Let these Filipino acts serenade you this Christmas
Perhaps it’s time Mariah Carey and Jose Mari Chan took a little break this Christmas, and for you to make room for some fresh holiday voices. These 2025 releases cover various genres—from rock and R&B to harana and orchestral ballads. Christmas doesn’t have to sound like just chimes and sleigh bells, you know?
“Christmas Starts When the Bers Begin” by The Itchyworms
True to form, The Itchyworms’ new holiday album, “Christmas Starts When the Bers Begin,” is fun, catchy, and full of witticisms. “Bers”—as in the -ber months—and verse…get it?
In this eight-track record, the beloved Filipino rock group runs the gamut of emotions the holiday season seems to trigger in all of us: the festiveness, chill, the frenzy, and nostalgia. There’s love—familial, romantic, and spiritual. The Itchyworms convey these earworms through an equally diverse set of sounds, including Britrock, funk, R&B, even a little retrowave. And sometimes, they blur the lines between those styles, making for a holiday listening experience that’s delightful in its unpredictability.
The alt-rock opener “Have a Merry Christmas” has all the familiar trappings of a holiday tune—that cool and magical feeling in the air, and the raucous chorus of holiday greetings. The barebones charm of “Meri Xmas 2 U” is that it sounds like what you would perform with your buddies as you go house-to-house caroling. Things take a melancholic turn, meanwhile, in “Christmas Time,” where the holiday no longer feels the way it used to.
In “Maligayang Pasko,” Manila Sound meets retro synths meets a touch of El DeBarge. On their own, the come-hither crooning and falsettos are convincing, but they turn unexpectedly hilarious when paired with mundane lyrics that mostly revolve around greeting random people: “If you see an Ilocano on the road to Antipolo, tell him, ‘Maligayang Pasko!’” Perhaps this is best enjoyed with a glass of Dolphy’s Banayad Whisky.
“Ang Pasko ay Su-murfing” is one of those delightfully curious genre mash-ups. It opens with a skittering, almost urgent post-punk intro that quickly morphs into a cruising instrumental that sounds tropical… but also like a Spaghetti Western? It then resolves into a frenetic gallop with licks of blues guitar.
Like the Eraserheads, The Itchyworms—composed of Jazz Nicolas, Jugs Jugueta, Kelvin Yu, Chino Singson, Weckl Mercado, and Michael Vargas—have a knack for writing situational songs that drip with humor, and at the same time, make sharp cultural observations in the language of the everyman.
This is best heard in “Halo-Halo,” which captures the festive but hectic energy that grips people as Christmas approaches. “‘Yan tuloy, ang trapik na kasi nag-sale lahat ng mall!” it chides late shoppers. It also reminds us of the true essence of Christmas—God—and then makes a case for OPM. We don’t have snow. We don’t have reindeer (only stray dogs). So don’t bother dreaming of a White Christmas: “Ito ay pauso lang ng Kano!”
“Love Letter” by Quadlips
Okay, Quadlips isn’t strictly Filipino, but it does feature a Filipino member, Cole. In any case, the pop girl group is feeling like “the world is so ready to love,” and their new holiday single, “Love Letter,” is their way of putting listeners into that warm, open-hearted mood.
The song opens with a piano, like a soft cafe-style muzak, before building into a sweet R&B ditty with soft backbeats and a sprinkling of sleigh bells.
With lyrics like, “Take your favorite pajamas, let’s fall into a lovely dream,” the song conjures images of cuddling with your favorite person on a chilly Christmas night. Or perhaps getting a handwritten note that reminds you what it’s like to be in love during this magical time of year.
“Christmas is all about love and connection, and we wanted to create something that captures those feelings,” group leader Feni says of the song. “We hope ‘Love Letter’ hits home for everyone and spreads that sense of joy and gratitude for your loved ones.”
Debuting in 2024, Quadlips is the first global unit under the AKB48 franchise, the Japanese pop supergroup known for its expansive lineups, whose members rotate across domestic and international sister groups. The quartet also features Fame from Thailand’s BNK48 and Mashiro of Malaysia’s KLP48.
“Biyaya ng Pasko” by Paham
For Paham, there’s no greater blessing this Christmas than the gift of love.
With “Biyaya ng Pasko,” the up-and-coming OPM band ushers in the holiday season with a good ol’ harana. After all, many Christmas tunes are just love songs in disguise. Strip away the shimmering sounds of sleigh bells, chimes, and glockenspiels, and you’re left with a wistful plea for love—or a celebration of it.
“Biyaya ng Pasko” is more of the latter. Amid a melody that harkens back to the simplicity and sincerity of mid-2000s hugot rock, lead vocalist James Nelson lends his earnest vocals to themes of being lost and found, of certainty, and of a love that’s free from fears and worries.
Also composed of Cymon Palma, Kian Grajo, Yuan Carranza, and Ryen Raymundo, “Paham” was formed in high school, performing in school halls before eventually venturing into busking, bar gigs, and campus tours. Earlier this year, they released their self-titled debut album, featuring “Hiraya”—their breakout hit that gave a taste of what they call harana pop.
This holiday season, they cheekily ask, “May kayakap ka na ba ngayong Pasko?” No? Well, maybe their song can fill in… at least for now.
“Maybe this Christmas” by Sofronio Vasquez and Michael Bublé
In this holiday duet, “The Voice 2024” winner Sofronio Vasquez’s powerful and soulful vocals intertwine with his mentor Michael Bublé’s smooth croon.
But more than the lush orchestral arrangement and the uplifting melding of voices, what makes this take on the said Christmas standard stand out is the marriage of English and Tagalog lyrics, which Vasquez wrote himself with the help of Filipino songwriters.
This version still mostly sounds like traditional holiday fare. But with Vasquez’s emotive Tagalog verses, the song takes on the feel of a soaring OPM ballad: “Nanlalamig dulot ng simoy ng hangin / Sa kabila nitong lahat / Di mangagamba ‘pagkat naniniwalang ika’y narito.”
The collaboration is also a full-circle moment and a story of continuing mentorship between Sofronio and Bublé. “It was fun because I wrote the lyrics. I’m not that good at it—Tagalog isn’t my first language—but I did my best and loved it,” Vasquez told Lifestyle Inquirer in a previous interview. “I used to just imagine what it feels like to work with artists like Michael. But now I’m slowly turning that into reality.”
