If you already love OPM, getting into P-pop does not have to feel like entering a completely different musical world.
Maybe your playlist is full of hugot songs. Maybe you prefer R&B, acoustic tracks, kilig pop, Bisaya songs, or the kind of ballad you end up singing much louder than necessary.
There is a P-pop entry point for all of those.
So instead of starting with the biggest hits, start with the sound you already love.
If You Love Late-Night OPM: BINI — “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi”
There is something immediately familiar about “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi.”
It has the warmth of those OPM songs you play when the night is winding down but you are not quite ready for it to end. The song stays gentle, emotional, and easy to sink into.
Play this when: you want something soft enough for the ride home but emotional enough to make you delay going home a little longer.
BINI
BINI is an eight-member Filipino P-pop girl group composed of Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena. Known as the Nation’s Girl Group, BINI is recognized for their bright pop sound, polished performances, strong group identity, and songs that celebrate confidence, youth, love, and Filipino pride.
View BINI ProfileIf You Love R&B: ALAMAT — “Maharani”
If your OPM playlist leans toward smooth vocals and R&B, “Maharani” is one of the easiest places to enter P-pop.
It is romantic without becoming overly sweet, polished without losing its Filipino character, and groovy enough to keep replaying without demanding too much from the listener.
Play this when: you want kilig with a little more groove.
ALAMAT
Filipino boy group, performers, multilingual P-pop artists, cultural storytellers
ALAMAT is a six-member Filipino P-pop boy group composed of Taneo, Mo, Jao, Tomás, R-Ji, and Alas. The group debuted on February 14, 2021 with “kbye” and is known for its multilingual music, regional representation, and strong use of Filipino cultural elements in its songs, visuals, fashion, and performances.
View ALAMAT ProfileIf You Love Classic OPM Ballads: SB19 — “Hanggang sa Huli”
Before the heavy choreography, powerful performances, and genre experiments, SB19 can simply give you a good ballad.
“Hanggang sa Huli” carries the kind of longing that already feels at home in OPM: loving someone even when the ending is not the one you wanted.
No introduction to P-pop is really necessary here.
Just press play.
Play this when: you are in the mood to willingly hurt your own feelings.
SB19
Filipino boy group, performers, songwriters, producers, P-pop pioneers
SB19 is a trailblazing Filipino boy group composed of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken (FELIP), and Justin. As pioneers of P-pop’s global rise, they made history as the first Southeast Asian act nominated at the Billboard Music Awards and now self-manage under their own company, 1Z Entertainment. With hits like ‘GENTO,’ ‘MAPA,’ and ‘Bazinga,’ SB19 fuses pop, hip-hop, and R&B with powerful lyrics and a strong Filipino identity. True to their name ‘SOUND BREAK,’ they continue to break boundaries, proudly representing Southeast Asia on the global stage with sold-out tours and viral performances.
View SB19 ProfileIf You Want Pure Kilig: KAIA — “hulog”
Not every OPM playlist has to be about heartbreak.
KAIA’s “hulog” captures that lighter moment when you realize you are starting to like someone and suddenly everything they do feels a little more important.
It is bright, warm, and easy to place beside the Filipino love songs you already play when life is going suspiciously well.
Play this when: may crush ka and you are trying very hard not to make it obvious.
KAIA
Filipino girl group, vocalists, rappers, dancers, songwriters, performance-driven P-pop act
KAIA is a five-member Filipino P-pop girl group composed of Angela, Charice, Alexa, Sophia, and Charlotte. The group released their pre-debut single “KAYA” on December 10, 2021, and officially debuted on April 8, 2022, with “BLAH BLAH.”
View KAIA ProfileIf Hugot Is Your Natural Habitat: VXON — “Lisan”
If heartbreak is where your OPM playlist usually lives, try “Lisan.”
The song feels less like a dramatic breakup and more like the quieter part afterward—when you already know you have to let go but your emotions have not completely caught up yet.
It is restrained enough to let the feeling sit with you.
Play this when: you have accepted the ending intellectually but apparently not emotionally.
VXON
VXON is a Filipino P-pop boy group under Cornerstone Entertainment composed of C13, Sam, Franz, Vince, and Patrick. The group debuted on January 7, 2022, with the single “The Beast” and is known as the Monsters of P-pop.
View VXON ProfileIf You Love Big Vocals: G22 — “Until When? (Kinakaya Ko Pa)”
Sometimes you want a song to stay soft.
Sometimes you want the singer to sound like they have finally had enough.
“Until When? (Kinakaya Ko Pa)” gives G22 room to show the emotional weight behind their voices. It starts from vulnerability and grows into the kind of release that makes a ballad satisfying.
Play this when: “okay ra ko” is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
G22
Filipino girl group, vocalists, rappers, dancers, empowering performers
G22 is a Filipino P-pop girl group under Cornerstone Entertainment composed of AJ, Alfea, and Jaz. The group debuted on February 25, 2022, with the single “BANG!” and is known as the Female Alphas of P-pop.
View G22 ProfileIf You Love Bisaya R&B: FELIP — “Palayo”
If Bisaya songs already have a place in your OPM playlist, “Palayo” is an easy bridge into another side of P-pop.
The song moves through Bisaya and English over a slow, understated R&B sound. Instead of turning heartbreak into a huge dramatic moment, FELIP keeps the feeling controlled—the kind of breakup song where the decision already sounds final.
It also reminds us that Filipino pop does not have to sound only one way or speak only one language.
Play this when: kapoy naka sa iyang mga bakak and you would rather walk away than argue again.
FELIP
Filipino singer-songwriter, music producer
FELIP (Felip Jhon Suson) — also known as Ken of SB19 — is an independent artist and hands-on music producer known for his bold, experimental sound. Merging hip-hop, trap, rock, and Bisaya rap, he crafts his beats, lyrics, and visuals with full creative control.
View FELIP ProfileStart With What Already Feels Like You
Getting into P-pop does not mean replacing the OPM artists you already love.
P-pop is part of that same Filipino music landscape.
The packaging may be different. There may be more choreography, more members, more genre-switching, and different Filipino languages in the mix. But underneath all of that are familiar things: kilig, heartbreak, longing, good melodies, big vocals, and songs that somehow arrive at exactly the right moment.
So do not worry about finding the “correct” first P-pop song.
Start with the one that sounds closest to home.
Then let the playlist take you somewhere new.
