Why ‘Never’ Isn’t Always a Great Word – A Felip Fan Story

Boy bands and pop idols are the reasons why you should never say never.

As a kid, I was under the impression that being a fan of pop stars wasn’t cool. This wasn’t a case of elitist snobbery. I simply grew up in an environment where pop was uncommon. 

It was my mom’s doing, really. She had us trained early in the least financially rewarding career path in the country, the classical arts. Whether she was playing a joke on us or earnestly thought this was in our best interests, I am uncertain, but anyone who has ever trained in classical anything would know no two things can be as disparate as the classics and pop. Consider too, that the time required of us to master the works of long dead masters was immense, leaving us with no energy for anything else.

Of course I’d seen and heard pop before, but I was never quite smitten. So I said “never ever” to all the visually and  kinesthetically gifted dancing people that went by, but I soon ate my words.

To the Moon and Beyond

I was there almost at the very beginning— when SB19, five paper-thin boys, who looked like they’d just gone through the struggle of their lives and subsisted purely on grit and determination, danced on a rooftop to a catchy LSS-worthy tune. I found them admirable for their obvious discipline, precision and focus. 

Later, I stumbled separately upon the moon god, Bulan, played deftly by the mesmerizing P-pop idol, Felip. It did not immediately occur to me that Felip shared the same body as SB19 Ken. Damn, Bruce Wayne / Batman couldn’t have done it any better!

“Bulan” sunk its teeth into me because it aligned with my goals to promote Filipino culture to Filipinos. What better introductory teaching aid to Philippine mythology than a visually and auditorily striking masterpiece about our local moon god? 

I was amazed, floored, flabbergasted, and just when I was about to run out of adjectives to describe my Felip experience, he went on and gave us his first EP, COM.PLEX, the one that would finally shatter my restraint and send me to a virtual asylum.

The Very Human Complexities of a Moon God

I’d never listened to hip-hop or pop rap before, but Felip said it best in one of his posts. I can’t recall his exact words, but it was along the lines of all music genres being valid. If a piece of work came from the artist’s heart and soul, it deserves at least our respectful attention. So I gave COM.PLEX a shot. 

Now I’m finding it difficult to put into words how deeply brilliant and meaningful the EP is, especially since it can mean so many things to so many people. To me it is all at once a treatise on human psychology, Felip’s personal journey and a masterclass on how to write songs with multi-dimensional depth. 

Despite its being over a year old, there is still room to unpack the many intricacies of this EP, but such a lengthy analysis deserves a separate article. Since this is a personal piece, I must attempt the difficult task of describing why it is significant to me.

As someone afflicted with high-functioning depression, COM.PLEX came at just the right time, a shot of adrenaline to push me through another cycle. It was more than just a welcome diversion though, it was Felip booming in my ear to “roar, rise” and “pick it up.” 

In my mind, COM.PLEX was the answer to the Hamletian despair and indecision that frequently plagued me. I imagine if Hamlet once again asked, “To be or not to be: that is the question,” Felip would sing him his EP in response.

Who is Felip and Why is He Superior?

I lost so much sleep devouring Felip’s content online following my immersion into COM.PLEX, that I could no longer tell night from day. Surprisingly, I never felt more energized.

Let me be clear though, I would be ashamed to be a fan of Felip purely for his good looks. Although he has physical beauty in abundance, it is merely a bonus. Even if he were to look like Shrek, I would still be a fan because of the breadth of his skills and the depth of his character.

He dances so well, he looks like he’s floating on the dance floor, and his vocal tone and range are so unique they leave you either feeling cool or warm depending on the piece. Beyond the skills of his main profession, the man can write, draw, compete in a multitude of sports, play musical instruments, run a business and design fashion pieces.

It is perhaps because of his wealth of abilities that people online tend to dictate what he should or shouldn’t be, depending on what they like the most about him. But part of Felip’s charm is his uncompromising dedication to pursue what he loves and his vision for himself. This is what makes him truly superior, his courage to be unapologetically himself. 

As if these weren’t enough, he’ll draw you in with his heart of gold. Don’t let his cool, sharp looks fool you, he is perpetually grateful and appreciative, and he’s been known to help both friends and strangers in need without trumpeting his good deeds. 

Lessons from Felip

If there’s one thing we can all learn from Felip, it’s that people aren’t flat, one dimensional creatures; there is a lot that goes on inside each of us. But throughout all this internal chaos are our authentic selves. To dismiss others outright based on what might be incorrect, preconceived notions, and without taking the time to understand who they are is unkind.

Admit it, don’t we all secretly want to be our true selves too? 

I should never say never. Pop idols, after all, are complex humans. They may have more depth and substance than we give them credit for.