Cup Of Joe ends 2025 in a league of their own. The Baguio City-born band — once a group of high school classmates squeezing in lunchtime jams between classes — now stand as the Philippines’ most dominant pop act. They’re the year’s most streamed local band, pulled off five sold-out nights at the Araneta Coliseum, and continue to make chart history with “Multo,” the single that has spent 27 straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 and an ongoing 35 weeks atop the Top Philippine Songs chart. Add their Song of the Year (“Multo”) and Album of the Year (Silakbo) wins at the inaugural Filipino Music Awards, and it’s clear the band is operating at a career peak.
Yet the group still can’t quite believe how far they’ve come.
“Sobrang (Very) unexpected,” vocalist Gian Bernardino says. “Kasi (Because) if we talk about how we began, it’s a very, very one-in-a-million chance na mangyari sa amin ‘yun, kasi nga (that this would happen to us, because) we started the band for fun and we didn’t really expect or envision us na makakapag-achieve ng ganitong klaseng (to achieve this kind of) milestone.”
Co-vocalist Rapha Ridao echoes the sentiment, grounding their success in work ethic rather than mystique. “Wala naman talagang secret, eh — hard work and dedication talaga… sabay-sabay kami nag-evolve, gumaling sa craft namin.”
(“There’s really no secret — just hard work and dedication. And because of it, we evolved together and improved in our craft.”)
A huge part of Cup Of Joe’s story is rooted in place. Baguio’s creative quiet—the cold air, the long stretches of calm—has shaped how they write and think as a band. That environment has also begun reshaping perceptions of the Filipino music map.
“Parang naging effect niya — ‘di lang sa amin, pati rin sa mga ibang bands at sa mga ibang artists sa Baguio (Its effect wasn’t just for us, but also for other Baguio artists),” lead guitarist Gab Fernandez shares, noting the city’s flourishing scene and long-overlooked talents finally being noticed.
Rhythm guitarist CJ Fernandez describes Baguio’s pull in a way only someone raised in its rhythm can. “Medyo ironic siya, kasi dati dito (Manila) ‘yung center ng lahat… Pero ngayon, ‘yung ibang artists na nandito, [sa] Baguio na ngayon dumadayo (It’s ironic, because Manila used to be the center of everything, but now a lot of Manila-based artists head to Baguio).” And when the band goes home, something instinctive opens up. As Gab puts it: “Parang bumabalik ‘yung feeling na parang kami ‘yung mga high school students na gusto lang talagang magsulat ng songs… Pure and sincere songwriting lang (It somehow brings back the feeling of being high school students again who just want to write songs — just pure and sincere songwriting).”
“Tingin,” their 2023 collaboration with Janine Teñoso, marked the first shift. “Every time na nababalitaan namin na nag-chart ‘yung song namin (we get news that our song is on the charts), we’re like, ‘Wow! Congrats [to us]!’” Gian says. But it was “Multo” — anchored within the five-stage narrative of Silakbo — that reframed their trajectory. The album’s long-form storytelling was intentional. “There’s something really deep and personal with making an album,” Rapha says. Keyboardist Xen Gareza adds, “You can tell so much more [about] an artist through their album compared sa paisa-isang song lang (to single releases).”
With a massive nationwide 2026 tour on the horizon and growing international momentum, Cup Of Joe are already looking outward. “Our next step would be to [get] in touch with our international fans,” Gian says. Rapha adds, “Super proud kami sa lahat ng ginagawa namin.”
And with “Multo” still refusing to fade, the band isn’t chasing charts — they’re chasing growth. “We have so much [more] to offer them,” concludes Gab. “Basta kami, tuloy-tuloy lang kami (We’ll just keep making music).”
Read the full December 2025 Digital Cover here.
Photographed by Ver Sacol. Creative Direction by Bret Jackson. Art Direction by Kenn Dimaano. Glam Team by Nix Institute of Beauty. Styled by Kai Chavez. Photography assisted by Stephanie Maureen Anlacan. Story by Jason Caballa. Billboard Philippines December 2025.
