Original interview by VJ Ai Dela Cruz from MYXclusive
Retranslated to English for the general public by Sinking Fish
Original interview upload: June 11, 2022
Felip Talks About Palayo and Bulan with VJ Ai
Interviewer (VJ): Hello everyone! Welcome to this MYXclusive interview. I’m VJ Ai Dela Cruz, and for today we have a very very special guest. He’s a singer, a dancer, a producer, an entrepreneur among many other things, and we’ve known him as Ken from SB19. Give him an applause, guys!
Please welcome the man behind the hits “Palayo” and the newly released “Bulan”. The CEO of SuperiorSon. The chicks’ (sisiws – fans who chose Ken as their bias) beloved chicken (figuratively: bet), FELIP!
Felip: Hello, everyone! I’m Felip. I’m so happy to be here.
VJ: First of all, let’s clarify one thing for everyone. A lot of them are asking: Is it Fe-LIP or FE-lip? So go on, tell them how it’s pronounced.
Felip: Actually, there’s no one way to say it, but if we go with how my parents pronounce my name, it’s FE-lip.
VJ: Right. So we’ll stick with how it’s pronounced by his mommy and daddy. Let’s go with FE-lip.
So, how have you been?
Felip: I’m alright. I’m doing well. Lately I’ve been busy with music. I’ve immersed myself in it and it’s a good thing.
VJ: Congratulations on “Palayo” and “Bulan”!
Felip: Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you so much for all the support. A’TIN, and especially, to the chicks. Thank you so much.
VJ: Yes, we’ll talk about it in a bit—”Palayo”, “Bulan”, and how it all began.
But for now, let’s highlight what you’ve been up to recently; because really, people have been fussing about all the things you do.
Let’s start with that time you played basketball with the different PPOP groups, which was a first for us—to see you get together purely for fun. Right? Outside of work.
Felip: Yes. We have- I’m not sure if I should be saying this, but I was the one who suggested creating a group chat.
VJ: Wait! You guys have a group chat with all the PPOP boys?
Felip: Yes, all PPOP boys are a part of it.
VJ: Hey, thanks for the invite! Wow [laughs] So, who is a part of it?
Felip: In the video, BGYO is there. 1ST.ONE, PHP, SB19… VXON is also there.
VJ: That’s a lot! You all got together.
Felip: Yup, a lot. I was the one who asked for their names on Facebook—if I could add them as a friend and include them in the group chat. I really took the initiative.
And ALAMAT! (referring to the other PPOP group that was a part of the get-together) Of course, I won’t forget about my bros in ALAMAT.
VJ: Of course, since none of us were there, we have no idea how it actually went. We only saw a glimpse of what happened through videos and pictures. So, how was the full experience? That you finally got to play with everyone?
Felip: It was so much fun. Because in this industry, we have a lot to do. Our hands are always full—as a part of a group and as an individual. Maybe even at home. It feels like we don’t have much leisure time.
So we were there to enjoy and spend our time making friends with everyone. Because it’s a small industry, we all want to get along. We didn’t want to treat each other as a competition. We were there to enjoy ourselves and become good friends. And I’m proud of them. I’m proud of it.
VJ: Yes! And it’s nice that the PPOP community got to witness such a thing. To think that it wasn’t really planned. We only saw the video that went viral—it was backstage, when you invited them to a game of basketball. And then it happened! So I hope we continue to see more of it.
Felip: Right, I hope so too. And of course, thank you to [the one who invited us]. Looking forward to the next time.
VJ: Yes. And another thing that trended was when you went inside the PBB house. You wolfed down the ice cream! Unbelievable. /laughs/
Felip: But I didn’t [realize] that I consumed a lot.
VJ: Were you able to keep count? How many do you think that was?
Felip: Probably around 3 or 4 ice creams a day.
VJ: A day?
Felip: It was a lot. It was good! It was a good kind of ice cream. I was the one who wolfed down all the chocolate [flavored ice creams]. Then soon after, I was left with no choice, so I just went for the strawberry.
VJ: Oh, so he was just compelled [to eat the strawberry ice creams] because he had no choice.
