Kenshi Yonezu’s album, Stray Sheep hits #1 in over 54 countries

 

Keep up with Kenshi Yonezu on socials:

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The J-pop star trends at #1 worldwide after performing during Fortnite’s Party Royal

Kenshi Yonezu, performed for Fortnite’s virtual Battle Royale Game, as the first Asian artist ever. During the performance, Yonezu’s name immediately trended at #1 on Twitter Worldwide.

The singer-songwriter and music producer also released his 5th studio album, STRAY SHEEP, just days prior. The pre-sales for the album hit 1 million copies, and his music video for “Campanella” is sitting at over 6 million views in less than a week. The album wasted no time taking over the iTunes Charts; skyrocketing to #1 under the J-Pop category in over 30 Countries/Regions, along with garnering various positions within the top 20 All Genres category in 22 Countries/Regions, 6 of which hit #1.

In addition, STRAY SHEEP achieved #1 in 54 Countries/Regions under the J-Pop Apple Music Albums Chart.

 

STREAM STRAY SHEEP ALBUM HERE

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “CAMPANELLA” HERE

According to Billboard Japan, STRAY SHEEP has officially sold 509,127 copies within the first three days of release. This number is the highest initial sales ever since 2008, when Billboard Japan started counting CD album sales for a male solo artist. In addition, the number of shipments of this work has exceeded 1 million.

 Yonezu shows no signs of slowing down, as he also just debuted a collaboration with UNIQLO. The collection consists of t-shirts featuring his own illustrated designs, available in limited UNIQLO stores in the US and Canada as well as online [here].

 More about the album

 STRAY SHEEP consists of 15 songs; including Yonezu’s previously released smash hit “Lemon,” which ranked #1 on Billboard Japan’s annual cumulative charts for 2 years consecutively, making history as the first-ever act to do so. Furthermore, it’s been certified by the Japan Record Association for the fastest to achieve 3 million downloads, and the music video has broken the Japanese record for the most views; sitting at 600 million currently [watch here]. “Lemon” also hit #1 in 64 Countries on the Apple J-Pop Charts.

 Kenshi Yonezu is no stranger to breaking records and making history; he recently became the first Japanese Artist to hit 5M Youtube subscribers, with music video views reaching over 2.8 billion total, and counting [Billboard article here].

 On July 10th, Yonezu released the music video for “Kanden,” skyrocketed to 1M views in under 2 hours, and it currently sits at 30M. This single is off his upcoming album, and it debuted at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100, blasting in at No. 1 for downloads with 158,572 units after dropping digitally July 6; stated by Billboard. The music video for “Kanden” marks Yonezu’s 13th music video to reach over 100 million views throughout his career.

TikTok chart-topper Sabby Sousa drops new R&B single “Emerald”

 

Toronto-based artist Sabby Sousa is no longer a stranger to the digital music realm. Her effervescent pop smash “Cream N’ Frosting” became a viral hit on both Spotify and iTunes Philippines and the rest of Asia. It charted inside the top 50 for weeks due to its unexpected popularity on short form video platform, TikTok.

Among the Filipino celebrities who joined the dance craze are Hello Stranger star Tony Labrusca, GMA 7 actor Miguel Tanfelix, alt-rock icon Rico Blanco, actress and social media influencer Chie Filomeno, YouTube sensation Mona Alawi, and teen star Jillian Ward.

After a short hiatus, the hyper-pop hitmaker returns this year with a nostalgic R&B single that tackles a story of romantic relationship gone astray. Her new single “Emerald” drops today on all digital platforms worldwide.

Sabby shares the inspiration behind her new track. “I had gone through a breakup and didn't want to write anything sad or angry. I wanted to remember what it felt like in those moments and hold them close. It reminded me that not all relationships are meant to last forever. What lasts forever is the memories you make. So live life to the fullest.”

Produced by French Canadian electronic duo House of Wolf, “Emerald” inhabits an optimistic headspace that values emotional maturity over impulsive demeanor. With her syrupy vocals complementing the track’s atmospheric sonic backdrop, Sabby remembers her past relationship fondly, setting aside bitterness for a peace of mind.

This time, she mines a wistful narrative straight from a journal entry: confessional in form and function, but also hopeful in the way it was written and delivered. “There's a lot of electric guitar and synths that make the song so dreamy,” Sabby Sousa adds. “I would definitely say, it's a lot different to previous songs as it marks the beginning of a new sound for me.”

Recorded in August last year, the infectious jam sounds like a star turn from a young artist who is now ready to take the spotlight and make a lightning strike, one more time.

