MANILA, Philippines — For rising artists Lola Amour, Denise Julia, TONEEJAY, and Maki, TikTok undoubtedly played a vital role in making their songs become today’s biggest Original Pinoy Music (OPM) hits.
The first-ever “TikTok Rising’’ event held at the Apotheka Manila last Feb. 28 brought together promising and emerging talents in the local music scene, celebrating and showcasing their brand of OPM.
Lola Amour, who guest-performed at recent international visitor Coldplay’s concert, as well as Denise Julia, TONEEJAY, and Maki, were headliners of the “TikTok Rising” campaign concert, where they played some of their hits that first gained recognition on the popular short-form video platform.
During the press conference prior to the concert, these artists talked about how TikTok was a huge help in getting their music discovered and connecting them with their audiences.
Maki recalled crying in his room for hours when his TikTok content featuring Saan, a track from his first EP Tanong, started going viral.
“It was a special moment for me kahit nung first 10,000 (plays or views) lang because I never reached 10K before. That’s why it’s super big deal for me as a new artist,” he said.
“I’m really, really grateful and honored to be a part of this event. TikTok has a special place in my heart and it will always stay with me,” added Maki.
711 hitmaker TONEEJAY, on the other hand, noted how the platform introduced new acts to their target market and brought their music to the spotlight.
“We don’t have a lot of resources to promote our music, but TikTok helped us reach our target audience — these kids we wouldn’t reach in any way if TikTok didn’t exist,” he noted.
During the “TikTok Rising” concert, before he got the crowd jumping up and down to his viral hit, the indie pop artist spoke more about the challenges he encountered early in his career. He particularly looked back on his experience of being ignored by a recording label.
“‘I got these songs. Maybe you can help me out,’” TONEEJAY recalled saying while submitting his demos to the unnamed music label last year.
“Follow-up ako ng follow-up pero wala eh. I don’t know, ‘di ata nila trip,” he shared.
Fast-forward to late 2023: When 711 surged in popularity, only then did the record label get back to him.
“A couple of months later, I wrote 711, then it went to No.1 on Billboard (Philippines). That label went back to me and said, ‘Hey, can we set up a meeting?’ Then, I said, ‘I’ll think about it.’ But you know what, I never thought about it,” shared TONEEJAY.
Meanwhile, Denise Julia, the R&B singer-songwriter behind the songs B.A.D and Lackin, said that TikTok helped mold her into the artist that she is now.
“It’s been such a help in building me as Denise Julia. It really started as a movement of morenas, baddies all over the country…having someone to look up to through that platform. So I’m really thankful,” she said.
The 22-year-old artist, who’s been dubbed by her fans as the “Patron Saint of Situationships,” hopes to be a representation of “a woman of color” in the music industry.
“I’m here to tell them that there are Filipinas that look like this — in our brown skin. We’re not just chinitas, we’re not just ‘halfies.’ We are also pure-blooded Filipinas that look like this and who can make music that can reach that scale,” she said.
Eight-piece rock band Lola Amour, who won fans over through songs like Raining in Manila and Fallen, said that TikTok “helped a lot during the pandemic” despite going through a period where they thought about quitting the industry.
“We went viral twice, sharing the story behind our song, Pwede Ba?, and our song Fallen went viral after someone posted a video of us performing it. That’s when things picked up for us,” said vocalist Pio Dumayas.
“At that point, it did give us the push to be like ‘okay, ituloy natin ‘to, let’s make this fun,’” he added.
But the viral performance of the band’s song Raining In Manila took them to greater heights, especially after they made a guest appearance at British rockstar band Coldplay’s Day 1 show at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan last January.
“The whole thing didn’t feel real. For a few of us, it took us a few days before it actually sunk in that it happened,” Pio reflected on having frontman Chris Martin play their song and performing it themselves on stage.
“The best part was when you could hear the whole stadium of 55,000 people singing along to your song when it’s not even your show. I think, that’s the moment that will never leave our memories,” said Pio.
Lola Amour, Denise Julia, TONEEJAY, and Maki, currently have shows and upcoming album and project releases lined up.
The “TikTok Rising” event also showcased the talents of Nameless Kids, Janine Teñoso, Kenaniah, Clara Benin, and Jason Dhakal.
Christo Putra, product strategy lead at TikTok Artist Services for Southeast Asia, stated: “As TikTok continues to evolve and innovate, our ambition remains steadfast in promoting artists and nurturing a vibrant and inclusive music community. The ‘TikTok Rising’ campaign is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting journey ahead for OPM talent on TikTok.”