Crisanto Ramos Jr

The summer-perfect soundtrack featuring five breezy songs is the all-male ppop group defining themir identity.

The summer-perfect soundtrack featuring five breezy songs is the all-male ppop group defining their identity.

Article (news)

REVIEW: BGYO Goes “DIVINE” in New Self-Titled EP

<div><strong>The summer-perfect soundtrack featuring five breezy songs is the all-male ppop group defining themir identity. </strong></div><div><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify"><strong></strong><strong>BACKGROUNDER.</strong> The perfect soundtrack for the summer season is here as <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6991pQ2aa8RWzSCobBxGf4?si=mcmmsh1HQA-2EWYO-XzMfA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>BGYO</u></strong></a>’s <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6991pQ2aa8RWzSCobBxGf4?si=pXspXNFQTIyitmFqhmt8DA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>self-titled EP</u></strong></a> is now out on music streaming platforms.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><strong></strong><strong></strong> <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/6991pQ2aa8RWzSCobBxGf4?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">Delving into subject matters of love and heartbreak, the newest EP of the group comprised of <strong>Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikk</strong>i, and <strong>Nate</strong> has four English tracks, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3PKQwa7S5IHhstiTAxWNyL?si=047402b1381844a4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>”Divine,”</u></strong></a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1t3lid2wFjY3WsBFIsdjWn?si=72c41a2e214d49bf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>“Trash,”</u></strong></a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/45A3RfixQDDqT4QCA77Vk7?si=4d63fd3604ed432a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>“Light My Fire,”</u></strong></a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1NSamMOkrVbbHMOrAmT2WB?si=88e6dbce16c04746" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>“Heartstrings,”</u></strong></a> and one Filipino song, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7aeoDgZjdKShvg4JucW6tc?si=d7f30523b3c542a5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>“Andito Lang,”</u></strong></a> collectively showcasing their unique pop sound.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">Its key track is <strong><u>“Divine,”</u></strong>  whose music video depicting a happy and colorful afternoon party, is now up on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BGYOofficial/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>BGYO&#x27;s Official YouTube channel</u></strong></a>.   </p><div style="text-align:justify"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gQG_1dkYyTY?si=q3BRJ8NfbBWBqPFu" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">Along with <strong><u>&quot;Light My Fire&quot;</u></strong> (written and produced by US-based musician <strong><u>Dante Bowden</u></strong>) and the previously-released <strong><u>&quot;Trash&quot;</u></strong>, <strong><u>&quot;Divine&quot;</u></strong> was written and produced with international studio collaborators. Meanwhile, &quot;Trash&quot; has so far amassed over 1.8 million <strong>Spotify</strong> streams.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0tc4yJLiJM?si=NiDDw3hnA-ITN_lg" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">The EP is closed by two banger live band-sounding tracks <strong><u>&quot;Heartstrings&quot;</u></strong> and another previously-released song <strong><u>&quot;Andito Lang&quot;</u></strong>, both written and produced by <strong>Christopher Lopez</strong> aka <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/3HaL9ONkedXrAybTHYA3w1?si=km69vt-WQJeHdAh5LCbRwg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>Moophs</u></strong></a>. Co-written by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BGYO.PH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>BGYO</u></strong></a><strong><u></u> Mikki</strong>, the latter has garnered almost <strong>900,000 Spotify</strong> streams.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/agdwpfF4-as?si=T2cObz5w0-Ggqryp" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify"><strong><u>BGYO</u></strong> continues to bring its artistry to new heights with revitalizing vocals, upbeat music, and catchy, extremely creative choreography. The boy group has already earned over <strong>50 million Spotify</strong> streams, over <strong>30 million YouTube</strong> views, and several <strong>no. 1 iTunes</strong> debuts not only in the Philippines, but in other international territories such as Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, among others.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>THE VERDICT.</strong> <strong>The ACES of Ppop</strong> have shifted gears almost as many times as The Big Show has made babyface and heel turns, even daring to get out of their comfort zones and shift away from their sound on their most successful old school boy band-influenced hits such as <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/76WBXsEyEPozYOjug4JdIp?si=175f49005d1842fb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;The Light&quot;</u></strong></a><strong><u></u>,</strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/76WBXsEyEPozYOjug4JdIp?si=ba3a331d240a4138" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;He&#x27;s Into Her&quot;</u></strong></a><strong><u></u>,</strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/75X59qZXh1jb42tgD6HjLg?si=3cbf93cd3c7b42e8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u> &quot;Best Time&quot;</u></strong></a><strong><u></u>, </strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2zWBYviuJb1m0yf2GSiDRp?si=7df16c2809c845e4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;Tumitigil Ang Mundo&quot;</u></strong></a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4mUOkjM8dm0NS8wf17AySE?si=6ecb5cca7bbd4630" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>&quot;When I&#x27;m with You&quot;</u></strong></a>.  