“Pag-ibig niya matindi pa sa lason / Tila nagpakalulong sa dala-dalang dahon” (Her love is stronger than poison / Like being addicted), raps hip-hop artist HELLMERRY in his newest release, “4:AM.” He mourns over heartbreak and grapples with the reality of lost love. With lines like, “‘Yung dating matamis, nawalan na bigla ng lasa / Na parang nilapit ka lamang sa’kin ng tadhana / Para ituwid ‘yung mga mali ko na tama” (What used to be sweet is already gone / As if fate brought you to me / Just to straighten out my wrongs that are right), it’s a far cry from the straight to the point and admittedly crass lyricism he’s been known for in the past.

HELLMERRY established his presence in the genre with the viral “DAB (Leaked Interlude)” when it trended on TikTok. The snippet, “Galing pa’kong QC, nakahoodie / Napahanap pa ng pussy, yung ma-booty” (Came from [Quezon City] wearing a hoodie / Looking for pussy and booty [used as a homonym for the Filipino word for good, mabuti]” has been used in videos over 200 thousand times. As of writing, the song has over nearly 20 million streams on Spotify. His releases have followed suit musically with upbeat electronic drums, provocative bars, and catchy hooks. 

Despite a slower instrumental, HELLMERRY doesn’t completely turn away from the provocative bars that he’s known for. What’s different in “4:AM,” produced by Klumcee, is that he raps softer and in a more melodic way, a refreshing addition to his discography.

“4:AM” shows that there are different sides to the rapper that we have yet to explore. The track is exciting and resonates with his audience, as evidenced by the single’s music video trending at No. 1 on YouTube’s music category as of writing. Melodic rap complements the artist, and his style of playing around with instruments like pianos (or string instruments, such as his 2022 single “Brayzie”) adds to his uniqueness as an artist.

Overall, the track serves HELLMERRY well, and adds the needed variety to his current discography. The rapper is far from being one-note or a one hit wonder, and this track sets the tone for an exciting career ahead of him.

Listen to HELLMERRY’s “4:AM” here: