10 Filipino Artists To Look Out For This 2025 – Staff Picks

The Filipino music scene is constantly brimming with so much possibilities and talent, with 2025 shaping up to be another year of discovering our next favorite artists.

Now, more than ever, we have many promising acts left and right constantly redefining and breathing new life into OPM, proving just how expansive and multi-faceted the musical artistry of the Filipino continues to be. These artists represent the continued evolution of our people’s songs, offering us a glimpse into the inherent potential OPM has held and continues to hold to this day.

With this, the Billboard Philippines team has compiled a list of Filipino artists whom you should put on your radar and check out. From up-and-coming indie rockers to rising P-pop and hip-hop stars, these acts are ones you definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on this 2025.

Novocrane

Emerging onto the scene just last year, Novocrane came out with their debut single “Imaginary Party” – a track driven by laidback yet edgy guitars, melancholia-infused vocals, and an encompassing dream pop-tinged atmosphere – on August 9, 2024. The Cebu-hailing indie rockers’ first ever release channels a beloved sound that feels nostalgic and familiar yet fresh and exciting at the same time, leaving an impressive taste of what is to potentially come from the band this 2025.

Young Blood Neet

Joining many other local hip-hop artists who achieved a stellar year for themselves in 2024 is Young Blood Neet, recognized for his seamless flow, brazen lyricism, and often playful-sounding instrumentals. The up-and-coming rapper saw himself release eight singles in 2024 alone, a number of which were collaborations with fellow notable rising hip-hop acts, before closing the year off with a bang by dropping his 10-track studio album PLAYAZ SZN. At this rate, you can bet he has a lot more in store for 2025, so get ready.

Oz Kabuhat

Conjuring up a combo of dark electronica-fueled alt-rock with elements of dream pop and shoegaze, the experimental Oz Kabuhat showcases daring offerings with his music. Releasing his third single “Angel” and its b-side track “Her” in 2024, the young singer-songwriter continues to redefine his overall style, resulting in an exciting sound that we wouldn’t mind hearing more of this 2025 – one that is persistently haunting and eerily ethereal at the same time.

ila

While ila has only come out with two singles at the time of writing, there’s no denying the entrancing, ethereal quality of her songs, helping the singer-songwriter carve out her own unique brand of folk-pop. Her second single “‘Di Maipagkakaila” feels otherworldly, punctuated by wispy vocals and held together a dreamy atmosphere courtesy of acoustic guitar-driven intrumentals. With music that makes you feel like you’re floating above the clouds with each passing note, it’s exciting to think of what else ila will be crafting next for 2025.

G22

Making their debut in early 2022, G22 have been on a steady climb, achieving significant recognition as one of modern P-pop’s clear-cut rising stars of today. Known for their stage presence that effortlessly commands attention and inclination for self-empowering lyrical themes, these Female Alphas continued their way to the top in 2024, having released anthemic theme songs for notable brands as well as explored new, catchy musical territory with their singles. Watch out for them this 2025.

(e)motion engine

Tapping into elements of shoegaze, modern alternative rock, and some pop punk goodness, (e)motion engine is a band whose sound is not meant to be boxed in or easily defined. Releasing their second single “Pessimist” last September 2024, the genre-experimenting indie six-piece is a group whose sonic signature has bite, attitude, and spunk – a welcome combination that we need more of as we head into the new year.

Jolianne

Finding her roots in Cebu while gracefully thriving in Manila, Jolianne is a rising singer-songwriter known for her fusion of smooth R&B and laidback pop, distinguished by the dreamy timbre of her voice. Following years of releasing one emotive single after another, she is finally slated to release her debut EP, entitled Plain Girl, this January 2025.

SUYEN

Known for her signature catchy grunge-pop style mixed in with a dash of playful and relatable lyricism, SUYEN is an indie soloist who recently released her latest single “Teka Lang! (looper machine).” She is Billboard Philippines‘s December 2024 Issue’s Discover artist and is set to release her debut EP sometime this year.

AJAA

Officially debuting back in September 2023, AJAA brought a refreshing take on the P-pop genre, embracing the upbeat and bright qualities of bubblegum pop – a path often less taken by modern Filipino boy groups. Ultimately, this choice has distinctively set them apart, especially with the release of their 2024 single “BES I LUV U,” which playfully incorporates elements of pop rock that is nothing short of catchy, nostalgic, charming, and fun. If this is any indication of what the quartet has in store for 2025, then consider us excited for more.

Yaelokre

If you’re looking for music that quite literally takes you to another realm, look no further than Yaelokre. A story-weaving music project by Filipino-Icelandic singer-songwriter and visual artist Keath Ósk, Yaelokre tells the story of Ósk’s very own, continually expanding mystical world of Meadowlark. Told through a sonic signature of modern art-folk, the story features four main characters known as The Lark that Ósk themselves performs as for their songs.

Following their debut in early 2024, Yaelokre went viral and eventually gained millions of listeners globally, with more Filipinos, in particular, slowly discovering the magical world Ósk continues to build for a growing, curious audience.