ZIA QUIZON Signs with STAR MUSIC and Releases New Single "RETO NA NAMAN"

Just got out of the Dolphy theater this afternoon for the launch and contract signing of Zia Quizon who will be now under Star Music. Present during the occasion was Nene Atillano, Jeffrey Vadillo, and Ericson Raymundo of Cornerstone, Roxy Liquigan, Jonathan Manalo and Andy Arellano of Star Music. This is the first time they're also letting us hear her newly released single called "RETO NA NAMAN" which will be under the same label. Zia was in a very positive mood and performed for us too.

Roxy Liquigan says "I remember when we met about a few months ago, and Cornerstone has been a very good partner. Zsazsa thank you for also letting Zia be part of the Star Music family. I miss her, miss her sound."

Jonathan Manalo adds"When you hear her voice, she is her own sound. Welcome to Star Music because we will start to work on your original music which I already got to hear. Wait til we come out with it."

Jeffrey Vadillo says "We have a lot that we can work on, and the hottest music label in the country, partnering with them is just an exciting moment."

Ericson Raymundo says "To partner with Star Music means we can do a lot of things together."

Jungee Marcelo told us "I was wishing for this, after a while she asked to make this song and that was in 2018. I was confident, I got a call from Star, and Zia was the one who presented the song and the one above just knew it's time. The perfect minds just met and it would be wonderful, and everything worked out, I'm glad it is happening. Please do not change, your groove is you, and I haven't seen anyone who can sing like that. Don't second guess yourself because I would want to work more song with you, the world needs to hear you! I hope Reto Na Naman becomes a big hit like the previous releases."

Zia says "There's a lot of things happening in the country, and pressing matters but I'm grateful for those who worked here, my husband and mom is here. I'm just glad to be here! I've been busy with life, my house, getting married, but I remembered a song in 2018 that was sent to me on email. I just went back and searched for it."

She adds "Platforms have really changed, so distributing songs is different. I also listen to new OPM, regional songs, and it's easier to hear songs from other countries and how to mix it. I just try to be open to suggestions and do covers, we'll see what we can do. I was gone for a while but really, I was just busy with life. I just had time now to go and do it, I'm excited to bring joy, entertain people and hopefully it brings joy. My last project is was band centric when I was with my college mates. I really appreciate all the little things they do now, it's a team effort. I'm kinda going back, as folks are ready to rediscover music."

She's also launching a music video tomorrow November 14 around 7pm on YouTube. You can also stream her music on Spotify and available music platforms on Google and the Play store and App Store.

Queen of Soul JAYA To Stage "JAYA ALL HITS" Concert, Introduces Daughter SABRIYA

She's been out of the scene for a while but here she comes with a concert called JAYA ALL HITS to be held at the New Frontier Theater this September 14. Taking on her most popular songs that have been heavily missed, she's going to give one memorable night that only an icon could do. The Queen of Soul's show will be directed by John Prats with Musical Direction by Jem Florendo.

She will be joined by guests Ogie Alcasid, Erik Santos and Jason Dy. This is going to be one exciting night of vocal supremacy, reminiscing, and fun!

Ms. Jaya says "God is so good because when I went to the US, we had the pandemic. After that, producers wanted to do shows so from 2021 til now the concerts didn't stop. There are a lot of Filipinos there and they have supported artists, they want to go back to listen to artists like me for nostalgia too. I had work, even do wakes singing beside coffins. I wanted to sing for any reason. My son is Sophomore, want to also take college courses, God has his plans for me. I'm currently doing businesses here, have a laundromat in Dasmariñas, cook too, and they wanted to do have someone who will fall in love with the business."

She also adds "We were worrying about a lot of things during that time but we sold the house, we assessed things, and it was because my family which is why we left. Back in Folk Arts, I had my Mom and Ms. Pilita to be with me on stage and that was super good. Now I'm going to introduce my daughter SABRIYA. I'm a little frazzled because of the time because the concert will be this Sunday."

Here's more of what we talked about this evening:

 

SABRIYA is a 19yo singer, composer and music producer. She was supposed to do college but had the courage to do music in the Philippines and bought tickets last minute. She's also very talented because she can play a lot of instruments. She also admits to have a different kind of genre compared to her mom Jaya, and grandma Ms. Elizabeth, and plans to do everything she can. You'll see her perform in the concert too, so there's a lot to look forward to.

This is produced by Cornerstone Concerts, L-Squared Production and CAL Studios. Tickets are available through Ticketnet.com.ph so get them before they run out fast!