Some might question why would they veer away from a formula that has worked for them; but dreamers and idealists would say kudos to them for giving it a valiant try and for daring to go against the grain.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">In a media scrum held before their album launch, <strong>One Music PH</strong> asked <strong>BGYO </strong>if their call to make their third EP self-titled was tthem finally finding their distinctive identity and voice, the group responded in the affirmative.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">&quot;I think after the years of releasing two albums and...&quot; <strong><u>BGYO Nate</u></strong> started.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">&quot;Four years...&quot;<strong> Mikki </strong>clarified.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">&quot;...Four years, yeah...Two albums and four years of trying different things...&quot; <strong>Nate</strong> continued. &quot;We finally found where we fit and where we should be. Now, we&#x27;re still gonna explore kasi we want to include something for everyone, I think we&#x27;re more solid now.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">&quot;Making it self-titled is the perfect way to describe our EP is, like, reborn kami,&quot; <strong>Mikki</strong> said. &quot;After four years, confident na kami na sabihin na we have finally found our sound. Iba-ibang genre lang siya sa isang EP, you can definitely feel the distinct BGYO feel and the hear that distinct BGYO sound.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">The biggest difference of their eponymous third album from their previous pop experimentations of the past years, is that they&#x27;re no longer experimenting just for the sake of experimenting, but of having a singular purpose and focus on capturing a singular vibe that&#x27;s theirs and theirs alone. </p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">Key track <strong><u>“Divine”</u></strong> is a windswept summer ode to love’s transcendent and heavenly beauty. The combination of <strong>The Cardigans </strong>and <strong>Sophie Ellis-Bextor</strong><strong></strong>-recalling orchestral ballroom loops, disco tempo beats, jangly guitars, robotic vocoder loops, and on point vocal arrangements, make the song sound soimmaculate and - pun very much apt - divine.</p><div><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify"><strong><u>&quot;Trash&quot;</u></strong> is a fervent and passionate anthem about one’s willingless to sacrifice everything for love. The feel-good asong is 90&#x27;s pop-R&amp;B-new jack swing with pop, neo-soul, disco, and funk elements produced by <strong>Grammy Award</strong> winner <strong>Lostboy</strong> and Grammy nominee <strong>Tele</strong>. </p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>&quot;Light My Fire&quot;</strong> has that The summer-y and clubby feel that <strong>The Weeknd</strong> has put on the forefront.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Y_75wJHYpc?si=XBNJP74sSg5hz3tl" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">The most remarkable thing about this album is that despite the influx of international collaborators, our biggest choice picks would be the two songs produced by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/moophs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Moophs</strong></a>. It has that live band sound that recalls the likes of Fueled by Ramen acts such as <strong>Panic! at the Disco</strong> and <strong>Twenty-One Pilots</strong>.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">&quot;When I wrote <strong>&#x27;Andito Lang&#x27;</strong>, my two influences were <strong>Machine Gun Kelly</strong> and <strong>Post Malone</strong>,&quot; <strong>BGYO</strong> bared. They were in my mind when I wa strying to write for a new sound for BGYO. <strong>&#x27;Heartstrings&#x27;</strong> was written by Sir <strong>Chris Lopez</strong>, and he&#x27;s so good with guitars and he&#x27;s really into that band sound, that really helped in shaping the song.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">We won&#x27;t be surprised if <strong>Lopez</strong> wrote <strong>&quot;Heartstrings&quot;</strong> for his first teenage band, because it does that youthful vibe to it. It is a angst-y song of juvenille torment about being hurt by and forgiving the same person ad infinitum.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">The proverbial tug-of war in<strong> BGYO</strong>&#x27;s music has always been about finding that delicate balance between their creative desires of trying out different forms of international market-leaning pop, dance and R&amp;B music (<strong>&quot;Trash&quot;</strong>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1Z3VQTpDSz9XqkfRKAqKgk?si=is9vI1JsSBOj0xTtAY7uIg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em><u>Be:Us</u></em></strong></a>)and the need to cross over beyond their <strong>ABS-CBN</strong>-<strong>Star Magic</strong>-<strong>Star Music</strong>-ppop-ACEs bubble.</p><div style="text-align:justify"><br/></div><p style="text-align:justify">With <strong>&quot;Andito Lang&quot;</strong>, they successfully managed to strike that balance, thanks to the combination of sympathetic lyrics of friendship over adversity and it&#x27;s glossy pop-punk musical arrangement. <strong>RATING: 4 out of 5.</strong> </p>

<p><i>The summer-perfect soundtrack featuring five breezy songs is the all-male ppop group defining their identity. </i></p>

One Music PH 360: BGYO Goes “DIVINE” in New Self-Titled EP

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One Music PH 360: BGYO Goes “DIVINE” in New Self-Titled EP

Cris O. Ramos Jr.,

One Music PH

Published Mar 16, 2025 02:10 PM PHT

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BGYO

Divine

The Aces of Ppop

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