PCPPI directs business attention to benefit employee, customers, and communities amid COVID-19 pandemic

Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) continues to direct its business attention towards employee protection and delivering the company’s obligation in service to the Filipino people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As medical experts deem that this global health crisis will not be over soon, our three guiding principles have helped us navigate the new normal with an urgent concern for our people and the nation. These are part of our efforts to manage the effects of the pandemic to our people and operations,” said PCPPI president and CEO Frederick D. Ong.

The guiding principles and actions taken by PCPPI targets at helping employees cope during varying stages of Community Quarantine, to take action to support the needs of community and partners across the country; and to remain responsible in delivering its products—which is considered by the government as basic goods—nationwide.

For its employees, PCPPI continues to implement Flexible Work Arrangement. Those who are reporting to work on given days are provided with assistance such as transportation support/carpooling, site lodging, and food allowance. All PCPPI employees are also given PPE kits that include alcohol supply, washable face masks, and face shields.

PCPPI also offered its people with additional leave benefits, such as five-day COVID Crisis Leave and VL/SL Leave Availments for all employees. The company, likewise, released early payments, specifically pro-rated 13th Month Pay, as well as interest-free Calamity Loan assistance. All these are on top of government support programs which the company also helped facilitate for their employees.

Sustained operations

Despite the shift to MECQ, PCPPI commits to unhampered operations to produce hydration products for the consumption of the Filipinos. The company also continues to replenish stocks and display in groceries, supermarkets, and in traditional sales channels.

Meanwhile, to help and reach out to those in need, PCPPI is sustaining its donations to frontliners. Over 165,000 drinks or about 9,000 cases of beverage products were already donated to checkpoint frontliners, major hospitals, Local Government Units, COVID-patient centers, and various donation sites across the country.

“These are indeed uncertain times and the least we can do to ease the hardships of our fellow countrymen is assure them that PCPPI remains committed to deliver our products and assist them during these trying times,” Ong added.

The Itchyworms to launch quarantine-themed album with a virtual event

The Itchyworms will be hosting a virtual album launch to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated fifth album, Waiting For The End To Start.

A few hours before the 9-track album drops on digital platforms worldwide, the acclaimed pop-rock outfit is set to debut the songs for the very first time through an online listening and live commentary party, which will be streamed live via The Itchyworms’ official Facebook page on August 17, (Monday), from 7:30 pm onwards.

Expect a night of fun and entertainment as The Itchyworms perform select cuts from their upcoming release, and promise music listeners to deliver a riveting music experience like no other.

About the album

The Itchyworms’ upcoming studio album, Waiting For The End To Start was conceptualized and recorded with the members of the band confined in their respective homes during the nationwide lockdown.

Thematically, the songs are written as a reflection of their individual and collective experiences during the quarantine period. It also inhabits a more adventurous and relentless approach in terms of production and songwriting, which produced captivating end results that music fans will surely love.

As Chino Singson, the band’s lead guitarist and back-up vocalist, shares in a statement, “Like any collection of music, it is a record of its time: A snapshot of the artist's reaction to his or her circumstances. But it's a concept album in that our aim was to create art in the midst of a pandemic, to capture our emotions in the music we record, even with the limited recording gear we have at home. So you'll hear amp buzz and imperfect vocals, but for me that's part of the spirit of true rock.”

The Itchyworms’ “Waiting For The End To Start” virtual album launch is presented by Sony Music Philippines, GNN Entertainment, and Linya-Linya.

Prepare your Kids for Distance Learning with TANG

TANG, in partnership with Edukasyon.ph, aims to help moms make distance learning a more fun experience for their kids

The new school year is about to start soon. And with the setup of distance learning being a new experience, many parents are looking for guidance on how to make the best out of their children’s learning experience at home.

Learning from home is an entirely new experience from the traditional classroom setup. Apart from missing the opportunities to learn from social interactions, more distractions can be found at home such as computers, TVs, and many other external factors that may disrupt the learning process. To help moms bridge the gaps of distance learning and turn the home into a conducive learning environment, TANG, in partnership with Edukasyon.ph, launches Prepared with TANG: Get Ready for Distance Learning.

Prepared with TANG: Get Ready for Distance Learning is a free online learning platform where moms can get insights about distance learning and how they can play a more active role in their child’s education. The platform will provide moms with useful tips and simple steps to enhance their child’s learning experience at home, such as:

● Providing motivation when child feels bored or tired during lessons; ● Setting up a comfortable study space; ● Getting creative with new educational activities; and most important, ● Ensuring proper nutrition and fortification including the importance of Vitamin C

Enriching advice and tips will come from the expertise and real-life experiences of fellow moms and experts such as homeschooling advocate Tina Rodriguez, mom and daughter Mikaela Martinez-Lagdameo and Noelle, and LEGO senior concept artist, Ian Sta Maria.