Felip: I had no choice! Strawberry was the only remaining flavor. So that’s that.
The whole experience was so much fun—to get along with other people, especially the housemates.
VJ: In the past, you had joked around about wanting to go inside the PBB house, right?
Felip: Yeah, we did..
VJ: So what was the feeling when you realized that they eagerly reached out to you?
Felip: We were honored. Of course, when I was a kid, PBB was already a household name. I grew up watching it and the celebrities who came to be. So when we finally went inside, it felt surreal. It was an “Am I finally on TV?” kinda feeling.
VJ: Did you imagine that you were in the confession room?
Felip: Yes! Like- “Wow, I got inside the confession room. Big brother?”. We heard his voice! It was a dream come true. Because at some point, we wanted to be a celebrity.
VJ: You guys seemed so genuine inside the PBB house and it made us realize that “Oh, right. They’re just people too!”
Felip: There were instances where I would go “Hang on, where’s my phone? It’s mis- oh, right. I’m inside the PBB house.”
VJ: And this was when we were caught off guard—when you decided to release a solo. Because among all the members, you’re the first to do it.
Felip: Yup.
VJ: So how long have you thought about it? That, “Yes, I’m part of SB19 but I also want to release my own”.
Felip: I guess, individually, as an SB19 member, we each have our own preferences when it comes to genre. I personally want to explore and release the music I want.
Of course, when you’re in SB19, [you’ll have to go with] whatever [the group decides to do]- We’re versatile artists. We want to try a lot of things, but there’s a limit because we would have to consider the other members.
So I want to share my own music as a solo artist, as FELIP. I want to be free and experimental. Because as I said, I’m adventurous—I want to try things, even when it may seem out of the ordinary.
VJ: What made you decide to use FELIP? What’s the difference between your two personas, Ken and FELIP?
Felip: FELIP is brave, adventurous, and independent. On the other hand, Ken is a part of SB19, so he does things specifically for the group.
VJ: So you do your role as Ken?
Felip: Yes, exactly. We have our roles to play as a part of the group.
VJ: Now let’s talk about FELIP. You caught us off guard with “Palayo“! Congratulations for “Palayo”—it stayed at number one on MYX charts for quite a while. Let’s go!
Felip: Thank you! Thank you so much, A’TIN. Thank you to all the supporters. Thank you!
VJ: So, what’s it about?
Felip: I honestly didn’t have a specific source of inspiration. I just wrote what I saw from other people’s experiences. /trying to keep his laughter/
VJ: Why?
Felip: Hey, I’m not insinuating anything! That’s just the truth.
VJ: Okay. Anyway, what I like about “Palayo”- We all know you’re the first in SB19 to release as a solo artist, right? So it immediately showed us why you had to do that. Because it’s very personal. It’s a different flavor from a usual SB19 song.
Felip: It was actually the fans who requested a studio version of “Palayo” when I released it. But I wanted to step it up and give them a music video instead—as a gift for supporting me.
It was never really my plan to release “Palayo”. I just wanted to perform it during the concert so they could see something new. I love my fans and supporters, so I wanted to give something back.
VJ: What was running through your mind? Did you think about something like “Should I really release this as my first song? In Bisaya?”
Felip: Visayan is very beautiful. I’m really proud of my roots and of where I came from. My whole existence, my identity as a Bisdak (A colloquial term for Native Bisaya; Etymology: bisaya + dako /big/). That’s how I thought of releasing it.
VJ: So what’s the story behind “Palayo?”
Felip: It’s about self-love and walking away from a toxic relationship. It’s about giving yourself more importance. You know? Give yourself more respect. Don’t hurt yourself for someone else.
VJ: Now let’s talk about the breathtaking music video of “Palayo”. Congratulations! Everything about it was great! Your dance moves, your outfits.
Tell us about the concept. What did you envision? And how hands-on were you in planning how you wanted the music video to turn out? And hey, you showed us some abs! Let’s give him an applause for that.
Felip: Wow, you really had you bring that up! But yeah, I wanted to [break the stigma] about fashion. Men shouldn’t limit themselves on a certain standard of clothing. Try new [things]. I mean, I’m that kind of person. I want to try new things.
