Crisanto Ramos Jr

Idol Philippines season 2 finalist shines in new youthful sound by returning to his songwriting roots.

Article (news)

REVIEW: Bryan Chong Makes 'Departure' From His Past | One Music PH

<div style="text-align:justify"><strong>Idol Philippines season 2 finalist shines in new youthful sound by returning to his songwriting roots.</strong></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify"><strong></strong>Fresh off his 4th place finish in the second season of <strong><u>Idol Philippines</u></strong>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7iIVtRNGIZF6EjKBAIeGP2?si=mW-X6TMMRnaZbSD3C8xKSA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>Bryan Chong</u></strong></a> started his return to being active in the recording industry by playing it safe and releasing good radio-friendly pop songs. </p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p><strong></strong>But he made his mark in <em><strong><u>Idol</u>... </strong></em>by performing modern new hits by going towards a more unconventional and more modern song choices (<strong>Rob Deniel,</strong> <strong>Moira, Arthur Nery, Ebe Dancel, </strong>and<strong> IV of Spades,</strong> among others).<em><strong><u></u></strong></em><strong></strong><em><strong><u></u></strong></em></p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XjvvLnX_D48?si=5jX9cJ4H4VaECYQE" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">Which is why it&#x27;s great news that for his recent release, <strong><u>Chong</u></strong> seemingly made a resolve to take risks, return to his songwriting roots for his first full-length album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1IBrdUHsF3n9h3YYupKyEF?si=QiWFy5bdQfiwDUEeP1w4bg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>Departure</u></strong></a>, and adapt to a more dynamic sound with witty honest, tongue-in-cheek lyrics with msatterings of wordplay. For the most parft, the musical production and arrangements in this album are very slick and Gen Z friendly with electronic beats and video game synths that highlights and complements Chong&#x27;s heavenly falsetto-heavy voice. </p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">Key single &quot;Ereplano&quot; has the song’s persona undergo the hurt of being left behind in his new single &quot;Ereplano&quot;. To quotte Bryan&#x27;s social media post “<em>Naiwan na sa ere. Nawala pa sa plano. Para </em>sa mga pasahero ng pag-ibig, na-cancel po ang flight natin”. Beneath<em></em> the polished production is a light pop-rock energy. Beneath the airy singing voice oif Chong is a sneering, bittersweet disposition. </p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VWWfUAkEIkk?si=sI65OtWsEBhoFUFy" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6Pds1YIlvY?si=bkZaXlavIhkXs3QQ" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">The same witty shade and wordplay also informs tracks such as <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/391pO4Bp76rKLzKtnqB8IC?si=aa65f8d62b044805" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;K*pal&quot;</u></strong></a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/53ZQgXW0f6ytjpobP8E0wP?si=c54382e4531f4879" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;MLNDE</u></strong></a>&quot;. The smooth jazz-influenced&quot;K*pal&quot; cleverly and sublimely suggests the song title&#x27;s asterisksignifying &quot;u&quot; while actrually singing it with an &quot;a&quot;, a master class in being explicit without actually being explicit. </p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_iR-uDeascw?si=dTSf2XTbqQqlAthO" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><em></em> </div><p style="text-align:justify">The dance-y <strong><u>“MLNDE!”</u></strong> exposes <strong><u>Bryan’</u></strong>s frank thinking with his past methodology towards love. The song strips the feelings his exes may have felt as he confronts his own flaws. Through blunders like cheating, flirting, and ghosting, he owns up to learning things the hard way hard without glorifying and extolling them.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DARdqwFIUpc?si=vUm3E0dKYZ8yLlZ5" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u0ruS5mLUYg?si=u2mvztMOUvAqWaV7" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">The opening track <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4LhD2IHD8QL4s1m3x7cyjG?si=a55cac74b82448b5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;Isang Gabi&quot;</u></strong></a> with it&#x27;s <strong><u>LANY</u></strong>-reminiscent musical arrangements and galloping drums is about a magical one-night turn that turns into romantic infatuation.</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aR-WAzDMcyc?si=1-WZPP79Nx4_7lZI" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N7LXB98TVXU?si=zckkFCD0O0OK9OqF" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">He has learned to harness his newfound pop adventurousness that he has learned to harness into his own musical DNA that the spirit permeates even more into his covers - his rendition of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aiCKnIN68hohzU3ZzNq48?si=ppC1DQcoRf6jQcNPseK4Ow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u><strong>Sarah Geronimo</strong></u></a><strong></strong>&#x27;s record-breaking <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3pLK4WD6xhSbRFcXEwFY8b?si=910fed8d3a284e3f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;Tala&quot;</u></strong></a> (especially <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Xch9NICeScUIRSXE2475E?si=1d2530c17ecd4527" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>the slow version</u></strong></a>) from the original soundtrack of the <strong><u>Vice Ganda</u></strong>-<strong><u>Nadine Lustre</u></strong> starrer <strong><u>Call Me Mother</u></strong> and his stripped-down version of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1mcqfNCReSFxun2vIWvC28?si=3JHyaSjxSvSy2ObFaw6SbQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>KZ Tandingan&#x27;s </u></strong></a>&quot;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7eSKBpF9nIhxWoXSMyHlM0?si=87407ee0231e4f0b" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>Scared to Death&quot;</u></strong></a> from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFWVYv45INgQJNUEQubNIMPDbpayH7ab4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>The Playroom</u></strong></a>.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">He successfully sings both covers with an emotional gravitas that separates it from factory assembly line musical variety show performances and YouTube covers.   </p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XE58GZjyTP8?si=thfTXBKmclu877tC" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VPscPTSEJjg?si=abqMm1DWgzQzOB-B" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nx5eeYQvfhk?si=4sB7Dj9mhILDXtWa" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lTVmC08IL4M?si=dZUVXhAvXkof1n4g" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">With his Departure, Bryan Chong has truly arrived.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">RIYL (Recommnded if you like): Maki, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, LANY, Adam Lambert, Nameless Kids</p>

<p>Idol Philippines season 2 finalist shines in new youthful sound by returning to his songwriting roots.</p>

REVIEW: Bryan Chong Makes 'Departure' From His Past | One Music PH

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REVIEW: Bryan Chong Makes 'Departure' From His Past | One Music PH

Cris O. Ramos Jr.,

One Music PH

Published January 28, 2026 09:15 AM PHT

Read More:

Bryan Chong

Departure

Eroplano

Tala

Call Me Mother

StarPop PH

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