“It has always been TANG’s mission to be every Filipino mom’s partner in preparing their children for a bright future. And this partnership is even more important as moms face the new normal of distance learning.” says Miguel Reyes, Brand Manager of TANG Philippines. “With TANG, moms can ensure that their children will have refreshing breaks that help make for a better learning experience. This is just the first step of many as we at TANG continue to be every mom’s partner in guiding their children towards what lies ahead.”

Join us over a fun and enriching merienda break with your kids on August 8, 2020, 3PM at the TANG PH Facebook page as we launch the free platform through a Facebook Live session. Follow us on www.facebook.com/TANGPhilippines/ to learn more.

Get your kids ready for a brighter future, prepared with TANG.

Damaged Hair? You Might Be Using the Wrong Products. Treat It with the “My Collagen Miracle” Habit

Is the lack of social activities making you care less about your hair’s condition? You might want to do a quick re-check on your hair condition.

Being indoors does not necessarily mean your hair is completely free from the risks of hair damage. If your hair is showing signs of tutchang, dryness, dullness, and frizz, chances are, it’s damaged. Exposure to heat in the form of hair styling tools, humidity, and chemical treatments weakens your hair’s fibers and strips off nutrients, moisture, and color, causing more damage. Not to mention that continuous use of the wrong haircare products can also harm your strands.

 trengthen your hair’s core and keep it from further damage by using collagen-infused haircare products — the ingredient that has done wonders to the skin.

Introducing My Collagen Miracle

Collagen provides amino acids in your body that then builds proteins to help strengthen hair from root to tip. It also prevents your hair from thinning, discoloration, and more damage. This miracle ingredient has done wonders for the skin and is now making rounds for its hair strengthening benefits.

 Wouldn’t it be nice if the power of collagen could be found in a haircare product? You won’t have to deal with regrets when choosing the wrong products again.

 Well, lucky for you Pantene now has a conditioner that’s formulated with real Collagen.

Say good riddance to damaged hair when you use the Pantene Collagen Miracle Conditioner — formulated with a blend of Pro-Vitamin B5, miracle serum, and real collagen, that moisturizes hair, targets damaged strands, and strengthens hair that’s frizz-free with salon-like results.

Unlike other conditioners that only have hydrolyzed collagen, Pantene’s Collagen Miracle Conditioner contains real collagen with a triple helix structure that gives support and structure to each hair strand, providing protection from external causes of damage.

Other Conditioners vs. Pantene Collagen Miracle Conditioner

 For more information, watch Dr. Aivee Teo’s video where she shares expert advice on how effective collagen works in protecting your hair —  keeping frizz, dryness, and damage at bay.

Use Pantene Collagen Miracle Conditioner daily and save yourself from the hassle of dealing with damaged and dry hair. Instead, enjoy the miraculous salon smooth hair, collagen has to offer.

You don’t need to sweat going out and exposing your hair to the extreme heat and humidity when you can conveniently shop Pantene products from the comfort of your own home and checkout through Lazada or Shopee.

Exclusive: SB19 drops their highly anticipated debut album, ‘Get in the Zone’

SB19 pushes the envelope of pop music with the release of their debut full-length album, Get in the Zone, out today on all digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music. 

Mashing together various music influences with top-tier production and global appeal, the nine-track release features six original compositions, along with the EDM version of “Love Goes” and two instrumental songs.

Thematically speaking, Get in the Zone maps their creative and personal journey. “It hasn’t been long since we released our debut single ‘Tilaluha,’ but prior to that, we have been training for years already,” says Sejun. “We wanted to incorporate all the things that we have experienced during trainee days into this album by putting all the emotions that we went through into our music. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but we pulled through and we hope that we get to inspire people with our story.”

SB19’s first album kicks off with the two-punch knockout of “Alab” and “Go Up”—both chart-topping singles that bask in electronic grooves, pulsating hip-hop rhythms, and technicolored beats. These songs not only exude outsized charisma, but it also showcases SB19’s potential as a phenomenal pop group capable of defying trends and trailblazing a new movement in the international music arena.  

Get in the Zone takes a more somber turn with “Tilaluha,” a stripped-down ballad that tackles one’s remorse over reciprocated romance. It’s a refreshing misnomer in a record filled with upbeat jams and shiny pop tunes, and one that blows the roof off, vocal performance-wise.