ELIJAH CANLAS Outs "JosephK" Music Video

This evening was so much fun as we got to spend some time off our regular coverage and see what actor Elijah Canlas is up to. Apparently, the good looking man is wearing another hat as he is given the opportunity to pursue singing and songwriting. He began indulging himself with his type of hip-hop music, and after hearing some of it earlier, we loved every bit of it. The single is called "JosephK", and it's been in his coffers for a while now because of creative reasons. 

Elijah says "I love how they (recording corps) are giving value to the song, it's the least pop single with those that I have, but it is very personal. Thank you to Cornerstone, Project8, Island Records. This is black and white and it's cinematic, really cool."

He adds "JosephK is actually something I didn't want to explain, but for trivia, it's based on the novel called The Trial. It was when he was woken up on his birthday and sent to court, accused of something but never told what it is. Now it's a little grimey (the treatment for the video), I am JosephK. This is just a huge flex, I didn't expect this to happen but thanks to UMG and Island records for pursuing it. I hope it would be listened to by folks around the world and here in the PH. This is special because there's a lot of cameos with my friends. I feel how they love and support me. Direk Dan also conceptualized it, these are people I have worked before, and I am very grateful."

He also mentions "I wrote this in 2021, but it felt like a Christian song, I shelved it because I didn't like how it sounded. I told myself that maybe the right time will come, a better version. I asked other musicians and they said sometimes it takes years to finish a song. It took me 4 days to do this song. Sometimes you just have to listen to it again and change the melody. It's personal and based on the book I mentioned earlier. You can compare that with the lead, and I just changed it into Filipino. I want to have more gigs, to perform more of my songs, take out songs, wrote and make more of it to everyone. I hope to also join UP Fair."

To date, he's got 4 out of 10 tracks that he plans to release. He told us "I think I can do an album. It has a story, collaboration with other artists, then hopefully a concert in the near future. I don't put myself on a pedestal, if you want to know me, listen to my music because it's deeper."

Here's the event as he talks about his music:

The single "JOSEPHK" is now out on digital streaming platforms. If you loved his new songs, you'll love this even more. It also has similarities to Brandy's Full Moon which is a genre they called reverse RnB in the 2000s. I also loved how he kinda mixed Manila sound to his first few songs. I like what I see so far and from the looks of it, Elijah is not done. You're about to see him get even better. He's just starting.

Congratulations Elijah! Happy for you! 

CORNERSTONE Entertainment Releases New Vertical Series: 123 Boyfriend Ni Marie and My Favorite Liar

 

While the entertainment landscape changes, here goes Cornerstone Entertainment providing what you need online as they release new vertical content particularly "123 Boyfriend Ni Marie" and "My Favorite Liar". These two shows will be seen on Cornerstone's YouTube channel and the Beetzee Play website (which you can watch at 1 peso per episode), making it extremely affordable for everyone to see. 

 

"123 Boyfriend Ni Marie" will star viral live seller and content creator Perlas plus her attractive love team Niko Badayos, they hunky guy from boy group Yes My Love. They will be together with Aaron Gonzales and Eli Padilla as love interests plus Naia Ching, Zoozoo, Sofia Jarhling and Samantha Samarita who'll play interesting characters in the show. Meanwhile, "My Favorite Liar" will star new loveteam Patrick Rocamora from boy group VXON and Cheska Cabrera together with Kobe Michael Francisco and Angela Balagtas who's going to be another pair telling their lies in this love story. They talked about it lengthily during our interview with them, so please, watch this!

 

Although new to acting, these folks scream a very promising career because they put effort into it. They have undergone workshops and see what they need to do now that they are being paired. I also liked what Perlas said about just being chill about it, because it would be awesome to see it bloom into something else, they just need to be as natural as they can be. All these homegrown Cornerstone artists plan to do more of these shows on the same platform so if you want to see the vertical series and future ones, sub because it's going to be a great ride!

So who are you excited to see in future shows?!

MMG Set To Release Original RUN TO YOU Single This 4th of July!

Mark Michael Garcia is turning a new leaf in his career. The very talented man who won "Tawag ng Tanghalan" as the Ultimate Resbaker a few years ago literally got stuck in limbo when the pandemic happened just when he was about to lay plans for his career and music. This year, he's sporting a new moniker as "MMG", which makes sense as it feels more catchy and current. Aside from that, he just got the nod of composer songwriter Allan Rich who did Whitney Houston's "Run To You" single for the movie "The Bodyguard". Together with Jud Friedman, they gifted him the rights to release the actual original song this 4th of July in streaming platforms worldwide. They caught him performing his James Ingram medley on the internet and was impressed, they got in touch and yes, the rest is history! 

