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Celebrating Felip’s Firsts: A Look Back at His Career Milestones

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Taking a huge risk pausing his architecture studies for a shot at a boy band audition, Felip, also known as Ken, started his journey as a professional artist in 2018. With nothing to his name but his talents and guts, he trained within a short span of 6 months and debuted with SB19. Together with four other talented dreamers, this group will later prove themselves to be P-Pop Kings — trailblazers paving the way for the whole P-Pop community to gain traction for the rest of the world to see.

But that was only the beginning of an extraordinary journey of growth for Felip. Since debuting as a solo artist, he has accumulated numerous achievements and acknowledgements worthy of mention. In this article, we’ll do a run through of Felip’s milestones, focusing on feats he has managed to accomplish first in the local artist community.

1. Solo P-Pop Artist Debut

While still an active member of SB19, Felip took a leap on Sept 10, 2021 when he released his solo debut single “Palayo,” making him the first solo P-Pop artist to debut independent of any label.

Taking pride in his roots he wrote the lyrics entirely in his native Bisaya language.

2. Clothing Brand Launch

On November 26 of the same year,  Felip had a breakthrough as an entrepreneur by successfully launching his own clothing brand SUPERIOR SON. SPS remains to be one of the most sought after local clothing brands to this date, with sold out items within minutes of release. 

3. Grammy Global Spin Feature

On July 8 2022, Felip made history by being the first full-blooded Filipino to be featured in Grammy’s Global Spin. He performed his second single Bulan – a powerful song celebrating our country’s rich culture. 

4. Live Band Sessions

With two songs released, Felip surprised his fans with a live band session recording of “Palayo” and “Bulan” on August 4, 2022, making him the first, and to this date, the only P-Pop soloist to have released recorded live band sessions of his songs.

5. Local Radio Tour

After taking months off of solo work, Felip surprised his fans with the release of the song “ROCKSTA.”

With the intention of promoting “ROCKSTA.” and later the entire COM•PLEX EP, Felip became the first soloist from the P-Pop community to embark on a local radio tour, visiting stations in both Luzon and Visayas. The tour lasted from January 19 to February 5, 2023.

6. Debut EP

Just as his radio tour was winding up, Felip made an exhilarating comeback with the release of his debut EP COM•PLEX on February 3, 2023, making him the first P-Pop soloist to make such a bold move. 

7. EP Showcase

On February 6, 2023 fans gathered to witness the first P-Pop soloist EP Showcase in Ayala Malls, Manila Bay. Felip performed all of the six tracks in COM•PLEX and even entertained the fans’ request to sing along to his debut single Palayo.

8. TIDAL’s New Arrivals

The following day on Feb 7, 2023, Felip became the first male P-Pop soloist to debut in TIDAL’s New Arrivals: Global Pop.

9. Festival Headliner

A few months later, Felip had the honor of becoming the first P-Pop soloist to headline Warner Music Philippine’s We Play Here Fest on April 28, 2023 where he had a fiery performance of all six tracks in COM•PLEX and “Palayo.” 

10. International Music Festival Representative

Felip represented the Philippines in the Warner Music Presents showcase at The Ground Theatre, *SCAPE in Singapore on September 12, 2023. As the first artist from originating from the P-Pop community to participate in an international music festival, Felip left a remarkable performance that gained the admiration of the music festival organizer himself Matthes J. Ruys.

11. International EP Showcase 

The following day on September 13, 2023, Felip attained another milestone as the first P-Pop soloist to have an international EP showcase. COM•PLEX: Live in Singapore was held in Fountain Square Mainstage, Clarke Quay, Singapore.

12. MV Stylist

Felip started 2024 with another first as he became the official stylist for the music video of “FLYYY,” his first collaboration song with PLAYERTWO. The music video bagged an Honorable Mention at the Berlin Music Video Awards. 

13. Billboard Philippines Reimagined

The year 2024 proved to be promising for Felip, as it was only the second month of the year when he became the first in P-Pop to have his own solo Billboard Philippines Reimagined stage. The performance video was released in Billboard Philippines’ official YouTube channel on Feb 23 and to this date remains to be one of their most popular videos.

14. Vogue Philippines Feature

Aside from Felip’s brilliant musicality, his visuals have also garnered attention for his moreno beauty, sharp facial features and model-like bearing. On April 30, 2024 Felip became the first P-Pop solo artist to grace Vogue Philippines Magazine, featuring his beauty and his pride as a Mindanaoan artist. 

15. Vogue Playlist

The following month on May 3, 2024, Felip also became the first artist to be featured in Vogue Philippines’ pilot episode of Vogue Playlist.

16. Hall of Famer Fashion Influencer

On the same month on May 21, 2024, Felip was awarded the first Hall of Famer Fashion Influencer of the Year at VCPA, having won the recognition 3 years in a row.

17. Solo Artist in Japan

For the succeeding months of 2024, Felip achieved numerous consecutive firsts as he embarked on his debut as a solo artist in Japan, under Warner Music Japan.

18. TV Interview in Japan

On June 10, 2024 Felip became the first P-Pop solo artist to be interviewed on local TV in Japan. Felip appeared in tvk’s Western Paradise Plus and had a fun segment at tvk’s Monthly Tone Bird.

19. VMAN Southeast Asia Feature

Before the month ended on June 27, VMAN Southeast Asia announced its pilot magazine edition to be released in September with Felip as the featured artist from the Philippines. VMAN is a sub brand of the globally acclaimed V Magazine.

