OPM 2024: Manila Sound Is Back!

Ever wonder why OPM 2024 songs make you feel like you’re inside a 70s rom-com? It’s probably because they’re heavily influenced by the past.

Manila Sound was never dead

It’s merely napping! Manila Sound is the smooth pop of the 70s and 80s! Which ran parallel to Japanese city pop. The stylistic influences of this genre can be traced back to rock and roll, disco, a touch of jazz, blues, and funk. Yes! Filipinos have a knack for fusing genres, and they are so good at it.

Before the pandemic altered life as we knew it, a typical Friday night in Manila would see a group of students and young creatives in a bustling bar. It was around that time that younger people began to rediscover old trends.

Music is truly cyclical

Nobody knows who brought back the disco fever. Most indie bands have already been reviving these styles since the early 2010s, and some are still active in the OPM 2024 scene. IV of Spades probably played a big part when they gained popularity. It even became more interesting when 90s alternative rock icons such as Ely Buendia shifted genres. Are you familiar with his band, Apartel? It’s a supergroup originally comprised of fusion virtuosos: Jay Ortega, Coco Coo, multi-instrumentalist RJ Pineda, and others.

Many other artists incorporate elements of Manila Sound into their modern styles. Just to name a few, there’s Lola Amour, Dilaw, Alyson, Hey June!, Blaster, SunKissed Lola, Oh! Flamingo, Basically Saturday Night, Juan Karlos, Autotelic, The Ransom Collective, and Carousel Casualties. If we keep going, this article might turn into a 500-page research paper.

Nostalgia takes more than just imitating! 

These modern revivals are extremely common, but they’re hard to plan for. It takes skill. Both artists and producers use advanced techniques and music theory to achieve the vintage sound they’re trying to recreate.

READ: Is it Really the Golden Age of OPM?

So, what’s new in OPM 2024? The answer might be, “same old, same old.”