OPM icons blend diversity, amplifying Filipino music

Celebrating 10 years of uniting Filipino artists across genre boundaries, Coke Studio Philippines returns for its landmark season with the theme “Dinig ang Pinas.” Over the past decade, the platform has established itself as a vital incubator for Original Pilipino Music (OPM), championing cross-genre experimentation. The upcoming season aims to push those creative boundaries even further, bringing together a powerhouse roster of industry veterans, mainstream icons, and groundbreaking voices to craft fresh sonic landscapes.

Ahead of the official release, participating artists and key organizers shared their perspectives on pushing creative boundaries, merging distinct musical traditions, and honoring the legacy of a platform that has helped shape modern Philippine music.

Navigating uncharted musical territory

For multi-member folk-pop outfit Ben&Ben, participating in Season 10 offered a chance to venture into unfamiliar stylistic territory. The band’s latest contribution, “Sumabay Ka,” quickly sparked discussions among fans and netizens, who noted a distinct departure from their signature acoustic-driven sound.

Ben&Ben shared their initial reaction to stepping outside their traditional style and exploring new genre dynamics for Coke Studio.

“When we realized that we actually had to perform the whole song live, we were like, ‘This song sounds so different from our usual sound, ano gagawin natin?’” Ben&Ben percussionist Andrew de Pano said.

After brainstorming, they chose to simply let loose, jam, and feel the rhythm of the track.

“Tinugtog namin (we played) once and we were like, 'Yun na ‘yun (That's it),'” he added.

Creating “Sumabay Ka” required aligning three distinct musical identities: the lush indie-folk arrangements of Ben&Ben, the powerful soul and R&B vocals of KZ Tandingan, and the smooth hip-hop delivery of Al James. Merging these diverse elements into a cohesive track presented both a technical challenge and a rare collaborative opportunity.

Personal stories behind the tracks

Known for his laid-back rhythm and introspective lyrics, hip-hop artist Al James brings his signature style to the season with his new track, “Ride Slow.”

He broke down the core message of “Ride Slow,” explaining the personal experiences and stories that informed the songwriting process for Coke Studio.

“‘Yung thought process ko nung sinusulat ko ‘yung song na ‘yun, parang binalikan ko talaga ‘yung where I took off nung Coke Studio Season 3. Parang continuation siya, but now, wala akong ka-collab, wala sila Lola Amour. So, I just took hints from our collab (When I was writing that song, my thought process was to revisit the point where I left off during Coke Studio Season 3. It’s like a continuation, but this time, I don’t have a collaborator — Lola Amour isn’t there. So, I simply drew inspiration from our collaboration).”

Al James shared that “Ride Slow” also reflects the reality of daily survival while, at the same time, encouraging people to slow down and reward themselves after all the grind and hustle.

Meanwhile, KZ Tandingan returns to the Coke Studio stage with “Bugsay” (Bisaya for “row”), a piece designed to explore new vocal textures and lyrical themes while retaining her emotive edge.

Reflecting on her 15-year milestone in the music industry, KZ shared the literal and symbolic significance of her song “Bugsay.”

She explained that while “bugsay” translates to “row” in Bisaya, she intentionally used it to mean “rowing with force.” This powerful metaphor mirrors her perseverance — starting with humble dreams in her province and steadfastly carving out her own path to establish her name in the industry.

“I really felt all those dreams were beyond the horizon. But because of the encouragement of my family, 'yung paniniwala nila at pagmamahal nila (their beliefs and their love), I pushed my small boat of dreams into the unknown,” KZ said.

Looking back at the trials she overcame, she realized that consistency and resilience were her greatest anchors.

“Whenever I felt like the journey was too big for me, I just looked down and just one more bugsay, one more bugsay, and then hindi ko na namalayan ang layo na pala ng narating ko (I didn't even realize how far I had come),” she added.

As pop sensation Bini continues to raise the profile of P-pop on the platform, the group adds a perfect blend to the lineup, adapting to the collaborative ethos of the Coke Studio stage.

A decade of cultural impact

Assembling a cohesive lineup for a tenth-anniversary season requires balancing legacy representation with contemporary relevance. Frenissa Lagman, senior marketing director at The Coca-Cola Company, reflected on the operational and artistic considerations involved in bringing this landmark season to life.

“I think the biggest challenge is we do have a lot of good singers and songwriters in the Philippines,” she said.

Lagman summarized the essence of this milestone season in three words: genuine, local, and exciting.

“It’s very genuine. The songs that you would hear are something that is actually very true to the artists,” she said.

The musical night kicked off with opening performances by Earl Agustin and P-pop group G22, followed by performances from KZ Tandingan, Al James, Ben&Ben and Bini, keeping the energy high.

The Coke Studio Season 10 concert wrapped up with a grand finale as KZ, Al James, and Ben&Ben closed the show with a performance of “Sumabay Ka.”