To the beat of ‘Tibok,’ Earl Agustin races to the top
The name Earl Agustin may not ring a bell right now, but the sound of his hit single probably will.
If you’re on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, chances are you have already chanced upon bite-sized video content—skits, lip sync clips, dance challenges—that use a groovy R&B bop that goes: “Nagsimula sa simple na pasulyap-sulyap, nagpapapansin sa ‘yo.”
That’s “Tibok,” the young artist’s record-setting song that currently occupies the No. 1 spot on three major local music charts: the Official Philippine Chart, Billboard’s Philippines Hot 100, and Spotify’s Top Songs-Philippines. Last month, it amassed 2.09 million streams in a single day on Spotify—the most of any OPM song.
And so, after almost five years of making music under the radar, the unassuming singer-songwriter from Ozamiz City is now feeling his way into the limelight.
“It feels surreal … I was happy the song was gaining traction on streaming platforms, but I didn’t expect any of this at all,” Agustin said in an interview with a group of reporters. “When I was just starting out, my dream, as a small-time musician, was just to write as many songs as I could and play them in different places.”
While the song’s ubiquity can come off as something that happened overnight, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. “Tibok” (Vicor Records) was actually released in 2023, coasting along quietly on music apps, before finally hitting it big earlier this year and racking up 61.4 million streams.
Sleeper hits
Because a song’s success and chart performance these days revolve largely around streaming, the occurrence of sleeper hits has become increasingly more common. And sometimes, all it takes to awaken a potential hit lying dormant is a random viral moment, concerted fanbase engagement, or—in “Tibok’s” case—an impactful feature in other media like movie or television.
While the song had been already gaining traction for quite a while, its inclusion in the soundtrack of the popular teen romantic comedy series “Ang Mutya ng Section E” only hastened its journey to the top, with fans finding parallels between the song’s message and the situations some of the characters find themselves in. And as anticipated, “Tibok’s” rising renown rubbed off on Agustin’s previous releases like “Dalangin,” “Aya,” and “Dito sa ‘Kin.”
“It’s a big thing for me because the series is successful,” he said. “Of course, social media has been a big help as well. These past few weeks, whenever I hop on social media, I hear my song everywhere. I see people dancing to it and using it for content.”
Does he think fame is now within reach? “Not really,” he said, shying away from the compliment. But it’s heartening, he admitted, whenever he sees other people covering “Tibok.” After all, that used to be him only a heartbeat ago. “I also cover other artists’ songs. I used to do that a lot, so it’s like coming full circle,” he said.
Songwriting
Agustin, 24, described his songwriting as 50 percent life encounters and 50 percent shared human experiences. “Tibok,” however, veers toward the former, having been inspired by a heartbreak. He had a crush, you see, and they talked every single day. But one day, they no longer did, and whatever they had together “just faded into nothing.”
“I thought of writing a song and pouring all my emotions into it. The song is a compilation of everything running through my mind at that time. I think it’s my most personal song and also my favorite,” said Agustin, a self-confessed old soul with a predilection for Motown and R&B.
That’s why Agustin finds it amusing when people use the song for fun, lighthearted content. But who can blame them, really, when the song is wrapped in a syrupy, funk-pop package that’s part-Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak), part-VST & Company?
“The song starts out happy, but then it becomes about uncertainty and yearning. It’s funny that other people have their own interpretations of the song. And I think that’s the beauty of music—everyone can take it however he wants to,” pointed out Agustin, who hopes to sustain the momentum he had built with his new single, “Pag-ibig ng Ikaw at Ako”—a song about the kind of love he wants to be capable of giving someday.
Born and raised in Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental, Agustin grew up enamored with visual arts. “I loved drawing and painting,” he said. And while music was something he has always appreciated—thanks to his father who coaches a drum and lyre corps—the idea of pursuing it as a career remained a distant echo until his late teens.
From visual arts to music
In high school, Agustin enrolled in a special program that focused on visual arts. But by some odd chance, he ended up making friends with classmates who also happened to be musicians. Their company sparked his desire to pick up a guitar. He realized that he could make use of the voice training he had in radio and television broadcasting—as a campus journalist—and translate it into singing. And for a while, he became part of an a capella group.
It was during the pandemic, however, that Agustin found the time and resolve to really hone his skills and take the craft more seriously. “I stayed in my room and just tried to write songs. Later, I discovered an online community that did virtual concerts. I fell in love with it and never looked back,” said Agustin, who attended Ozamiz City National High School, before taking up communications at the La Salle University-Ozamiz.
TikTok was his main outlet—the place where he used to post his song covers, and the place where he would end up being discovered by Vicor. After graduating in 2022, Agustin decided to move to Laguna to be within driving distance from Manila, where show biz is concentrated.
“It’s a big transition for me. I feel like a fish out of water. I don’t have relatives here. Everything here is different, much bigger. There’s fear, but it’s the healthy kind. I’m learning and adapting to a new way of life. And I’m thankful that my parents are super supportive of me,” said Agustin.
Things are looking bright for Agustin, but he tries not to look too far ahead. For now, he wants to keep things simple: “I just want to keep on writing and releasing more songs that resonate with people.
“Whatever achievements and blessings I have now, I try not to let them get to my head because none of them are mine alone. I give them back to the Lord,” he added. “I just feel happy and thankful for everything that has been happening.”