The winsome streak continues with the R&B-infused “Love Goes,” a song that talks about one’s suffering over a lost loved one, and its sequel, “Hanggang Sa Huli,” which allows the broken person to heal and find comfort in a kind of love that lasts a lifetime. The sonically adventurous album also includes “Wag Mong Ikunot Ang Iyong Noo,” a Filipino adaptation of the Korean ‘90s smash “Sarangeun Ya YaYa,” as well as an EDM remix and two bonus tracks.

According to Sejun, what sets Get in the Zone apart from other contemporary releases is the collaborative synergy between K-pop producers and Filipino talents, resulting into an exciting yet compelling final product. “It’s a great thing to get all the good traits from Korean and Philippine music/culture, and put them together into one. If you’ll dive deep into it, you’ll find a whole new sound rich in both cultures.”

As for the creative process, SB19 members Justin, Sejun, Josh, Ken, and Stell are very hands on when it comes to writing songs and creating melodies. Justin shares, “In this album, we didn’t collaborate with any other artist. We also wrote the lyrics for all the songs ourselves, but we’ve worked with Korean Producers who have also worked with famous artists in Korea already. It was a different experience for each producer since they have different styles, but overall, everything was fun and exciting.”

The award-winning band dedicates their new album, Get in the Zone to every single one of their A’TIN fans who have relentlessly supported their music through thick and thin. “All our achievements to date would not have been possible without you,” says Josh. “So in return we will work harder and continue to uplift you with more music and content so that we can give back the love we’ve received from you.”

Check out SB19’s Get in the Zone here.

Sponge Cola signs to Sony Music, releases new song “Lumipas Ang Tag-Araw”

Sponge Cola has officially signed to Sony Music—the record label that released their debut album, Palabas.

To mark this return, the award-winning band drops a new song entitled “Lumipas Ang Tag-araw,” out today on all digital platforms worldwide.

Capturing the essence of a belated summer anthem in less than four minutes, Sponge Cola’s latest single soars into the fast lane with verses that turn romantic yearning into an inescapable sing-along, and a power pop surge that packs a ton of punch.

Connection in separation

The captivating and relatable lyrics echo the collective frustration of not being with the people we deeply care about and love. But on the other side of the narrative, the song presents an opportunity to weather the insurmountable odds through perseverance and resilience to get through life—thanks to the support and kindness of friends and family. “It's a story of connection in separation, and how we can be a source of comfort for each other during difficult times,” guitarist Armo Armovit adds.

Vocalist and guitarist Yael Yuzon fondly recalls the inspiration behind “Lumipas Ang Tag-araw” after driving his wife to work one morning under the new normal. He remembers becoming intensely emotional out of nowhere. “It was a strange feeling: a realization about everything that has or hasn’t happened since Covid-19, which yanked us away from our usual. And at that moment, this bright and happy melody just came to me, then some words and harmonies. When I got home, I fleshed everything out and recorded a demo within a few minutes. I guess I just needed to uplift myself, so I wrote something uplifting-- something that doesn't highlight the struggle everyone has been trying to deal with during the pandemic and the lockdown.” The creative and emotional surge led to writing the initial draft of “Lumipas Ang Tag-araw”—a love song that deals with the struggles of physical connection in the time of pandemic.

“Virtual” recording

The upbeat pop-rock tune is the first song that the band arranged and recorded in the comforts of their home, without being together in the same place. Armovit shares the challenging process that transpired during the preliminary stages of the recording. “We sent demos and voice memos to each other back and forth, tweaking parts, creating variations, until we all agreed on a final arrangement. Everyone then had to record their own parts at home and send it to a communal online drive for the producer, Angee Rozul, to bring everything together for the final track.”

Under normal circumstances, Sponge Cola would usually write the song, arrange it in a rehearsal space, and record it together in a studio. But due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in the previous months, the alternative rock quartet decided to use the time and resources available at their disposal to record individually at their own place. “There was a lot of self-editing because you're not being policed by your bandmates or a producer constantly keeping tabs on possible mistakes or improvements, at least in person,” says Yael Yuzon. “It was all about laying in your parts when the song was passed on to you, and you had the responsibility to keep things right and easy for the next guy to add on to.”

Music video

According to Armovit, the lockdown-inspired music video of “Lumipas ang Tag-Araw” takes an intimate look into the fictional and real-life character’s personal worlds—their bedrooms, living spaces, confined homes—and the routine that they’re up to, in hopes of coping with the situation under quarantine. “It was also our first time working under special conditions, where we had to film all the scenes ourselves with our own phones and cameras. I'm very thankful for the help and guidance from King Palisoc, our director, and the creative ideas from his team.”

The music video will be released on August 1, Saturday via the band’s official YouTube page.