You’ve probably heard the phrase “OPM is dead” thrown around here and there, but the truth is the genre is far from dead. The Filipino music scene is alive and it’s thriving, with the rise of mainstream and independent singers, bands, and songwriters.
Now, it’s even easier to listen to OPM thanks to the growing library of Filipino music on streaming services. Listeners everywhere can revisit old OPM hits while discovering newer releases through services like Spotify, which offer a wide array of music and podcasts for everyone to enjoy.
Recently, the music streaming platform announced that they will be extending their free trial of Spotify Premium from 30 days to three months. If you’ve just signed on for your free trial and you’re looking for a way to make the most out of it, why not use it to celebrate all-Filipino music like we are? We’ve put together some of our own OPM playlists to get you started.
takipsilim
Filipino songwriters truly have a way with words, and our love songs serve as proof. I’ve personally never felt the kind of heartbreak that comes with a significant other leaving or changing their mind about the way they feel about you, (which sounds sad but that’s more on me being aromantic), but I find myself shedding a tear or two whenever I listen to the stories that these songs weave through their lyrics. – Angela Patricia Suacillo, Junior Content Creator
kisapmata
These are stories of love, friendship, loss, and things that aren’t said—all told through the heartbeats of strings and drums by beloved OPM bands. – Levenspeil Sangalang, Junior Designer
opm songz
So, this is actually a personal playlist that I don’t usually share with anyone other than people who are really close to me because each song has a stored memory with it. Each of them reminds me of a lost memory that I can only remember through these songs, since I easily forget things. Also, these songs serenade me to sleep when my mind is too preoccupied with thoughts. – Gabrielle Parlade, Junior Content Creator
Biritera OPM Songs
I’m a big fan of contesera/biritera OPM songs as you can see in this aptly-named playlist. Although, I cannot sing to save my life, I have these songs on repeat and occasionally pulls one Lani Misalucha high note (on a good day). I mean, have you ever heard her sing “Tila”? Ooh girl, the vocal range! It starts off with a low voice and progresses as the song reaches its end. All the songs here exhibit that power not just of local women artists but also of Filipino lyrics and how heartfelt they are in their sincerity. – Christian San Jose, Junior Content Creator
opm 🇵🇭
These songs remind me of my four years in college. UST, as known for its famous Paskuhan, always invites local bands to the school festivities which I loved attending back in college. So, whenever I listen to these songs, they remind me of my time in UST… listening to them while I sit down in our grandstand field. It’s like my collection of all the OPM songs I’ve heard played by these bands. – Bea Nicole Amarille, Junior Content Creator
OPM
This playlist is a hodgepodge of genres and songs. It has some songs from iconic OPM bands like Eraserheads and Sugarfree (and Aegis, yes), but also from the jukebox musicals they inspired, like Ang Huling El Bimbo (yes, again. I’m not going to stop talking about this musical. Sue me), Sa Wakas, and Rak of Aegis. Also included are some more contemporary OPM artists that have come out with songs that are either chilling or heartwarming (Bullet Dumas and Ben&Ben, respectively). I chose them because I love these artists and musicals, and also because their lyrics are samples of great storytelling, too.
I also threw in an MNL48 song because I acknowledge my weeb roots and I have to admit that despite not being a 48G fan, I loved the Tagalog versions of the songs. -Pauline Miranda, Associate Managing Editor
Buwan ng Wika playlist
Knowing my musical tastes, this playlist isn’t as weird as it could be, and it has a good mix of alt indie and hip hop. In truth, I had a hard time curating this playlist because I tend to listen to songs in English more (I should rectify that) and I added in Karencitta’s Cebuana for the Cebuana rep even though I’m not a totally huge fan of her and her songwriting (though the song does slap). If anything though, I hope this playlist introduces people to Mampor & Me, who makes Bisaya songs like I’ve never heard before.
And yes, I did add an instrumental song on here. This is my playlist and it’s not cheating. – Zofiya Acosta, Junior Content Creator
Writer: ANGELA PATRICIA SUACILLO
