SOUNDS FAMILIAR - Baby A. Gil - The Philippine Star
October 4, 2026 | 12:00am
After the descent of Cup of Joe’s Multo from the top of the charts, it became an exciting guessing game wondering who would take over the slot. fitterkarma, with its emotional alt-pop tunes Kalapastangan and Ang Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo, won the race for a few months. And then the guessing game started again.
For a while there, it looked like we were headed towards a hip-hop holiday season. The likes of HELLMERRY and Skusta Clee were coming on strong, and Hev Abi’s street poetry was making itself felt again. Even Arthur Nery dabbled in it with Palaisipan, a collab with rapper Loonie.
But it looks like the lovelorn Pinoy was not going to let that happen. Just as RAPROJECT was getting ready for total takeover, the love songs zoomed to the top. I checked out the hit lists last week and found new titles in the top slots. These are all soft pop tunes with heart-tearing themes. And take note, they are all first hits by previously unknown acts.
The current number one is Na Para Bang, which is about developing romantic feelings for a friend. It is by singer and songwriter Mariah Deborah. That is her real name. She was born Mariah Deborah Cabatbat in Calasiao, Pangasinan. I have never been to Calasiao, but I am familiar with the name because the town produces delicious puto and kutsinta.
The pretty Mariah Deborah is 24 years old and is a Communications graduate of the University of the Philippines Baguio. She comes from a family of musicians and has been singing since she was a kid. She is now an independent singer, songwriter and producer. She was inspired by Taylor Swift to go into songwriting and develop her music career. It has now turned out that she is good at it.
Na Para Bang is Mariah Deborah’s first hit. Let us wait and see if her other works like Bahagya and Hibang will follow suit.
Also a love song is the cute and honest alt-pop declaration by the ukulele-rocking folk group Esemborak. The title is Mahal Magmahal. Take note that mahal here does not mean loved. It is the homonym that means expensive. “Mahal magmahal” means it is expensive to fall in love because “mahal na ang bigas pati lata ng sardinas.” So true, but that never stopped the ever-in-love Pinoy.
For more romantic tracks by what I believe are the sweetest male voices around, do check out the nostalgic Totoong Tayo by Jin DC, Libo-libong Buwan (Uuwian) by Kyle Raphael and Panaginip by Awit Awards’ Best New Artist nicole.
By the way, hip-hop may have lost out to the love ballads as chart-toppers, but it is still doing well and actually dominates the hit lists. Here now is the latest from Spotify:
Na Para Bang by Mariah Deborah; Mahal Magmahal by Esemborak; Totoong Tayo by Jin DC; Panaginip by nicole; Ain’t in LA by ADELA; TMA by Ground ZERO Records; Summer Crush by HELLMERRY; Kalapastangan by fitterkarma; Libo-libong Buwan (Uuwian) by Kyle Raphael; Ang Pag-ibig ay Kanibalismo also by fitterkarma; Uncle Dags by Weng Weng with Gaspar; Baby 123 by RAPROJECT SIX; Eyes Can’t Lie also by RAPROJECT SIX; Shulocks again by RAPROJECT SIX; Paraluman by Adie; Stop the Wedding by Ashe; Alabang and Again by RAPROJECT SIX; The Cure by Olivia Rodrigo; Multo by Cup of Joe; Siempre by Willie Revillame; Pahintulot by shirebound; Nicole Kidman by ADELA; Alam Ko Na by DENY; About You by The 1975; and Since Day One by Skusta Clee with Flow G.
