MNL48’s Cole grows her wings with Quadlips
A common misconception about being in a pop group is that it’s all fun, glam, and screaming fans. And while those things are indeed part of the job, they’re only as real as they appear on the outside.
Offstage and behind closed doors, each day is marked by long hours of intense training in singing and dancing, workshops on conduct, and lessons about music and its many styles and genres.
For Cole, the Filipino member of the pan-Asian girl group Quadlips, those came with the added strain of being separated from her family while training in Thailand for the past year or so. Her parents were understandably skeptical at first about her moving out. Who was going to take care of her? What if she got sick?
It didn’t take long before she realized exactly what her parents had been so worried about. “I felt like I wasn’t just moving to a new country, but that I was rebuilding my life from zero,” she says in a recent interview with Lifestyle Inquirer. “I had to learn to adapt to a different culture and language, and face being alone because all my loved ones were back home.”
A lesson on resilience
Quadlips, which debuted in 2024, is the first global unit under the AKB48 franchise—the Japanese pop empire known for its huge rosters and constantly rotating lineups across domestic and international sister groups. The quartet brings together standout performers from four countries: Cole (MNL48, Philippines), Feni (JKT48, Indonesia), Hina (SKE48, Nagoya, Japan), and Fame (BNK48, Thailand).
Since then, Quadlips has released six singles, each one showcasing the group’s evolving sound—from the trap rap beats of “Catch Me Kiss Me” to the bubblegum pop song “Lipgloss.”
“Sometimes, there’s this mindset that if you’re abroad, you must be doing better in life… that everything is glamorous. But people don’t always see the emotional aspect,” Cole points out.
It wasn’t easy. But with the help of her sisters—two of whom, Feni and Hina, were in similar situations—Cole grew more comfortable with being uncomfortable, eventually powering through homesickness to emerge a better artist. “My experience outside the country taught me about being resilient and independent,” she says.
The group’s latest single, “Wings Grow Back,” reflects that journey. While there’s a hint of darkness to it, the dance track, at its core, is an empowerment anthem about turning scars into armor; about growing a new pair of wings, ready for flight. And scanning the comments under the music video—which was shot in Tokyo—Cole couldn’t help but feel vindicated.
“The song was difficult to record because it’s heavy. You can’t just sing it without much thought—you have to feel it. Coming across comments saying that Quadlips has gotten a lot better is heartening,” points out Cole, who’s known for her powerful vocals and stage presence.
“I’m so glad we were able to perform the song well and improve our dancing,” she adds. “Hard work does really pay off.”
Overcoming self-doubt
While they were chosen for their performance ability, potential, and professionalism, they admit there are still days when they feel like they’re not enough—especially when others make them feel that way. “Wings Grow Back” is their way of pushing back against naysayers and quieting the nagging voice of self-doubt.
“First, you need to prove to yourself that you can do it, before you prove yourself to other people. Now, I can smile and be proud of myself,” says group leader Feni, who co-produced the single and helped conceptualize the accompanying visuals and choreography. “I tell myself that I can do it, little by little.”
Fame, the group’s rapper and mood-maker, was once told flat-out that she wouldn’t succeed. “Some people said my talent and skill level wasn’t high enough,” she recalls. “But now, I’m more confident, and I’m able to do the things they insisted I couldn’t.”
For Hina, the sweet and quiet rapper-dancer with an explosive streak, it was the language barrier that almost did her in. “It was also my first time living abroad. I had to learn how to speak English to get through each day. But I didn’t give up and have grown a lot since,” she says.
Carrying national pride
But somehow, this juggling act with languages—and to a certain extent, their diverse cultures—is what ultimately makes Quadlips richer. “It’s incredible because we’ve been learning a lot about each other’s hometowns,” relates Fame.
Before we knew it, they were flexing the Filipino phrases they picked up from Cole. “Maganda si Cole—chariz!” Fame says, laughing. “Salamat po.”
“Jollibee, masarap!” Hina chimes in.
Meanwhile, the one phrase that always comes to Feni’s mind is, “Gutom na ‘ko.” And that’s because, “Cole always says it when we walk past a restaurant, or after practice,” she says.
Together, they carry national pride wherever they go—as seen in their recently concluded Asian tour, which brought them to their respective countries for shows and fan meetings. Now, they’re here in the Philippines for a series of performances as well as TV and radio guestings. After “Wings Grow Back,” Quadlips is expected to release more new music.
“It’s like we’re always carrying our countries, cultures, and dreams with us. It’s a huge responsibility that’s both humbling and overwhelming,” Cole says. “And of course, I take a piece of Filipino culture wherever I go. I’m so grateful to be in this position.”
Just a year after its debut, Quadlips has been gaining momentum and steadily growing its fanbase. While it’s not yet as big as the girls imagine it to be, knowing that there are people who connect with them and their music is reason enough to keep them going.
“At our recent fan meeting in Japan, there were the same people, but also new ones. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s more of us,’” Feni says. “Giving positive energy… Making people happy and seeing them smile warms our hearts.”