VJ: You certainly broke a lot of stereotypes in the music video.
Felip: Yes, I’m thankful that a lot of people were happy with what I did.
VJ: Now let’s talk about the release of the music video. It was your first time so I bet it was nerve-rack·ing thinking about how the audience would react to it. Do you remember that moment? How did it feel when you finally released it?
Felip: I was happy and proud because I worked hard for it. My team—the dancers, the drivers, and everyone else that worked hard for it. And I know that my supporters, A’TIN, would be happy about it.
Because if I were to put myself in their shoes, there’s joy in witnessing my favorite artist, who I look up to, create or do something they love. So I’m happy that I got to make them happy. It’s all a cycle.
VJ: Let’s move on to your latest single, the second song you released, “Bulan”. Let’s give applause for “Bulan”.
That was something else! We were mind-blown. It garnered more than 500 thousand views in less than 24 hours, right? It trended and everyone was blown away.
But before we talk about the music video, let’s talk about the song. When did you write it? What were you going through at that moment?
Felip: It was a story I read about “Bulan”. It piqued my interest. The name sounded cool in my head. If you look at it from a different angle- in Bisaya, it wasn’t just another term for “moon”. It means something else. Something much deeper. So I did my research and found out he was a moon god. It wasn’t just a translation—it has a connotation of a mythical character, the moon god.
VJ: Wait! Where did you come across the term “Bulan”?
Felip: It just came to mind. Because I’m a bit of a moon enthusiast.
VJ: Oh, okay. So your heart was already set on the moon.
Felip: Yeah, that’s why I thought of it when I was thinking of titles for new songs. So I read the story and learned of its lore—about Haliya and how she protected him [Bulan] from the Bakunawa.
VJ: So there are three characters to remember. Bulan, the moon god. Haliya, the protector of Bulan. And Bakunawa, the sea serpent deity. So how did you put all these characters together and relate them to the song?
Felip: The song and its lyrics have a lot of metaphors. If you don’t dig deep into the message that the song wanted to convey, it would be hard to understand.
It’s like an anecdote with a subtext to it. So… how do I say it- Bakunawa, in general, not only represents external adversaries. It also represents your personal demons. It could be other people or yourself—anyone trying to devour the light inside of you.
VJ: So basically anything that tries to swallow your light or the positivity in your life.
Felip: Yes, right. And Haliya can also be the people around you. The line, “Oh Haliya. Ibukas ang mata” (Oh, Haliya. Open your eyes), is a reminder to someone or yourself to wake up or you’ll be eaten up. And lastly, Bulan is you and me. We’re Bulan.
VJ: Right, #AkoAngBulan (#IAmBulan). So we’ve seen a lot of theories online.
Felip: Yes, a whole lot!
VJ: But my favorite was the one that associated Haliya to themselves [A’TIN]—as she was the protector of Bulan. So Haliya is to Bulan, as A’TIN is to you.
Felip: Yes, of course.
VJ: So that fits?
Felip: Yes! Just like I said, it applies to a lot of things. A’TIN protected me from a lot of controversies that surrounded me, so I can say that I am the Bulan and they are my Haliya.
And in relation to my family, I could be the Bulan or the Haliya. So it’s like that. It has a wide scope [of interpretation].
VJ: Of course, and one thing we couldn’t deny is how amazing its music video is! Let’s give it a round of applause!
May I just say, the special effects reminded me of the dragons in Game of Thrones. It also gave a Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings kind of vibe. Amazing!
What I really wanted to ask is how much it cost? Just kidding, don’t answer that. But really, it’s truly amazing! And it’s independently produced, right? I didn’t know a Filipino could create something like it. I’m so proud of the music video.
Felip: Yes, definitely! Filipinos are very talented.
VJ: So okay, tell us about the concept.
Felip: You know, I really said I wanted to be the god [in the music video]. Because I’m into anime, right? So we really tried to incorporate some anime-esque themes. We had a lot of concepts! And I’m so thankful to the people behind it.
