” because I want my viewers to achieve the magic or experience of being in love when they listen to my song. The magic of being in love - it makes you do everything. Love is very powerful. It makes you do things. It makes you sad. It makes you excited. That’s the magic of love, and that’s why I used “diwata” because it can be anything you love - it could be your work or your studies. anything that makes you happy. That’s what I meant in “Diwata”).
Currently, DAZE is working on his second single to be released this September. The single will be a collaboration with a renowned Jazz guitarist Johnny Alegre and will feature rising female artist, Aaliyah.
Born and raised in Angeles City, Pampanga, DAZE’s music is a colorful reflection of his identity, community, and beliefs. Having been surrounded by music all his life, by age 15 he started to write his own as a form of therapy, creating an immersive sound and cinematic style of storytelling that listeners can easily get lost (or find themselves) in. DAZE’s goal is to channel his boundless energy and creativity towards creating music that everyone can resonate with and vibe to.
Ushering in the new generation of harana is DAZE’s new single Diwata, a Pop Rap and Trap Soul track that plays out sweeter than your favorite drama. With catchy trumpets set against a laid back beat, DAZE’s lyricism and flow takes center stage, leaving plenty for listeners to unravel on repeat listens, making it the perfect song to vibe to (significant other optional).
The track features Zendee, local artist and one of the biggest stars on TikTok today with 10.3M followers and nominated for Top Talent Award in TikTok Awards 2021. Zendee’s international reputation includes being invited to The Ellen DeGeneres show and opening for Jason Mraz in one of his concerts.
The collaboration between DAZE (a new rapper entering the industry) and Zendee (a rising star both locally and internationally) sets a high note for ‘Diwata’ and in the rapper’s career.
Diwata marks DAZE’s first release under indie label Off The Record.