New singles to swoon in June

DIWA DE LEON “Ballad Of The Golden Pearl”

DIWA Felipe de Leon is a Filipino composer, arranger and producer best known for his world music themed tracks for film and TV. His newest single, the instrumental “Ballad of The Golden Pearl,” Is a tribute to life, peace and love.

In conversation with Soundstrip, Diwa said his latest work is “inspired by the dramatic themes from fantasy role-playing games such as Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda. The writing itself is very heavy on melodic recall and the harmonies borrow a lot from pop songs and even Filipino kundiman.”

The new track is a “side project” for him but Diwa hopes it takes off among lovers of instrumental music, which is its main target audience. And subsequently, the ballad will lead new fans to his main output--video game music covers on Spotify and Youtube under the pseudonym “String Player Gamer”.

REANNE BORELA “Play Pretend”

“PLAY Pretend” from Reanne Borela, a 20-year-old Filipino singer-songwriter from Western Visayas, is a song about breakups. With its melancholic melody, the new track unveils the sad realization how some relationships can’t be mended, leaving the lovers with no choice but to let go. The song does not just refer to the relationship breaking up but also to the persons falling apart as well. Reanne unraveled how heartbreaks could sometimes break you from the inside and out and she literally expressed it well with her analogy using porcelain dolls.

WILL MIKHAEL “Sweet & Divine”

WHILE young singer-songwriter and producer Will Mikhael was trying to discover his muse, he worked on a love song. The result? Will came up with a honeyed and heavenly composition that proved apt to his latest release titled “Sweet & Divine.”

The young music maker shared, “I needed a love ballad on my catalog for people to slow dance to and that’s how “Sweet & Divine” came about. Will also said it’s all about adoring your woman to the fullest. “The song is about nothing but good vibes with your lover,” he added, evident in lines, “Wonderland is where I stand / when I’m with you, baby it’s you / I just wanna fly to the moon with the girl I’m into” The love song is accompanied by a dreamy music video which depicts a romantic escapade in a personal “wonderland”.

SYLTH “Pinto”

SYLTH is a Filipino alternative rock band from Bulacan and their latest offering is an emotional and powerful song about heartbreaks and failed relationships. It’s a metaphorical representation of taking the first step towards a new life together, and how, despite the happy beginning, things can slowly fall apart. The full band version features dramatic strings, guitars, and soulful vocals, making the track touch the heart. The band said, “We put a part of ourselves in every music we create to connect and keep our listeners immersed in our own sound.”

NACHIMI “Maramdamin”

THIS OPM pop track from Nichimi revolves solely around sensitivity to personal affection. But being with a partner who is cold and suspicious only makes things a lot worse, so one’s doubts grow even stronger each day. That is, if he could only read her mind, he would understand why she’s distant to him. Nicholas Cioco, professionally known as singer/songwriter, and producer Nichimi, hails from Cavite and is best known for Filipino digital singles like “Crush“, “Langit“, and “Unang Kabanata“.

SB19 “Gento!”

SB19’ puts forward their unique talent and confidence into the spotlight with their latest single, “Gento” highlighting their collective strength and versatility as a group. The song offers a catchy word play, effortlessly weaving ganito (like this), ginto (gold), and gento, the Caviteño word for ganito. It draws inspiration from transformational change—how incremental and everyday acts lead to success and change. Often, it is the little, simplest acts that lead to triumphs.

Check out these charming singles on your favorite digital music platform.