Ken of P-pop boy band SB19, whose music alter-ego is Felip, had his “worries” when he debuted his solo EP called COM•PLEX.
The recently-dropped six-track record of rap and hip-hop genre is “a play on the many meanings of the word complex,” which aims for “listeners to be one with their thoughts and embrace their complexities, knowing that it makes them one-of-a-kind.”
Felip was concerned with what others’ reaction might be on his music, he told the press during the Warner Music Philippines’ We Play Here event, held recently at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura. “Will the fans like it or…?” he wondered. “Fans appreciate whatever we do and that’s where I paid my attention to. I choose to just focus on that rather than what other people might say.”
“You will get hurt when they say not-so-nice things about you. So although it will keep you strong when it comes to those stuff, siguro yung mga sobrang below the belt na mga salita, that is not connected to my music, I just shrug it off,” he continued. “If they offer an opinion that could help me in my music or how to improve it, that’s where I just focus my energy on.”
Although Felip is already part of a popular group, he still finds it important for him to record a solo EP because he wants to share his own style of music.
“I get that a lot, some (people) saying that I’m just using SB19 as a stepping stone to get famous by myself. Something like that. But it’s not that (at all),” he stated. “Each of us in the group has a different (taste in music). Some like ballad. But since we are in a group, we incorporated ballad and other kinds of music na pwedeng ilagay dun. We mixed it all together in a song because each person has his own likes and dislikes. We all have our own (music) taste.”
“For me, I made my own music and this is the kind of music that I like and I want to share to people. My lyrics and my message are straightforward, so I think some just misunderstood it but I understand (them),” he said.
Nonetheless, he appreciated the support that he received from other SB19 members for his EP. He would elicit positive comments and congratulations from the group.
Felip would hear remarks such as “your music is good, your songs have a good melody, my favorite tracks are Drinksmoke and Criminal.”
“Those things, them telling me their favorite tracks from my EP and how they appreciate the songs that I created (are a form of support),” he shared. “They would tell me their favorite songs and their favorite lines. They like the melody because it keeps playing over and over in their heads.”
“I’m happy to receive comments about my song (and) about me. I think it’s a way of showing their support to me,” he said and added that those good words empower him and boost his confidence.
Sharing more of his EP, Felip said he just wanted to convey confidence through his music. “The sound and (the theme) about complexity are present. There are thoughts about negativities but I (also) encourage the listeners na ‘wag silang magpatalo sa ganung mga bagay. We all go through ‘dark times’ in our lives.”
The idea that he wants to remind his fans is believing in themselves. “Don’t be discouraged,” he furthered. “Whatever happens, just believe in yourself that you can do it. I also show them how confident I am on stage and I hope that they can also apply that (confidence) in their real lives.”
Felip cited Drinksmoke as his personal favorite among the tracks. He told The STAR, “Every time I listen to it, it has a different (impact) on me. Even though I’m the one who wrote it, when I listen to it and read the lyrics, I also remind myself to be strong and don’t be affected by (negative things).”
COM•PLEX also includes other ditties, namely, Rocksta, Superiority, Mictest and Straydogs.
The vocalist and dancer of SB19 is a fan of metal rock bands such as Slipknot, Korn, Metallica, FM Static, Sleeping with Sirens, Paramore, and also of gospel bands. He was able to integrate these influences into his music.
“I grew up in church,” he recalled. “My grandpa and my father are pastors. I learned how to play instruments (early on) and I grew up listening to (various) bands. I incorporated my metal (genre) influence into my music, with hip-hop. I think my genre is hip-hop metal rock. May pagka-jazzy yung isang song and may pagka-Latin sounds.”
Felip was given recognition by Warner Music Philippines during the latter’s 30th anniversary for the successful release of his EP with over five million streams total on Spotify as of April 2023, three singles in Spotify Viral 50 PH Playlist and multiple trends on social media upon EP launch.