Basically, when you work on a music video, you will need references to gather ideas. So I said, “Ah, I want an eclipse to appear in my eye”.
VJ: Oh, that was your idea?
Felip: Yes. I also went “Can we get a lady [to portray Haliya]?”, and thankfully, Ate Bea had a ballerina friend. So I also suggested what she’d wear.
VJ: So you designed it?
Felip: No, not exactly. But I provided the references.
VJ: So you had a concept in mind, how Haliya should look?
Felip: Yup.
VJ: You even added a powerful background voice! So how did Stell become a part of the track?
Felip: It’s a funny story! You won’t believe [how it happened]. So during the recording, that wasn’t originally part of the plan, but I couldn’t help but feel something was missing—some kind of a traditional touch, and only one person came to mind who I think could do it.
So I called him while I was recording at Pablo’s and asked if he could come. I said, “Stell, you doing something?”
He asked, “No, why?” and I just said, “Just come! I need you for something. This won’t take long, I promise.”
So he came and asked, “Why?”, then I just told him to do a freestyle. He said “Huh? Freestyle? Rap?”
I said, “No! Here, listen to the melody of the song”. So he listened and I gave him samples of a chant.
He said, “Ahh, okay. So kinda like in Tarzan?” and I said, “Yes, kinda like that”.
So yeah, he went and did it, just like that! It’s unbelievable. His talent is something else.
VJ: U-huh. So at what point did you mention that it was for your song? Did he know?
Felip: He knew. They all knew about it.
VJ: Oh, I thought you just tricked him into doing it!
Felip: He just freestyled it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was all like “Woah, crazy!”. He’s crazy talented. His skills are something else.
I never imagined that a music video of this caliber would come to be. With the help of everyone—the stylists, the production team, even the people who set the fire in the background. They all helped me out and constantly reminded me of things. I’m rather playful, so during the shoot, they’d call me out. And of course, I gotta listen.
I’m so thankful to a lot of people. Especially to A’TIN. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do this.
VJ: So do you still remember where you were the first time you watched the music video? The final result of your hard work.
Felip: I was at home.
VJ: Ah, were you alone? Or were you with someone?
Felip: I was with Ate Bea. I said, “Let’s just shoot it here.” So yeah, I watched it and I felt great. It was such a happy moment, I couldn’t accurately verbalize what I was feeling.
Actually, I’ll just go ahead and say that we were shooting a reaction video. And what happened was, I was out of words.
VJ: Non-reaction video!
Felip: I suddenly thought about all the struggles we went through and got teary-eyed. It was a very happy moment.
VJ: Hey, so we have something to look forward to. That’s exciting!
Felip: Yeah, although I don’t know if you’d enjoy it. Because I barely had anything to say. But yeah, I hope you’d watch out for the reaction video. There’s more to come for “Bulan” so just sit tight.
VJ: So what’s your message to the Bakunawa of this world? The haters, etc.
Felip: I really only want to remind them not to be won over by their personal demons—your insecurities, the haters, or whatever. Just don’t allow other people, even yourself, to dim the light inside of you. You know what you’re capable of, so don’t let anyone bring you down. That’s the idea of “Bulan”—you have the light inside you.
VJ: In the music video, we saw how expressive the dance was. How was the experience of krumping on the sand? Was it hard? Did you have a stunt double? When you jumped down from the top?
Felip: Do you know the feeling when you dance on a normal platform like this? It wears you out, right? It’s that but worse.
Your feet would sink and the surface was uneven. It was the most challenging part. It was super fun but we wouldn’t want to do it again. The struggle was real. I couldn’t dance it [in full]—maybe just from the intro up to the chorus. It was tedious, especially when we had to krump. You’re bound to slip and get out of balance, so there’s a danger of being injured.
VJ: Yes, so you really worked hard for it. So how many hours did it take to shoot the music video?
Felip: Probably four.
VJ: Huh? Four hours? Oh, 3 days, 3 nights, and 4 hours each?
Felip: Yes, right.
VJ: Ah, yeah I guess that fits. I thought- because I heard it was all just in 3 hours!
