Most artists nowadays take to TikTok to find their big break in the music scene. It often takes just one song for someone to shoot their shot to stardom, yet for Kenaniah (born Kenaniah Lambio), his series of five self-released songs naturally found its way to O/C Records.
“Noong simula ng pandemic, out of boredom lang talaga ako gumagawa ng music. Nagsimula siya sa isang kanta lang, tapos naging trip ko lang gumawa pa ng iba kaya na-release ko sila sa Spotify,” he mentions.
With little to no experience making any sort of music beforehand, he employed a DIY setup to record his compositions. Armed with just his iPhone and its pre-installed GarageBand app, earphones, and a guitar, the 19-year-old singer was able to record his first few tracks in his bedroom — including his debut, “Selena,” and one of his earliest hits, “Hindi Ikaw.”
The sheer impressiveness of his raw and personal songwriting style eventually attracted the attention of O/C Records head Kean Cipriano. Kenaniah recalls the moment with a certain fondness: “Hindi ko talaga in-expect na dahil sa pag-release ko ng mga gawa-gawa ko lang [na] ma-discover ako ni Sir Kean. Tapos ayun, nagtuloy-tuloy tapos nag-sign na ako sa kanila.”
Courtesy of O/C Records
From that moment on, it seemed as if his career would reach greater heights. This came to fruition upon the release of his 2022 single, “Bahala Na.” With over 84 million streams and counting, it was a smash hit that found virality on several digital platforms from TikTok to Spotify, which further surprised Kenaniah early in his career.
“Sobrang random lang ‘yung kanta kasi ‘di ko rin in-expect na nung tini-TikTok ko siya, maraming makakapansin,” Kenaniah shares with a laugh. “Nung sinulat ko ‘yan, may nakita lang akong girl sa ‘Explore’ page ng Instagram ko. Tapos, sabi ko, ‘Susugal na ba ako?’”
“Pero naisip ko rin, ‘Hindi, ‘di bale na. Sino pa ba ako para mapansin nito?’” the hitmaker chuckles. “Nakasulat ako ng kanta at na-inspire ako sa kanya. Siguro dun sa TikTok ko, baka napansin na niya ako.”
Little did he know it wasn’t just her who took notice of his music, but an entire audience of Filipino listeners found a sense of resonance with his tracks. Since then, his career has progressed at a rather quick pace. “Ang bilis ng mga pangyayari sa akin sa career ko. Ever since nag-sign ako, nakapag-Wish Bus kaagad ako, nakapag-mall shows ako, at nagpe-perform na ako sa maraming gig at festival,” he says.
Courtesy of O/C Records
Amidst the hustle and bustle of his burgeoning career, there are still several aspects of it that Kenaniah enjoys and establishes as core memories. “Favorite ko ‘yung mga festivals, mga UP Fair, ‘tsaka ‘yung [It’s] Showtime. Marami kasing nangyayari sa mga gigs na ganun. Marami akong name-meet na mga ibang artist, ibang tao, o mga ibang organizer. Kasama ko rin ‘yung banda ko, tapos nakikipag-bonding kami.”
Nowadays, he finds himself performing alongside top-tier performers like Zild, Juan Karlos, Toneejay, and his fellow O/C labelmate Unique. To him, such experiences feel like surreal moments, given that these are the musicians he idolized growing up. “Nung high school lang talaga ako nakinig sa OPM, so sila ‘yung mga E-heads (Eraserheads) ko,” he states.
Live, the rising star finds comfort in witnessing how his audiences reciprocate the energy of his performances. “Nakikita ko na nagvi-vibe sila sa mga songs ko. Kahit na minsan hindi nila alam ‘yung lyrics, tumatalon sila kapag pinapatalon ko sila,” he states. “‘Yun talaga ‘yung favorite kong gawin sa stage.”
Yet, following the successful release of his self-titled album last year, Kenaniah now finds himself back in his bedroom, embracing the isolated process of writing music in the way that he’s used to.
Courtesy of O/C Records
To him, it’s quiet time that allows him to get in touch with his most candid and introspective thoughts — which is a part of the creative process that he surprisingly finds himself enjoying. “Nandito ako sa Lipa (City, Batangas) since April. Tapos minsan bumabalik lang ako Manila para mag-record ng kanta sa studio, pero bumabalik ulit ako dito pagkatapos.”
Teasing the tracks he’s working on, Kenaniah describes it as a new sound — one that feels more authentic to his life. “‘Yung previous songs ko, may mga iba [na] inspired ng mga friends ko at ng mga experiences nila. Pero ngayon, tina-try ko talaga maging mas true sa lyrics at nag-e-experiment sa mga live instruments.”
“Dati, bedroom producer lang ako, so ngayon ‘yung first time ko mag-record ng mga live instruments. May kasama na akong ibang tao at hindi siya perfect — pero ‘yun ang nagugustuhan ko, eh. Sa mga nuances at pagkakaiba pag may taong naglalaro, diyan nakikita ‘yung beauty ng live music.”
Ultimately, whenever Kenaniah decides to release his next work, there’s no doubt that millions of listeners will tune in. And however it will sound, his passion for music and his creative process will surely shine through.
Courtesy of O/C Records
A version of this story appeared in Billboard Philippines’ indie and alternative issue, dated June 15, 2024.
Listen to Kenaniah’s latest single “lanamantayo” below: