Riding the waves of the earlier bands and music icons of the ‘80s and ‘90s, OPM continued to thrive along with the new millennium. It was a decade full of moments in the music industry that will forever live in our hearts, serving as the voices of a generation, even when we can no longer remember the lyrics.
OPM reached an iconic peak with the rise of bands and artists that captivated our radio waves. It was a decade that made us all feel that Original Pilipino Music was still alive and kicking. Some of these icons remain to be the symbols of childhood for those who were born in the ‘00s. Others are reminded by their first love, or the first time they danced or cried under the rain.
OPM AND THE RISE OF FILIPINA MUSICIANS
Kitchie Nadal, Barbie Almalbis, Aia De Leon, Lougee Basabas, and a whole lot more. From Moonstar88 to Imago, the ladies were on a roll and went head-to-head with their male counterparts in the ‘00s. Were you one of those people who cried buckets when Kitchie released ‘Same Ground’? Or were you one of those who just discovered her with the song ‘Wag Na ‘Wag Mong Sasabihin, thanks to one of the OG Kdramas that graced the Philippine TV, Lovers in Paris?
There was a time when most, if not all, of the songs at the top of the charts were those from the abovementioned Filipinas. Who wouldn’t feel that pitch from the heart when Lougee starts to ask, “Kumusta na?’ from Mojofly’s 2005 hit song, Tumatakbo.
But of course, we can’t talk about ‘00s OPM without talking about the song that welcomed the millennium. Thanks to the Moonstar88’s Torete, to this day, the song is still the anthem of the “hormonal kids of the ‘00s”. Despite the public mess that transpired in 2018 between former vocalist Acel Bisa (Van Ommen) and the current band, due to its sudden shift from mellow, soft-rock music to the seemingly heavy metal genre, we still can’t deny the impact Moonstar88 has brought to us. Hello? How could you forget Migraine, Sulat, Panalangin, and their rendition of Leah Navarro’s Ang Pag-Ibig Kong Ito.
COÑO ALT-BANDS OF THE ‘00s
The Filipina musicians mentioned above, and more, found their kontra pelo. A long list of alt-rock bands likes of Hale, Sponge Cola, Itchyworms, Sandwich, Silent Sanctuary, Orange and Lemons, Sugarfree, Callalily, Kamikazee—we can go on and on here. Just imagine the OPM scene with these hands-down iconic bands. They were the faces of Music Festivals, like Rakrakan, and anything senti.
These bands carried on with the legacy of the ‘90s bands like Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, and Rivermaya. How can one forget that time when Orange and Lemon’s “Hanggang Kailan” can be heard nearly anywhere in the country—whether you’re in the bathroom, jeepney ride or under the sheets—drowning yourself with your own emotions. Hale’s ‘Kung Wala Ka’ became the anthem for those who inadvertently signed up for the “10 years contract sa college”, with the line, “Natapos na ang lahat… nandito pa rin ako.”
Without a shadow of a doubt, these ‘00s OPM icons gave way to so many possibilities in the music industry. Our music palette changes but the songs and bands we grew up with, cried with, and those who lent words for our indescribable feelings will always be a part of who we are. To that fact, we dare say that if it weren’t for these bands, we would have a hard time dealing with our emotional awakenings. These exemplary Filipino artists are the voices of a generation, always and forever.
