Filipino-Australian songwriter pens K-pop idol group iKON’s main song in new album


K-pop boy band iKON will be releasing their fourth mini-album “Flashback” on May 3 and a Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter penned their main track.

Vetta Borne (real name Maribelle Anes) is one of the songwriters for “But You,” the lead track of iKON’s upcoming album.

Filipino-Australian singer, songwriter and producer Vetta Borne (left) and iKON (Instagram)

Vetta Borne, aka Maribelle Anes, is one of the songwriters of iKON's main track "But You" in their upcoming album "Flashback" (Twitter)

On Twitter, Vetta Borne answered fans’ questions and said that she is a Filipino.

“I’m full blood Filipino. I live in Australia. Yes, I am queer. My full name is Maribelle Anes but my stage name is Vetta Borne. My favourite dessert is halo-halo,” she wrote.

Regarding iKON’s new album, Vetta Borne said, “Yes im excited for ‘but you’ to come out!!!! are u?!”

“But You” is Vetta Borne’s first time writing for a K-pop artist.

“I work so hard but I gotta remember to look up and realise how amazing the things I’m accomplishing are... my first time writing in kpop is for the massive label YG... and I wrote the TITLE track for Ikons album???? That’s so huge I deserve a nice dessert tonight,” she said.

She added, “The first song. Can’t believe I got my first kpop cut coming out soon!”

According to YG Entertainment, “But You” will show “how all members made different attempts. Please look forward to their music, which will show a different color than those they showed before.”

“Flashback” is iKON’s comeback in one year and two months since releasing the digital single “Why Why Why” in March 2021.

iKON (Twitter)

Previously she used the stage name Maribelle then transitioned to Vetta Borne, which she said was to pay tribute to her grandmother.

She said her Filipino family is into music.

“I have grown up in a Filipino family so they’re very, very musical. My dad plays guitar, my parents were in church choir so I’ve just always been surrounded by it. Even growing up my sister used to write songs... secretly! But I would steal her little journal and be all like, ha-ha, ima write a melody to this! (laughs) But I just- I’ve always been surrounded by it but you know, they love that I’m involved in music as well,” she said, according to Acclaim magazine.

Vetta Borne (Instagram)

When asked to describe who Vetta Borne is, she said, “I don’t know, I think a lot of people would know me as Maribelle who is-I’ve released music as Maribelle before but I would say that Vetta Borne is a... a new bitch. She’s an elevated version of Maribelle and just a more in touch with herself version of Maribelle.”

Vetta Borne has written songs for other artists before becoming a singer.

“I mean I was writing songs for a lot of other artists before I even thought about being a singer. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, even just as a kid and I just found myself flowing naturally into that world. It was more other people and artists as well that would ask me like, why aren’t I doing an artist project and I’d be like, you’re right, why aren’t I doing an artist project? I can sing, I can sing a little bit! So honestly like the artists and manager, it was the people who pushed me to be an artist,” she said.

She is also a producer, saying, “Producing the EP has just been so freeing. I have a lot of creative freedom and I kinda trust myself a lot more than I did before because I’m the only person in the room to ask (laughs) if I think an idea is cool so, it’s definitely shaped me in a way that I know myself better and I know the things that I like in music and just how to finish them as well, and make them still feel genuine and authentic.”