Unique on the solo trail

Unique Salonga must have very imaginative parents who want only the best boy possible for a son. Otherwise, they would have gone for a simple John or Pedro. Instead, they went for a Unique and got back what they wanted. And that, indeed, is a son named Unique who is now poised to become one of the country’s biggest music stars.

Now that the unique Unique is on the verge of stardom, the 18 year old has further upped the ante. He’s no longer the simple one-word Unique. He is now UNIQUE in capital letters, who if he plays his cards right will play a major role in our evolving music industry.

Given his much-talked-about departure from the band IV of Spades, everybody must be quite familiar with UNIQUE by now. Unique, in small letters then, was lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of IV of Spades. Other members were Blaster Silonga, lead guitar; Zild Binetez, bass and vocals; and Badjao de Castro, drums.

The boys made music with a strong, funky ‘70s influence but laced with Pinoy sensibility. The hybrid style in tunes like Ilaw Sa Daan, Hey Barbara and Where Have You Been My Disco? made them instant fan favorites in 2017. Early this year, IV of Spades came out with what would be their biggest seller, Mundo. Then a few weeks later, there came the shocking announcement that Unique had left the band and was going solo.

Fast forward to a few months later and we now have UNIQUE, with his first solo album, Grandma. Why Grandma? I do not know the answer. And UNIQUE is not prone to explaining anything. He just likes to write songs and then he sings them in this sweet high baritone that is such a pleasure to listen to. Grandma has turned out to be a great showcase for this.

The album is made up of the heartfelt, but disjointed musings of a soulful introvert in search of himself. It is a dreamy set that echoes the spare early Beatles and psychedelic Pinoy rock and then jumps into the future for some synth-fuelled pop. The jaunty Sino and dreamy Apoy Ng Kandila best exemplify the contrast. Both have the makings of huge big sellers.

Other tracks are M; Cha-Ching!; OZONE (Itulak Ang Pinto); Jules; I’ll Break Your Little Heart; Sino; Paalala; Goodnight Prayer; Apoy Ng Kandila; We Know; My Old Friend; and the first single Midnight Sky with UNIQUE’s gorgeous falsetto.

Fans will get the chance to hear these tunes live in Grandma, the Album Tour. Don’t forget to catch the soulful introvert in his first major solo performance soon. Produced by Viva Live and O/C Records, it will be at the Kia Theater at Araneta Center on Sept. 29. Ticket prices are as follows: VVIP inclusive of photo op and signed album, P3,922; VIP P2,650; Orchestra P2,120; Loge P1,272; and Balcony P848. Call Ticketnet 911-5555 for tickets.

Just discovered: The Philippine Music Charts page on Facebook, which brings together music countdowns from various sources on TV, radio and social media. Here is this week’s Top 40 list:

In My Feelings by Drake; Girls Like You, Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B; BAAM BAAM, MOMOLAND; Mundo, IV of Spades; Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw, December Avenue; Bboom Bboom, MOMOLAND; Ddu-Du DDU-DU, BLACKPINK; No Brainer, DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and Quavo; Tagpuan, Moira de la Torre; 2002, Anne-Marie.

Idol by BTS; Thru These Tears, LANY; You Are The Reason, Calum Scott and Leona Lewis; Kathang Isip, Ben & Ben; God Is A Woman, Ariana Grande; Perfect, Ed Sheeran; Eastside, Benny Blanco ft. Halsey & Khalid; Sa Ngalan Ng Pag-ibig, December Avenue; Lucid Dreams, Juice WRLD; Breathier, Ariana Grande.

Di Na Muli by Janine Tenoso; Dura, Daddy Yankee ft. Becky G, Bad Bunny & Natti Natasha; Beautiful, Bazzi ft. Camila Cabello; Oks Lang, John Roa; IDGAF, Dua Lipa; Back To You, Selena Gomez; Rise, Jonas Blue; Ikaw Kase, EX Battalion; I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore, LANY; I Like Me Better, Lauv.

I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha; Happy Now, Zedd ft. Elley Duhe; Midnight Sky, UNIQUE; The Middle, Zedd ft. Maren Morris & Grey; Freaky Friday, Lil Dicky; Don’t Leave Me Alone, David Guetta; Euphoria, BTS; Almost Love, Sabrina Carpenter ft. Shanti Dope; As If It’s Your Last, BLACKPINK; and Statue, Lil Eddie.