Celebrate pride and independence with local releases and celebratory queer anthems!
It’s been an eventful May for the music scene, with many eventful releases that we might keep playing well into the next months. But since June is all about pride and independence, we’re highlighting our favorite local releases and celebratory queer anthems. Their common thread? They're beats to lose yourself to and rhythms worth letting loose to—from bass-thumping DJ sets, disco-pop mood boosters and groovy R&B hits.
So up ahead, here’s Wonder Fresh June 2023 – All the Beats to Lose Yourself To:
Boiler Room x Manila Community Radio
In April, Manila Community Radio (MCR) won the Broadcast Lab’s Boiler Room grant to highlight emerging artists and a genre of electronic music inherently Filipino: Davao’s budots. By the end of that month, people flocked to an undisclosed location and watched sets and danced the night away. There to take over the stage were Libya Montes, Teya Logos, Showtime Official Club, Hideki Ito, T33G33, obese.dogma777, Pikunin and of course, the person credited as the genre’s pioneer: DJ Love.
Missed the RSVP? The sets are now up and running on Boiler Room’s official YouTube channel and website, so you can relive and curb the FOMO:
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so fire by James Reid
Coming from the high of lovescene:, James Reid wows with an up-tempo disco-pop track, so fire. The feel-good track is everything we love about the summer that we’re bringing it into rainy szn for a much-needed mood boost. so fire might just be woven from the same thread of his 2021 release, Hello, but with an elevated energy we definitely need for the dance floor.
Listen to “so fire” on Spotify.
Nothing I Won’t Do by Tala
Bedroom pop sweetheart Tala comes out with her latest self-written EP, honeymoon, with production help from crwn. Initially released as an official live performance in February, Nothing I Don’t Do debuts with two other saccharine slow jams. But if we’re talking about personal favorites, the first track takes the cake. It’s chill but addictive, dreamy and cheeky as Tala sings about doing the most just to be nearer to her loved one. Tala’s sweet voice soothes and refreshes, a welcome break between the rain and heat.
Stream the rest of “honeymoon” on Spotify.
Gusto by Zack Tabudlo ft. Al James
Zack Tabudlo returns with a new love song, fresh off the success of his most recent album ZACK: FOR ALL. Gusto melds smooth R&B beats and suave guitar riffs that will make you want to groove. Opposites definitely make it a song worth looping in again and again as we hear Zack’s signature falsetto offset by Al James’ deep voice and laid-back flow.
Add “Gusto” to your playlists.
Lipstick Lover by Janelle Monae
This June, Wonder celebrates pride and independence—whatever that may mean to anyone. So to close out this list of amazing Filipino releases we’ll be playing well into the month, we’re also spotlighting one of the underrated queer artists in the music world: Janelle Monáe. The singer teases their upcoming The Age of Pleasure album with an addictive single called Lipstick Lover. A bouncy reggae beat and flawless harmonies only Monáe can pull off come together in this unabashed celebration of sexuality.
“The Age of Pleasure” drops on June 9.
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Did we miss any new releases? Or do you have any recommendations we should check out? Let us know in the comments below 👇🏻
Art Matthew Ian Fetalver
