Scout OST Vol.13: Power collabs
This is the year of collaborations, whether in fashion, beauty, food, or music. As each work crosses borders (and even genres)—touching more communities—the art becomes even more impactful and engaging. This is very much true in the OPM scene, too, as artists of different styles, genres, and origins come together for a shared message.
From established names to newer players in the scene, our latest Scout OST features an exciting mix of tracks to build your new October playlist.
P-pop girl group Xonara and Ruby Ibarra join forces for new single ‘Imperfect’
Barely half a year into their debut, 1Z Entertainment’s first girl group Xonara is releasing their third single, entitled “Imperfect.” The track, which aims to empower young women to embrace the imperfections that make them unique, stems from the seven members’ own stories—forged into song with the help of US-based Filipina rapper Ruby Ibarra.
“I think that’s the theme of our songs. It’s raw and really human, and we’re not afraid to be vulnerable. That track will really highlight that for us,” Ella tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
Dominique adds, “I think it’s a song for yourself. We made this song with the help of Ms. Ruby Ibarra for everyone to feel seen and heard; that we also feel the same way, and we’re also here. It’s all about vulnerability po talaga.”
“Fan po ako ni Ms. Ruby Ibarra, and seeing her as an international artist [who] ‘yong kung saan siya nanggaling, she was proud to share her voice out there,” Tin shares. She adds that both the group’s and the rapper’s similarities in writing from the heart were what helped make the collaboration click. “I think [this] collab is such a special part of Xonara. Having that opportunity as a starting artist, we’re super blessed po.”
“We had a heart-to-heart talk and shared our inspirations and goals. It felt like she understood us on a different level, and from then on, it progressed and built on this thought that became the single,” Megumi says, adding how hands-on the “Bakunawa” hitmaker was—guiding them virtually throughout the recording.
October is a busy month for Xonara; aside from releasing a new single, they will also be having their first international appearance at Music Matters Live in Singapore alongside Filipino artists Kaia, Pix!e, and Lola Amour. They will then be part of 1Z Entertainment’s One Zone Fest on Oct. 24.
Josh Cullen collaborates with Korean American rapper Jay Park for solo track ‘Like Me’
SB19’s lead rapper updates his solo discography with “Like Me,” a multilingual track that features influential Korean hip-hop rapper Jay Park. Co-written with Mathew Auditor and Park, the track features Josh Cullen’s signature swag as it tackles themes of “imitation, adaptation, and algorithmic influence.” The track also takes a jab at those who constantly keep tabs and compare, only to put out lesser imitations.
Accompanying the track is a sci-fi-themed music video, featuring sharp visuals and a striking virtual landscape, which Josh crafted alongside Iana Forbes and Louis Duran of 1032 Lab. (Fun fact: The MV credits also list Josh as one of the VFX artists!)
New Lore romanticizes a love that can’t be on ‘Fleabag’ featuring Paolo Sandejas
The three-member synth-pop band New Lore perfectly captures that complicated feeling of falling in love with someone who you don’t quite have a future with yet continue to idealize in their newest track, “Fleabag.”
Teaming up with singer-songwriter Paolo Sandejas, they sing of the relatable push and pull between hopefulness and dejection over that in-between of loving someone yet not having them. Pairing New Lore’s soft, psychedelic sound with heartbreakingly vulnerable themes, “Fleabag” is that low-key danceable bop to put on to get you out of (or tide you through) relapse hour.
“I think what hurts most is knowing they love you, too. There’s a reason you can’t be together, and you understand it, and understanding it does absolutely nothing for the part of you that wants them to stay,” New Lore member and “Fleabag” composer Kim Escalona writes of the track on Instagram.
“You try to accept that this is all you get to be to each other, even after finding out how much more you wanted. And when they say it’ll pass, you believe them. You just wish, for once, something could stay.”
Lola Amour and Jan Roberts reexamine memories and unresolved questions in ‘Tapos Na Ba (Tayong Dalawa)’
Seven-piece band Lola Amour collaborates with folk pop singer-songwriter Jan Roberts for a heartbreaking track about the questions and regrets haunting a relationship that has reached its end.
The co-written track “Tapos Na Ba (Tayong Dalawa)” puts that feeling of emptiness and melancholic remembering into sound, with lyrics that ask the what-ifs and what-happeneds—and relate that ever-common experience of imagined scenarios as we hold on to lingering memories.
James Reid gets cozy with Bini Aiah in ‘Attention’ music video
As part of Reid’s latest album “Honey, I’m Home,” “Attention” reflects the warm and soulful vibe that runs throughout the record. The same tone is conveyed through its music video, which stars Reid with Bini’s Aiah Arceta.
The video shows the pair getting to know each other and connecting even deeper—gazes locked into each other, unfazed by the natural and supernatural chaos around them. Instead, each event turns into an opportunity to see each other in a different light, much to the deepening of their bond.
“I think this is probably the most comfortable I’ve ever sounded in my music,” Reid shares about his new album. And if “Attention”’s music video is anything to go by, that sense of comfort really shows.
