‘TNT’ winner Carmelle to represent Philippines in 1st Eurovision Asia
CEBU, Philippines — After being named the grand champion of Tawag ng Tanghalan (TNT) School Showdown last year, Carmelle Collado, 19, adds another win to her fledgling music career as the inaugural Eurovision Philippines winner, becoming the country’s representative at the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia, happening on November 14.
Singing her winning entry, “Sobra Sobra,” during the Philippine Selection Night on Sunday, August 30, at the New Frontier Theatre, Collado made a mark on viewers with her strong vocal performance and stage presence. The song features a mix of English and Filipino lyrics about female empowerment and references to Maria Clara and Gabriela Silang.
“Sobra Sobra,” penned by Nica Del Rosario and Mat Olavides, was a top favorite among Eurovision fans after Star Music previewed a snippet of the song last month. Both local and foreign Eurovision fans positively compared “Sobra Sobra” to this year’s Eurovision-winning song, “BANGARANGA,” by Hungarian singer DARA.
In an interview posted by Star Music ahead of the competition, Del Rosario explained that the song criticizes the idea that Filipina women should be submissive and meet expectations imposed on them.
“We are taking back the word ‘sobra’,” she explained. “As a woman, [people say] you can’t be too much of anything. But whoever you are as a person, it’s enough. Nobody has the right to judge whether you’re too much, or if you’re lacking.”
Collado, who is excited to work with the people behind some of BINI’s biggest hits, admitted she was nervous but remarked that the song fits her strengths as a singer and performer.
While Collado was praised for her showmanship, viewers also took notice of how her performance was staged. They liked how a musician playing the kulintang, a set of gong instruments from the Southern Philippines, was featured. But many felt that the performance heavily relied on LED screens for its backdrop, which flashed Filipino indigenous imagery. This criticism was also reflected in the other nine performances that night.
Netizens commented that Collado’s performance would need more vibrant staging when she performs the song again in Bangkok, Thailand, where the inaugural Eurovision Asia will take place.
A Reddit user in the Eurovision subreddit community wrote, “[Carmelle] was incredible and the song is really catchy. Her vocals were amazing. Definitely will be a fan-favorite for the contest in Bangkok. Of course, they need to clean up the performance a little bit for the big stage. But all in all, it is a strong competitive package.”
Collado is the third representative to be announced to compete in the first Eurovision Asia. The first two announced were Nyendra from Bhutan and Aina Abdul from Malaysia. Eight other delegates from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand will select their representatives through their own national selections, scheduled for September and October.
Under Eurovision rules, countries cannot vote for their own representatives in the grand final, meaning viewers in the Philippines will not be allowed to vote for Collado. This prompted netizens to suggest that her song and performance still have time to be improved before the competition in Bangkok, where she will need to impress global viewers to earn their votes.
Collado’s fellow TNT alumni also made strong showings in the Philippine Selection Night. SAGA, who was a TNT finalist in 2019, was in second place with “Broken Beyond Repair,” written by songwriter and Eurovision fan Daniel Gonzales, while TNT Duets winners Cebuana singer Marielle Montellano and her “JMielle” partner JM Dela Cerna were in third place with “Mapadama,” penned by Jungee Marcelo and Jeremy G.
Audiences praised SAGA’s haunting performance, saying it echoed the power-ballad energy found in other songs in the main Eurovision competition. They also enjoyed the chemistry of JMielle, who donned masks throughout their performance, as they delivered the night’s best harmonization as a duo.
Voting was determined by 40 percent from the jury, consisting of FILSCAP President Nonoy Tan, Kapamilya singers Vina Morales, Angeline Quinto, and Jed Madela, ASAP director Joane Laygo, musical director Choi Padilla, and songwriter Louie Ocampo; 40 percent from voters in the Philippines; and 20 percent from the rest of the world.
The Philippine Selection Night, which aired on ABS-CBN’s platforms in the Philippines and on Eurovision’s YouTube channel overseas, received mixed reactions from local and global viewers.
Viewers online criticized the sound mixing, saying the interpreters’ voices seemed to clash with the music they were performing. Others notably favored the duo and solo performances over the group interpreters, criticizing the clashing vocals of P-pop groups DNA, AJAA, and VVINK with Wrise member Russu, as well as the Cheri(e) performers Elha Nympha, Esang de Torres, Lance Reblando, and Nar Cabico.
“The groups are not it tonight, so sorry. None of the harmonies are working. They all try to outsing each other,” said one Reddit user.
One user on X lamented, “I feel sad for our P-pop groups. The songs sounded really good in the recordings, but when performed live, parang hindi nila fully na-connect with the songs. This isn’t meant to bash them, but definitely an area for improvement. I know they can do better because the potential is there!”
Reactions toward the stage design and camerawork were more ambivalent. Some viewers felt that it was shot like an episode of ABS-CBN’s variety show ASAP, while others defended the production, saying the qualifier night was close to Eurovision standards.
Screenwriter Hyro Aguinaldo reacted on X: “For a simple production, ang ganda ng execution ng Philippine Selection Night. Like there’s a different level of gloss and thoughtfulness in terms of the selected elements of production.”
Reactions from foreign viewers were more forgiving. They particularly praised the decision to bring the composers onstage alongside the performers before the winner was announced, saying it gave the songwriters a visible role in the competition. One Reddit user noted that this was a refreshing touch compared with some European national finals, where composers were not given the same prominence.
Both local and foreign viewers praised Vice Ganda’s hosting of the competition, with viewers enjoying her quips and revolving door of dresses throughout the show. One Eurovision fan on X complimented the “Unkabogable Star” as the Asian equivalent of Swedish television presenter Petra Mede, a Eurovision fan favorite who hosted the competition in 2013, 2016, and 2024, when Sweden was the host country.
A song number, “Mabuhay ang Musikang Pilipino” composed by ABS-CBN Music’s Jonathan Manalo for the competition, opened the show with vocals from AZTER, Bryan Chong, Ian Manibale, Klarisse de Guzman, Lyka Estrella, MIAH, and Reiven Umali. — (FREEMAN)
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