Felip: No, not like that! Just that day in particular. Because we shot each sequence on different days.
VJ: Ohh. So you really went to Ilocos for that, right? Did you have to stay there for a while?
Felip: Yes, and it served well as a vacation. It was so beautiful. It wasn’t crowded so it suited me. It was peaceful and I loved it.
VJ: You deserved it. Work/Life balance.
Felip: I missed the mountains.
VJ: Of course, we also wanna know how supportive your brothers in SB19 are about the release. Because we only see their support on Twitter. They [Justin] tweeted stuff like “Why is it sunny when it’s supposed to be called Bulan?”
Felip: Yes, they’re witty like that.
VJ: Yes, even Pablo tweeted “Ram-Bulan” (A wordplay for the popular phrase “let’s rumble”).
Felip: Actually when we play the song, they’d be like, “Ram-Bu-Lan”.
VJ: So how did they react when they first heard the song?
Felip: You know, if you ask me about how supportive they are of my solo career… Maybe the only thing that I can say is they were never opposed to anything that I wanted to do since the beginning. I think that’s enough to know that they do support me. They were there to encourage me when things got a bit overwhelming.
VJ: Yeah, ever since you started recording.
Felip: Just from the recording session, you’d know. I recorded at Pablo’s.
VJ: Yes, and with just one call, Stell showed up.
Felip: Right? He was just a call away. They support me and I know they’re happy about the music video. I think it inspired them. Everyone was inspired.
VJ: Of course, they also want to release something of their own, at some point in the future.
Felip: Yes! Because we love music.
VJ: Well, I really hope we get to see more of that in the future.
Felip: Of course.
VJ: So we want to know, what’s your next move for your solo career? Is there anyone in particular that you want to collaborate with? Not as SB19, but as FELIP.
Felip: A lot! There’s a lot of them I want to collaborate with. But I think they’re out of my league. Post Malone, Travis Scott, Lay Zhang, Jackson Wang, Jaden Smith, Justin Bieber… they’ve all had a huge influence on my music. They basically serve as my inspiration.
Locally? Arthur Nery, Pablo, Josue, Flow G, Skusta Clee, KZ Tandingan.
VJ: Let’s all look forward to that.
Felip: Hopefully! I hope they’ll indulge me.
VJ: Speaking of things to watch out for, what else can we expect from FELIP?
Felip: Oh, a lot.
VJ: Do you have anything else up your sleeves?
Felip: A lot. There’s so much in store.
VJ: Have you already recorded some?
Felip: Nope, not yet. But it’s completed. Oh, actually, I do have one more song that’s been recorded. But let’s chill for now.
VJ: So, let’s do something special. I want you to look directly at the camera when you answer these.
Felip: Oh. What is it?
VJ: Here. I’ll make you choose: “I love you” or “Mahal Kita?” (Tagalog translation for I love you)
Felip: I love you.
VJ: “I love you” or “Gihigugma tika?” (Bisaya translation for I love you)
Felip: Gihigugma tika.
VJ: Can you say that to all of the A’TIN?
Felip: Gihigugma ko kamong tanan (I love you all). Thank you all so much!
VJ: Yay! Wait, we’re not done yet.
Felip: Oh, we’re not done yet?
VJ: One more thing!
Man, the way you went “Huh? We’re not done yet?”
But yeah, this is going to be the last. So of course, since you said “I love you”, we want to hear your message for all the A’TIN.
Felip: A’TIN, thank you so much, especially to the chicks. You know, even with all the adversaries, you chose to remain and stayed strong. I hope you’ll continue to understand me.
Thank you so much for not leaving and I hope you’ll keep supporting me and of course, my brothers [in SB19] too. Once again, thank you so much!
VJ: Yay! And thank you so much to you too, FELIP. Now we’re actually done! Congratulations! Thank you for sharing a lot—for being generous with your answers. We learned so much about you. So keep it up and we wish you the best. MYX will always be here to support you.
Thank you so much! Once again, this has been a MYXclusive interview with FELIP! Thank you, FELIP!
Felip: Thank you! Thank you so much!