Jump right into the weekend with new releases from Filipino pop star and actor Inigo Pascual, Canadian singer and producer Tiberius b, and rising Seoul-born popstar REI AMI.
Inigo Pascual release Options (Tarsier Records)
Filipino singer-songwriter, Inigo Pascual, brings his original music to the world stage with the release of his internationally promoted album, Options. This twelve-track, full-length album follows the success of Pascual’s 2016 album debut and hit single “Dahil Sa’yo,” the first No. 1 song on the then-new “Phillippine Top 20” chart that has garnered him countless fans. His newest album, Options, bursts with poppy optimism and includes a broad spectrum of genres from dance-pop, to island pop, dancehall, R&B, and acoustic. Options revolves around the theme of self-discovery, following Pascual’s journey of navigating endless options and sonically demonstrating vulnerability, attraction, and love in each song. The album’s lead single, “Neverland,” is a pop-R&B track produced by the global hit-maker Bernard “HARV” Harvey. The track’s lyrics are sonically enveloped by a gloomy R&B sound, and describe an unconventional relationship and fantasy of the unknown. While Pascual’s tracks have accrued 60M+ total streams across platforms, Options is expected to continue to turning heads with its impressive collection of songs and collaborations with renowned producers and songwriters from Manila to California.
Tiberius b – Stains (Zelig Records)
Singer, songwriter and producer Tiberius b presents their debut EP, Stains, with Mark Ronson’s label Zelig Records. The EP features six tracks that encapsulate Tiberius b’s soulful R&B and sultry pop sound, and lyrically serve as reflective, honest, and authentic recount of their experiences in love and life. Tiberius b describes the EP’s third single and emotionally raw title track, Stains: “This is about feeling used by a particular style of sensitive yet deceptive male, and the devastating observation of that becoming a repeating theme in my life. Being frustrated at my ability to foresee the events that were to unfold but allowing it to happen again regardless.” The new Zelig Records signee also shared that the EP’s first single, “No Smoke,” explores feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and confusion surrounding queer identity. The song was accompanied by a self-directed video, which features Tiberius b riding a bike on a desolate path and reflects freedom and vulnerability. Stains came to fruition in the remote Welsh countryside, where Tiberius b lived in isolation during the early stages of the 2020 global pandemic. Using a borrowed electric guitar, Tiberius b produced their debut EP, creating sounds that reflected the isolation-cultivated angst they were experiencing. According to Broadway World, Stains is an “impressive debut and one that is not afraid to confront issues including breakups, sexual awakenings, gender euphoria, isolation and psychedelic divinations with raw and unflinching honesty.”
REI AMI release FOIL (Visionary)
REI AMI, the Seoul-born artist whose music has been praised by both FINNEAS and Billie Eilish, has released her highly anticipated ten-track mixtape, Foil. The Maryland-based singer-songwriter has been taking the pop world by storm, with publications such as Ones to Watch labeling her as “a standout hip-hop offering that feels like it’s miles ahead of the curve.” Included on the mixtape is REI AMI’s March-released single “Do It Right,” which features Grammy-nominated rapper Aminé. Also a part of Foil is REI AMI’s third breakout single “F.R.A,” which REI AMI shares is about “glowing up and removing yourself from toxic people and situations. It’s about taking pride in yourself and owning it completely.” With her artist name, REI AMI represents a combination of two characters from the anime series Sailor Moon: while REI represents a delicate side, AMI showcases her more aggressive “bad bitch” energy. The polar opposite sides of her name are also reflected in her music, which embraces both styles and represents duality in its sound and lyrics. With her new music and unique genre-bending sound, Bello observes that the rising artist is “poised to continue her rapid rise to stardom in 2021 and beyond. Pop music isn’t ready for what’s coming next.”
