Today (July 18, 2025), Zae and Sica teamed up to release their latest single, a collaborative piece entitled “I can be the one.” Additionally, the pair are slated to debut a music video for the fresh track tonight at 7 PM on Zae’s official YouTube channel. Watch the premiere here.
With blazing bars, the piece is a provocative duet with a slick R&B/jazz beat to provide a smooth and subdued ambience that adds to the romantic atmosphere of the song. Lyrics like “I know that you like me but is you even fun? / Can you make me feel safe / Feel like I don’t have to run / If you don’t got a girl / Baby can I be the one,” add to the ‘us against the world’ undertones the song seems to carry.
Sica has recently been featured as a representative of local hip-hop for Billboard Philippines’ Pinoy Hip-Hop 2025 campaign. In a feature highlighting his work in the scope of modern Filipino rap, it was noted that the artist takes inspiration from artists like the late Mac Miller. Additionally, Sica shared that in his vision for the future, he finds delight in the simple joys, grateful for every step in his journey as an artist.
Zae, on the other hand, was formerly selected as a representative of Billboard Philippines’ Pinoy Hip-Hop Class of 2024. In an interview feature previously conducted for the campaign, she shared her insight on the male-dominated scene of local hip-hop, “Male-dominated talaga siya in the first place. Sanay din ‘yung tenga ng mga tao na nakikinig sa local rap na lalake ‘yung nasa mic. Tsaka ‘yung female artists, pang chorus lang kami dati; hindi kami ‘yung main sauce ng song,” she recalls. “I had a hard time ma-penetrate ‘yung scene, magpakilala sa kanila as someone na player din sa game. Kasi parang meron silang tingin na ‘ah, babae lang yan, hindi yan kalaban’ — that she’s not a threat.”
(It’s really male-dominated in the first place. Everyone who listens to local rap are used to hearing a guy on the mic. And female artists used to just sing the choruses; we weren’t the main sauce of the song. I had a hard time penetrating the scene and introducing myself as someone that’s a player in the game. They have this idea that because she’s a girl, she’s not competition — that she’s not a threat.”)
Stream “I can be the one” on Spotify here: