Former “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contender JM Bales and rising OPM act KVN are thrilled at the success of their TikTok-trending song collaboration “Magandang Dilag,” which was first released in 2020 under Star Pop.
JM and KVN are equally proud to have brought the song to life, which now has 1.8 million streams on Spotify, as it opened doors for them as performers.
“I really prayed to have a hit song and it’s just overwhelming because this song took away my anxieties. I’m so happy and thankful,” JM shared.
KVN on the other hand said he already expected the song to be a hit upon hearing its demo.
“It opened a lot of opportunities for me as a singer and as a newcomer, so I’m happy that ‘Magandang Dilag’ is now enjoying a well-deserved recognition.”
The viral Star Pop hit, composed by multi-awarded singer-songwriter Kiko Salazar and first heard on the swimsuit competition of the inaugural Miss Universe Philippines pageant last year, spawned a viral TikTok dance challenge which Kiko described as a ‘dream come true’ for him as a songwriter.
“I'd like to give credit to Mama J [Jonas Gaffud] because the whole idea of this song really came from him. He said, ‘This time, I want a pop song so that the girls won’t be tensed when they walk, so it has to be a bubbly pop song,’” the “Akin Ka Na Lang” hitmaker told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview.
“When I was writing the song, I took half a day to listen to old Kundimans to capture the sound of ‘harana.’ Lyrically you can feel that it’s like a poem because I wanted to glorify the Filipina beauty,” he added.
Aside from “Magandang Dilag,” Kiko has also produced the song “Over The Universe” sung by Jessica Sanchez and “Kalawakan” interpreted by KVN for last year’s Miss Universe PH pageant. In November, he released his After Dark Final Hour EP in celebration of his 10th anniversary in the music industry.