We heard him a few days ago and by any standards, he's magnificent! Together with the single release, he's going to have a concert entitled CODE NAME: MMG which will happen on August 2 at the Samsung Music Hall in SM Aura BGC. He promises to perform new songs and covers that you might not have heard before. This is produced by Chef Jeng Sy Flores who also owns Heavenly Desserts by Chef Jeng and District One Gastrolounge in BGC. 

Here's what happened at the press conference 

 

Tomorrow, please tune in to Cornerstone Entertainment's channels as this heavily awaited single will be shown there. 

I'll update this post with the actual RUN TO YOU (alternative version) so you could witness his great work. By the way, he won a Best Male Vocalist award in the US, and some talk of him joining THE VOICE USA is also in the works. I'm sure he's going to blow the competition away!

Congratulations MMG!

VXON Releases "Sh*t Sobrang Init" Single

VXON's C13, Sam, Franz, Vince and Patrick were at the Rocket Design Studio this afternoon as their newest single "Sh*t Sobrang Init" and music video was launched today.

They're taking a different route than usual, as this summer track is their hottest, more daring single to date. They had their adoring fans in attendance, and this will be part of their upcoming EP planned by Cornerstone Entertainment and Cornerstone Music.

Truth be told, they got us hooked with the new single that had more of a summer vibe as they included various tropical instruments for the catchy tune. For the ladies and those who feel a little frisky, the boys delivered a music video with a theme that got them basking in the sun, sweltering hot, all sweaty but inviting. It's a huge change from their wholesome look in previous videos, and want you to dance along with the new choreography they prepared for their adoring fans, and those who doesn't know them yet. 

During the interview, they shared how they were in a creative mood with the naughty lyrics, and got the music done quite fast without their usual huddle when making a track. The producer already found the one they made apt for the feel they wanted for the single, and I could barely hear the music when they performed earlier (because their fans were screaming on the top of their lungs).

The video is already out on the VXON Official YouTube channel so get acquainted with these guys today!

This is under Cornerstone Entertainment and Cornerstone Music.

MARVIN AGUSTIN and JOLINA MAGDANGAL for EX EX LOVERS (Cinema Visit)

Just got out of the cinemas after watching the Marvin-Jolina  reunion movie called Ex Ex Lovers. It certainly brings back memories of the 90's couple we've seen on TV and the movies. 

Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal Escueta play parents to soon to be wed characters of JK Labajo and Loisa Andalio. It felt like we were in a time space warp because the loveteam still works. Before the screening, we talked to Marvin and Jolina in the sidelines and they said that it was easy to make this film because once the film rolls, Jolina just turns into a worm squirming and giddy like they used to. She also adds how they never even have to talk about the scenes because it was like they never even had to lift a finger, effortless in fact. They're both so glad about how the new generation of folks get to be fans of what they are doing on screen, something they have been trying to do for years. They even read feedback on Reddit about how those who didn't quite adore them in the past are now fans of the tandem.

The movie is cute, has little spots of laughter, and some serious drama scenes that involves family. They also have filmed most of this film in Malta, which makes some of the scenes so picturesque. The quality of the cinematography is impeccable, and the story is quite nice. I bet Marvin Jolina fans would LOVE this not just because they are here, but it has its own merits. 

Go watch EX EX LOVERS in cinemas nationwide. It will also be shown in selected countries as distribution was confirmed by them earlier. I heard US, North America and the Middle East is included. Go see it and expect the kilig! This is produced by Project 8, Cornerstone Studios, and distributed by Warner Brothers.

NINA Set to do "LOVE MATTERS" Concert at New Frontier Theater this Valentines Season

The one and only Asia's Diamond Soul Siren Nina has been heavily missed and this February 7th, she's ending that with her very own concert titled "LOVE MATTERS" which will be at the New Frontier Theater at Araneta City.

Nina says "You have to stay with your roots, it's challenging for an artist and singer. Even if it's your sound, you change it to what is current so you remain relevant. Folks should sing, interpret it the way the audience would feel it too. People listen, and it could be technical but they should know how to make folks people feel the love. My daughter has been noticing how people are approaching me and take photos. She's got clues now."

She adds "I haven't found any challenging song because I really do learn it first before recording. Maybe if I could do Through The Fire, put a spin on it that is more acoustic rather than belting. I still get nervous, I think every time I do get nervous because I always want to put out a great performance. I don't drink, nor smoke, so I take good care of my voice. I don't eat pork and beef, I eat everything else that makes me happy."

She tells us "There will be new songs, perhaps this year a new single or album. Love Moves was the one I got to really enjoy in the Nina Live album. We will certainly celebrate all kinds of love in the Love Matters concert."

Here's more of our interview with her:


 

If you want to get tickets, visit Ticketnet.com.ph now before they run out!

This is produced by Heavenly Desserts by Chef Jeng and will be Directed by John Prats. This is also co-presented Essentials, Vera Group and District One. Thank you Cornerstone Concerts for having us!

MC Einstein and Queen of RnB KYLA Releases "LAMBALAK" Single

MC Einstein and Queen of RnB KYLA

Looks like RnB songs are making a huge comeback as top hits list them all again in the Philippines. Recently, we had the chance to chat with MC Einstein (artist-songwriter, Ex-Batallion) and the Queen of RnB songs, KYLA at the Cornerstone Studios in Quezon City. They were both excited about this new single they did a duet of called "LAMBALAK", which MC Einstein also wrote and released today.

The actual story of this was quite interesting. They had an out of town event where Yeng Constantino, MC Einstein and a couple of Cornerstone artists were supposed to go. On the day of the flight, Yeng got sick and was rushed to the hospital. They had to have another artist to sing at the event and got KYLA. At the plane, they were seated beside each other and at first, MC Einstein was a little nervous. When all was settled, he mustered up the courage to tell Kyla that he wanted to do a collaboration with her. He's a big fan of that genre and grew up listening to Kyla's songs, so he was just pushing his luck. Little did he know Kyla knew him too because she listened to his songs, and just said "Let's go, when will we record?". 

MC Einstein was surprised at how receptive Kyla was. A few calls, going back and forth, he sent Kyla the chorus part of "LAMBALAK" where she only said "Okay so when will we record?!". He was again excited because Kyla didn't even ask for any change in the melody or lyrics, she was just happy to sing it the way MC Einstein wanted it to because Kyla said "It felt like I was listening to the RnB songs I used to sing, it felt like HOME!".

Here's the rest of our interview with them on video, please enjoy!

They will be releasing the song "LAMBALAK" today at 12am and will be doing a live stream on their platforms. Make sure you follow the individual artists pages and Cornerstone Entertainment for more updates about the single's release. We listened to it and loved how sexy it sounded, seriously, you should give it a stream today!

Congratulations MC Einstein and Kyla! Hope this hits the charts today!

YENG CONSTANTINO is Back with BABALA

It was a nice evening at CUBAO EXPO where we attended the launch of Yeng Constantino's newest single called "BABALA". Fans and people who attended the event were in Mommy garb, literally dusters depicting a normal day in a Filipino barangay. It was also fun that they got us to experience the launch with Filipino street food of Banana Cue, various fish balls, Kikiam and Tukneneng. They also served us Sago't Gulaman when her set started.

Here's our interview with her after her gig

She was actually nervous doing this because it's been a long while since she's performed in front of a crowd. She also has not released much music for the past few years and this new single BABALA is both fun, amusing, something you could play to have a good time. 

It's out now on streaming sites and the music video is also on YouTube. Make sure you listen, stream and watch it if you are a fan of her music. She's a gem, and I hope by her merits alone, people would appreciate what she's dishing out. She plans to do more of these in the next few months so stay tuned!

Thanks Cornerstone Entertainment for the fun evening! Thank you to Yeng too for being so nice!

CORNERSTONE Announces Co-Management of AGSUNTA

One of the biggest talent management companies in the Philippines, Cornerstone Entertainment just recently announced their co-management with PPL, the excellent and world class music of the band AGSUNTA.

After their recent successful FREE concert on their 10th year in the industry, they are expected to have an even brighter future with the things planned for them by Cornerstone. One thing that I picked up from the interview with them a few weeks ago was an international stint, perhaps a big concert in the works too, and the boys are just raring to go and do it very soon.

Here's the statement of Cornerstone Entertainment during the event:

 

Jireh Singson says "We have so much plans to release original songs in a couple of months. We already released one and we have about two in the works. We just had this banked during the pandemic, this time we want to go full force to highlight them even more. I feel the sound has changed, the genre won't be in one place because we all have different influences. If we want to, it will be different but the formula would be the same, so we won't look like a hodgepodge of different music. We want to work with Ivana Alawi on our new music videos, and even DonBelle if possible. Aside from that, our dream is DongYan, which we hope Sir Perry could device a way to do. I remember doing a music video with Ivana a few years ago, when she wasn't of a huge star yet (in 2018 for Wakasan) and so we wanted to do it now, like full circle."

Want to see them perform? Here's a performance they did just for us!

@kumagcow Here's a free concert performance from @agsuntaph at ATMOSFERA in Poblacion Makati #tiktoktainmentph #tiktokshowbizreporter #tiktoktainment #agsunta ♬ son original - sany_6363

This is just the start, congratulations AGSUNTA on this really good start! Can't wait to see what this partnership with Cornerstone would do with your reach. You in an international concert/show may just be a reality in a few months. Stay tuned folks!

10CM Set to Perform "CLOSER TO YOU" Concert in Manila This August

This afternoon, we've had the chance to interview one of the hottest idol singers from South Korea. They're called 10CM, and he's set to perform in Manila this coming August 31st at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City, Cubao QC. The event is produced by Cornerstone Concerts (a subsidiary of Cornerstone Entertainment) and South Korea based Magic Strawberry Sound.

For those who don't know, 10cm is an indie pop project that is being led by Kwon Jung-yeol. They were initially debuted as a duo (with Yoon Cheol-jong), but split in 2017. His songs are now part of various KDrama shows like Queen of Tears, Crash Landing On You, Start Up, Hotel de Luna, Lovely Runner and a whole lot more. He still carries the same name 10cm which they got from the difference in their height. His idea of fun is still staying in the studio and creating music, so if he's tasked to make one for a drama, he just needs to know the plot and put it all in the lyrics (pretty good process). This makes it custom fit the feel and actual story, which makes it easier to connect with... and his fans.

Here's our exclusive interview with him yesterday 

He wants to be able to connect with you especially with his music, so the content of his upcoming concert will be more of your favorites. He teased some of it during TJ Monterde's sold out concert a few days ago where he performed a medley of his KDrama hits, much of which will be done in full versions in August 31st.

While TJ Monterde loves 10cm's music, Yoon also fancies his too. It was mutual admiration and seeing them perform in TJ's concert was like a dream for all.

10CM has also won various awards from Melon Music, for Best Collab and Best Folk and Blues in different years. This tour is also going to be done in SEA countries such as SG, Malaysia and Thailand. In East Asia, there will be Taiwan, hopefully more countries soon.

Tickets are being sold in Ticketnet, so make sure you get them while it's still available. This would be perfect for those who love his music, the KDramas it's in, so you could get all the feels all over again!

YES MY LOVE Set to Perform in Singapore Today!

The boys from YES MY LOVE

Seeing Niko, Joshua, RZ, Jeff,  Eli, and Brian from Cornerstone Entertainment's boy group "Yes My Love" must have been a dream for a few, but it certainly happened to me a few days ago. It was an intimate performance with only a few peers from media seeing their performance for the first time as they embark in a concert to be held in Singapore (today at 2PM, you can still get tickets at sistic.com.sg) at the Esplanade Recital Studio in the Merlion state. 

It's called SPECTACLE! which they will do together with other PPOP and SPOP groups namely Estelle Fly, Alfred Sun, BINI, BGYO and XOXO. For those who don't know, Yes My Love was just formed a few months ago comprised of the defunct members of TOP Class and a few artists they put together from Cornerstone Entertainment's pool of talents. I didn't have to research much on their legitimacy because as soon as they opened their pipes, I just said WOW, these guys can really sing! Plus the fact that they were doing it with a routine that has so much vigor, sexy vibes, reminiscent of RnB and boyband groups in the 90's, but still have that energetic technical prowess and moves you would see in PPOP which makes them quite different from their peers in the business. Here's a two part interview we did with them after their short program, I hope you get to know them even better after this!

(My apologies in advanced as some parts may skip because resources on my phone might have caused it, I was uploading videos as I was recording and I only noticed when someone pointed it out on YT comments ha!)

Then we had a few naughty questions asked, something fans (143's which love them) would absolutely adore. 

I would like to take this bit and thank everyone at Cornerstone Entertainment for arranging this very intimate press conference so we'd be able to get to know the boys of YES MY LOVE. I can't wait to see them get the attention they deserve especially now that they have an international stint in happening in Singapore. As an extra treat, here's some post event shots from the nice boys of YES MY LOVE!

Now make sure you follow Cornerstone Entertainment's and YES MY LOVE's social channels for a good dose of love from these boys. Let them sing and dance their way to your heart now, and don't tell them that I already have my bias LOL. Again, if you're in Singapore, you can still catch them today!