The story behind viral song Ivana

Soulstice, the rap trio behind the viral song Ivana, is the newest act in the OPM hip-hop scene.

The breakout song under Peso Productions and Viva Records topped both Spotify’s Viral 50 Charts and the Global Viral 50 Charts for a few weeks after its release. Inspired by and dedicated to Ivana Alawi, the track is a wordplay that also speaks of one’s adulation for someone which goes: “Ivana nararamdaman ko/You’re the best girl I’ve ever seen/Kapansin-pansin ang ‘yong tingin…” 

“She is our celebrity crush,” admitted the trio, composed of Mscript, Rowmee G and Seth, who were thrilled at the mere mention of the Kapamilya star and YouTube vlogger whom they met in person recently.

Rowmee G said, “We can say that the song conveys what we really feel about her. It’s as if she was in front of us when we we’re writing the song. We are thankful for the opportunity na makausap lang namin siya sobrang ano na eh… Nag-thank you din po siya dahil ang ganda daw po ng kanta. We know that she really appreciates the song kasi kinakanta niya sa vlog niya habang sumasayaw silang magkapatid (referring to Ivana’s sister and former Kapuso child star Mona Louise Rey).”

When asked why Ivana was the subject of their first single, Rowmee G said the idea suddenly came up when they were browsing the social media while having a brainstorm session.

“Kasi siya kaagad yung lumalabas sa Facebook (namin), sakto nanonood din kami ng vlogs niya. Then boss Peso Mercado suggested the idea. Ivana…iba na. Yun ‘yung angle na alam naming magiging catchy sa lahat.”

They also look forward to working on the music video with Ivana as the featured artist. 

“There were preliminary talks already kumbaga pinapadaan namin kay boss Verb (del Rosario of Viva Music Group) then may sagot naman. We’re just waiting,” said Peso Productions manager and hip-hop artist Paolo “Peso” Mercado, who handles Soulstice, Allmost and L.A. Goons, which is being groomed next.

Peso Productions is behind the success of Allmost’s Dalaga, touted as the biggest hit of 2019, which was followed by a handful of equally powerful tracks such as Bagay Tayo, Miracle Nights, Dulo and Heart React.

“We will be releasing a new album for Soulstice and for Allmost. And expect natin that we will soon introduce new artists under Peso Productions. We will not reveal them yet but I’m sure na ibibigay namin yung gusto ng mga listeners o ng mga fans namin,” revealed Peso, who decided to focus more on his label.

“I still do rap and write songs but I will set it aside for the meantime to focus on the team and the label. Kumbaga nag-iisip na lang ako kung ano yung pwede pang gawin and i-improve kasi aside from being the manager, I also do the marketing aspects. Ako yung nag-de-develop so it’s a big challenge for me na mag-isip para sa ikabubuti ng buong team.”