7 Filipino Artists From Outside Metro Manila That We Want To See Collaborate

Outside of the Metro, regional music scenes are thriving with new and established artists across all genres. Each artist puts their own spin to the sounds that we’re all familiar — making music with their own languages and experiences. With there being no shortage of excellent musicians, it can’t be helped to make a wishlist of superstar collaborations that we want to see in the future.

With that, this is Billboard Philippines‘ wishlist for Filipino collaborations that we want to happen.

Cookie$ (Cebu) and FELIP (Zamboanga del Sur)

Cebuano rapper Cookie$ has been known for hits like “Beplop”, “Bisdako” (wordplay that describes someone who grew up Bisaya or speaks Bisaya), and most notably, “Sabak Daddy”, which went viral on TikTok earlier this year. On the other hand, SB19 member Ken Suson — who performs solo under his mononym FELIP — released his debut hip-hop EP COMPLEX earlier this year to much critical acclaim. FELIP was born and raised in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, and on COMPLEX, he pays tribute to his heritage with “MICTEST,” which is written in Bisaya.

Cookie$’ melodic style of rapping and FELIP’s aggressive and raspy vocals make this duo a perfect match for a hip-hop track.

Dilaw (Baguio) and dwta (Bicol)

Dilaw’s rock sound and dwta‘s soft voice may seem like an unlikely pairing, but a combination of the two can create a song that has different textures of sound. The collaboration can go either way — we can see a louder side of dwta if she leans into the rock style, or a softer version of Dilaw as they transform dwta’s acoustic style of music into something fuller. A collaboration between these two acts can bring out versions of the artists that we haven’t seen before.

Dom Guyot (Cebu) and Paul Pablo (Davao)

Both Dom Guyot and Paul Pablo have made waves for their vivid and artistic approach to both R&B and pop music. The pair have equally rich and impressive voices, and put together could make a powerful combination not just musically, but also visually. While Dom Guyot’s signature style is more slowed down and mellow, Paul Pablo’s upbeat sound could create a great mash-up that showcases both artists’ vocal prowess.

Jolianne (Cebu) and PLAYERTWO (Davao)

R&B and hip-hop have been proven to be a match made in heaven. The same could go for R&B singer Jolianne and hip-hop group PLAYERTWO — Jolianne’s deep and soulful voice complements the high energy style of rap from the quintet. It helps that one of the PLAYERTWO boys, Ivo Impreso, has his roots in R&B music, ensuring that these two acts could blow us all away with their unique spin on a new R&B and hip-hop track.

Joseph Gara (Bohol) and Oh! Caraga (Agusan del Norte)

Folk pop outfits Joseph Gara and Oh! Caraga are mainstays in the Visayan pop scene, regularly performing at the Visayas Pop Music Festival. Gara’s soulful voice and award-winning songwriting skills mesh well with Oh! Caraga’s uplifting and upbeat sound. As Vispop favorites, this collaboration is something that everyone would look forward to.

Midnasty (Dumaguete) and Delinquent Society (Davao)

You can’t talk about Bisaya hip-hop without paying respect to the OGs — Midnasty and Delinquent Society. As hip-hop heavyweights, it’s only right that these two groups should come together for a powerhouse collaboration. These two groups have a wide range of techniques and sounds when it comes to hip-hop, making it exciting to see which subgenre of hip-hop they would make if ever they decided to collaborate with each other.

Jewel Villaflores (Leyte) and TJ Monterde (Cagayan de Oro)

“Vispop Princess” Jewel Villaflores and chart-topper TJ Monterde individually make music that would just gel well together. With the two being singer-songwriters, they pour their hearts into creating soulful pop hits. A collaboration between the two would definitely be as memorable and catchy as their own individual work.