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Without warning, Umaaligid just shook us out of stupor and indifference not just on a personal level but on how these struggles relate to societal ills. Umaaligid resonates with the victims of tokhang, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, police brutality, illegal arrests, indefinite detention, sexual assault, betrayal, redtagging, etc.
Dungka! becomes a call to get the trapos out of people’s lives as SB19 Justin purposely covers a trapo poster with a Sining Ang Sandata poster.
“As artists, we’ve always believed in the power of music to tell stories that transcend our boundaries,” said Josh Cullen Santos, SB19 member.
However, the song’s message extends beyond personal struggles, touching on broader societal issues, particularly the circumstances that young and new artists face. As Josh Cullen poignantly puts it, “paano pa kaya kapag naputol itong kadena,” which can be interpreted as metaphorical chains that bind many talented individuals, preventing them from reaching their full potential.
Aside from breaking barriers in the themes they are covering, the growing PPOP movement in the music industry is also slowly changing the entertainment landscape.
The end song Freedom comes alive with today’s commemoration of independence day. By telling A’Tin “you are my freedom,” SB19 prompts our consciousness to rely on the masses in the struggle for self-rule.
Combined with the visuals that the music video served, SB19’s Gento also appears to give a nod to not just the struggle of the Mahalima themselves but also that of the ordinary folk.
More than just showing what went on behind the scenes of their world tour, the Nyebe visualizer encapsulated and highlighted the longing, and sadness of living and working overseas.
Here’s a journalist’s take on why SB19’s Mapa will always be a tearjerker.
By its sheer title alone, the track “Kapangyarihan” stands out as the boldest and most powerful track in the album. This Ben&Ben composition which was originally released months ago was enhanced, and displayed even more grit, by introducing into the new version SB19’s own rap parts, with bars that simply spit fire. Ben&Ben deftly held the new version all together in denouncing the abuse of power.
And so as not to confuse their patriotism, the cry of “PILIPINAS” is heard loud and clear. The last line reads “di na magpapaawat, iwawagayway na ang watawat,” and the song finally rests on a relic of the Murillo-Velarde map that is a testament to the country’s ownership of the West Philippine Sea.
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