It’s no secret that the Philippines is brimming with musical talent — something that we have been highlighting for close to two years now through our print volumes and digital channels. Globally, our people are known for our love of singing, and as the world becomes increasingly borderless, many Filipino artists have achieved varying degrees of international success and recognition.

This stems from our innate passion for music, which not only benefits Filipino artists but also international acts whose songs we embrace. Countless times, we’ve seen social media savvy Pinoys make memes or dance challenges out of freshly released tracks and suddenly, they’ve become viral hits. We’ve also seen then-unknown bands and singers from the U.S.A. and the U.K. play packed mall shows all over Metro Manila years before they became some of the biggest acts in the world.

It’s this distinctively Filipino passion for music that Billboard Philippines celebrates as we approach our two-year mark. For this issue, we proudly present our first international cover stars — none other than the fast-rising global girl group KATSEYE. In this very special feature, Daniela, Lara, Megan, Manon, Yoonchae, and proud Filipina Sophia reflect on their journey so far, almost two years after the group formed, and how they’ve evolved on their second EP, Beautiful Chaos.

Also in the issue are conversations with the esteemed Fil-Am rapper Ruby Ibarra and the iconic Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.Ap, who discuss how their heritage influences their music, as well as the state of Filipino music today. We also analyze the recent phenomenon of foreign acts like The 1975 and others who’ve played mall shows in Manila long before they became globally popular, and pick the brains of PULP Live World’s Vernon Go and Happee Sy-Go on how they consistently produce some of the most memorable concerts in the country every year.

The contents of this issue point towards the apparent truth that the Philippines has become a trend-setting and tastemaking audience that has served as a springboard to success for many music acts time and again, only amplified by our digitally native population of avid social media users and playlist curators in this online era. In the end, it all boils down to the passion that Filipinos have always had for music, and we’re not afraid to share it.

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