PLAYERTWO Go Behind ‘THAT’S MY BABY’: “Why don’t we make something that’s leaning on ’90s R&B?”
The episode is out now on Spotify.
Davao-based hip-hopHip-HopA cultural movement and music genre that began in the Bronx in the 1970s, built on rapping, DJing, beatmaking, and sampling. Hip-hop has a strong Filipino scene, with artists writingGo to Hip-Hop Glossary group PLAYERTWO are this week’s guests on Billboard Philippines Volumes.
Composed of members Wave P, Ivo Impreso, Luke April, Puhken, and Ven Villariza, the quintet sat down with Editor-in-Chief Bret Jackson to go behind-the-scenes of their viral hitViral HitA song that spreads rapidly through social media, often on short-video platforms, and then climbs charts as listeners seek it out. Viral hits can come from unexpected places and unlikelyGo to Viral Hit Glossary “THAT’S MY BABY.” The track premiered in 2022 and went viral on TikTok, amassing 34 million streams on Spotify since then.
PLAYERTWO originally was a project with Ivo and Luke April, and upon posting a video of them working on a song, Wave P sent a message asking if he could join in. “We were like, we would love to collaborate…we had a session, we made a song, and that turned into ‘HDYF’ (How Do You Feel). Then, the next one turned out to be ‘THAT’S MY BABY.'” Ivo revealed.
Prior to becoming PLAYERTWO, they were all solo creatives in their own right. Ven and Ken came in to work on creative direction while the trio made the music, with Ivo describing themselves as the “DIY kids.”
In terms of “THAT’S MY BABY,” Ivo explained that they were inspired by the American hip-hopHip-HopA cultural movement and music genre that began in the Bronx in the 1970s, built on rapping, DJing, beatmaking, and sampling. Hip-hop has a strong Filipino scene, with artists writingGo to Hip-Hop Glossary collective BROCKHAMPTON and ’90s music, and the inspiration for “THAT’S MY BABY” specifically came from BROCKHAMPTON’s song, “I’LL TAKE YOU ON” featuring Charlie Wilson.
“Why don’t we make something that’s leaning on ’90s R&B,” Luke April recounts. “I remember that we started on the drums first, with the cowbell, and the guitar. While I was doing the beat…biglang sinabi ni (Pat said) Pat na ‘that’s my baby…that’s my baby.”
Learn more about PLAYERTWO on Billboard Philippines Volumes below.