20. Top Spot at CDJapan

On July 02, 2024  Felip made history as the first Filipino artist in CDJapan’s 27-year history to take the top spot with 7sins in its all-genre rankings. 

21. Debut Album

On July 5, Felip released his debut album 7sins, the first P-Pop soloist to do so. The album includes 9 tracks and an additional CD-exclusive track. The fierce, mood-setting intro “foes” is followed by 7 tracks named after the 7 deadly sins, and wraps up with the inspiring track, “ache.”

22. Worldwide iTunes Placement

The album release made history when on July 6, 2024, Felip became the first Filipino male soloist to place at number 6, the highest to date, in the Worldwide iTunes album chart.

23. Spotify Global Debut Placement

On July 11, 2024 7sins made history in Spotify, as Felip became the first P-Pop soloist to take the highest placement in Spotify’s Global Debut Albums chart at number 9.

24. First Solo Concert

Felip held the 7sins Album Concert in Manila on July 27, 2024, his first, and the first for a P-Pop soloist. The concert took place in SPACE at One Ayala, and was attended by fans from different regions and countries.

25. “This is” Spotify Playlist

On August 6, 2024 fans rejoiced at the news of Felip finally having his own “This is” playlist in Spotify, again a first for a soloist originating from the P-Pop community.

26. Physical Album in Japan

The rest of August and September became a monumental period for Felip’s career as a debut artist in Japan. On August 21, the 7sins Japan CD album was released, making Felip the first Filipino male artist to launch a physical album CD in Japan.

27. ORICON Daily Album Rankings Placement

The following day on August 22, 2024, 7sins ranked 20th on the ORICON daily album rankings. Felip is the first Filipino male artist to chart in ORICON.

28. Japan Billboard

Fans came together to promote Felip’s coming 7sins concert in Tokyo Japan. In August 28, FELIP JAPAN in collaboration with Felip Focus fanbases arranged a billboard promotion at Shinjiku Yunika Vision for Felip’s Tokyo concert. 

29. Album Signing Event in Japan

On August 30, 2024 Felip flew to Japan to meet his fans for an album signing event at Tower Records Shibuya in Japan, another first for an artist from the P-Pop community.

30. 7sins Album Concert in Japan

On September 2, 2024, Felip held the 7sins Album Concert at the Shibuya duo MUSIC EXCHANGE. The music hall was filled with fans from different parts of the world and Japanese artists who wanted to see Felip perform live. Seann Bowee, whom Felip worked with for Fake Faces, was also seen enjoying himself in the concert.

He is the first homegrown Filipino male artist to hold a solo concert in Japan. 

31. MYX Live Stage

Coming fresh from his Japan promotions, it was announced that Felip would be the pilot episode’s featured artist for the next season of MYX Live Stage, another first for a soloist from P-Pop.

32. Japan Radio Tour

In the following days of September, Felip’s fans were surprised with same day announcements of his radio tour at A&G and FM Yokohama. Felip is the first Filipino male artist to have a radio tour in Japan.

On September 6, Felip was interviewed by a fellow Filipino artist, DJ Reiji in his segment titled ZERO-8.

On September 7 Felip was featured in A&G as an otaku artist from the Philippines. A&G is a radio program for anime and gaming.

On September 9 Felip was interviewed by a fellow pop artist, DJ Kanna at his segment in EK radio One Hundred Lovers.

On September 19, Felip was featured in InterFM897’s REIKO So Far So Good.

When asked what are three things that are most important to him, Felip answered: creativity, fans, and authenticity.

In Reiko’s After Talk video, he mentioned feeling like a “Kuya” or an older brother to Felip. He fondly recalled how he accompanied him shopping in Japan.

33. First PPOP Artist in Fashion Features in Japan

    Seemingly unplanned, Felip was spotted in the streets of Tokyo by a fashion photographer and was featured in a fashion vlog by Yo Many Nation.

    On Sept. 28, Felip was featured in Japan’s leading fashion hub FASHIONSNAP.

    34. First OPM Solo Artist to be Featured in Japan’s INROCK Magazine

      On Oct 9, Felip made noise as INROCK Magazine, a popular Japanese music magazine announced that their November 2024 issue will include a special feature of Felip. On the cover of the magazine, Felip’s name can be seen alongside some of the biggest names in the international music scene: OASIS, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and The Vamps.

      Here’s to More Felip Firsts to Come

      As of writing, the year 2024 promises more opportunities to explore for Felip. For three years since his debut as a solo artist, Felip consistently proved his potential to break through in the music scene by gaining milestones year after year. 

      This article is a testament to his humble beginning and an inspiration, to look forward to more of Felip’s milestones for the years to come. 

      4 thoughts on “Celebrating Felip’s Firsts: A Look Back at His Career Milestones”

      2. it is so heartwarming to read Felip’s achievement and to follow his journey. Thank you very much for this article.

      3. This is amazing! It’s nice that we keep track of his achievements because they are not being mentioned in mainstream media and even Felip doesn’t post about it. Such a talented but humble artist! Keep soaring high my pretty boy Rocksta 🙏

      4. I feel so proud of the journey of our ROCKSTA FELIP seeing his growth as a music artist, he really knows what he want and that is to make music. There are so much to read about him and a 1 stop reading while listening to his music. More power to all of you, & thanks for creating this for us as his fans to be updated. 🫡

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