The first-ever Filipino Music Awards took place on October 21, 2025, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. The night saw SB19 clinch six awards, including Artist of the Year and Pop Song of the Year for “DUNGKA!”, marking a defining moment for Filipino music. Ely Buendia also took the stage with a performance of “Kandarapa,” bridging eras of OPM and reminding the audience of the genre’s enduring capacity to evolve.
Amid the lights, the roar, and the full house of artists and fans, there was a subtler beat, pockets of stillness where people caught their breath and tuned into the music differently.
That sense of pause found a home in experiential zones crafted by IQOS and ZYN. These were not backstage VIP lounges but intentionally designed spaces where the event’s velocity shifted downward, offering attendees a deliberate moment of calm, not from the agenda of the awards, but for the individual rhythm of enjoyment. In what follows, we explore how these moments aligned with the evolving ideas of pleasure, pause, and presence in music culture.
When Stillness Becomes the Stage
In music, the rest is as important as the note. It gives meaning, texture, and anticipation to what comes next. That philosophy resonates deeply with how IQOS and ZYN approach modern pleasure. For these brands, taking a break isn’t a sign of slowing down; it’s an act of tuning in.
Both have long embraced innovation as a form of evolution. IQOS, through its heat-not-burn technology, and ZYN, through its tobacco-free nicotine pouches, reflect a cultural shift toward more conscious choices. Their presence at the Filipino Music Awards mirrored this change in tempo, encouraging audiences to redefine what pleasure looks like in today’s fast-moving creative world.
Redefining the Tempo of Modern Pleasure
Artists reinvent themselves with every era; audiences, too, are learning to evolve. The pursuit of pleasure today is less about indulgence and more about balance. Whether it is pausing between sets, unplugging after a performance, or simply taking a breath between songs, the essence of enjoyment lies in being present.
IQOS reflects this philosophy through the ILUMA i device, which adapts to individual routines with intuitive features, while ZYN continues to innovate with its new Bright Green 1.5 mg variant, offering a subtle, tobacco-free option for mindful enjoyment, showing that just as artists reshape their craft, these brands are redefining what modern pleasure can look like.
As the lights dimmed and the final notes of the night faded, what lingered was not just the applause, it was the calm that followed. That is the kind of pleasure IQOS and ZYN stand for, one that allows space for reflection, reconnection, and rediscovery.
In a world that never stops playing, the real art lies in knowing when to pause. To learn more about IQOS and ZYN and explore their latest innovations, visit iqos.com and zyn.com.
Government warning: This product is harmful and contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. This is for use only by adults and is not recommended for use by nonsmokers