For more than ten years now, the label P-pop has become a terminology used to refer to a new genre of music. Often than not, it is used to mean the rising Philippine idol groups and also compared to OPM or Original Pilipino Music.

But what is it exactly? Is not P-pop Pilipino popular music by definition?

An Internet search for P-pop will give different definitions of it, what it covers, and what it represents. There are those who use it to mean the idol groups. There are articles written wherein it was used interchangeably with OPM. While there are also those who use it as an umbrella terminology for everything Filipino made. It can not all be correct, right?

Simple answer?

How about OPM?

It can not get any simpler than that.

But wait! There is more to it than meets the eye.

P-pop

P-pop, or Pinoy Popular music, encompasses all music composed or performed by a Filipino. It is not the successor to OPM. It is not a subgenre of OPM. P-pop is simply another term for the entirety of Pinoy music regardless if the music is mainstream, indie, underground, from Filipinos abroad, or was performed by a foreigner.

It also should not be confused with the genre known as pop music. While pop music as a genre and pop music as popular music are similar these are not interchangeable. Pop music as popular music is defined as music which is most in line with the tastes and interests of the urban middle class ¹ or music with a wide appeal typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry ² and typically have easily singable melodies ². While pop music as a genre has primarily come into usage to describe the music that evolved out of the rock and roll revolution of the mid-1950s ¹.

Still confusing? It is. There is a big overlap between pop music as a genre and pop music as popular music. Just remember that pop music since the mid-1950s has usually been identified as the music and the musical styles that are accessible to the broadest audience (emphasis mine). ¹

1960s and 1970s

Philippine music, or P-pop, started in the 1960s, acts and artists like Jose Mari Chan (1966), Nora Aunor (1967), the Juan de la Cruz Band (1968), and APO Hiking Society (1969), to mention a few, were the early acts in the growing Philippine music industry.

They were then followed by popular songwriters, singers, and bands like Ryan Cayabyab (1970), Boyfriends (1970), Hotdog (1972), Freddie Aguilar (1973), Rico J. Puno (1975), Asin (1976), Sampaguita (1977), VST & Company (1977), Lea Salonga (1978), Sharon Cuneta (1978), and Hagibis (1979).

1980s: the rise of dance-pop and the beginnings of Pinoy hip hop

In the 1980s, the legendary Gary V. brought dance-pop to the mainstream.

This was also when Pinoy hip hop or rap started, since then the Philippines have been known to be the first in Asia to have a hip hop music scene. ³

1990s: a music revolution and the 1st Generation of Modern P-pop

Finally, the 1990s saw the biggest revolution in Philippine music history.

Pinoy hip hop / rap broke into mainstream led by Francis M. (1990 mainstream), Andrew E. (1990 mainstream), and Michael V. (1991).

Pinoy rock also entered mainstream with the discovery of acts like Eraserheads (1989), Rivermaya (1994), and Siakol (1994), thanks to radio stations NU107.5 and DWLA 105.9 who broke the accepted rules, and the payola system, on how and when to air music. ⁴

Pinoy reggae and Pinoy ska also became mainstream with acts like Tropical Depression (1990), Put3ska (1993), Brownman Revival (1994), and Blakdyak (1997 mainstream).

These major changes in mainstream Philippine music marked the 1st Generation of Modern P-pop.

OPM

If P-pop is all music composed or performed by a Filipino, OPM is an Original Pilipino Music composed by a Filipino. We can say that all OPM are P-pop but not all P-pop are OPM. A music composition or performance by a Filipino is P-pop but for a music to be considered OPM it must be composed by a Filipino.

Is OPM an era?

It is true that OPM as a classification appeared after the end of the Manila Sound era. In the late 1970s, there was a strong call for more original Pilipino music. The country’s first songwriting competition, the Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (1977), or Metropop for short, became the platform to encourage and produce more original Pilipino music. It was then that OPM became the nation’s national pride.

If OPM is an era, then how about original music composed by Filipinos before the “OPM era”? Are those not original Pilipino music?

Is OPM for Tagalog songs only?

This is still a common misconception today: “a song is OPM if it was written in Tagalog”. However, there were already songs in Taglish (Tagalog and English) as well as in full English during the early days of OPM.

To mention a few notable English OPM songs, in the 5th Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (1982) Give Me A Chance won second place in the amateur division, with Memories and Coming Back as finalists. In the professional category, songs Don’t Deceive Yourself, What Are You Doing On A Rainy Sunday Morning, and You Made Me Live Again, were finalists. ⁵

In the 6th Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (1983) the competition have seen My Love, My Soul, My Everything, We’re In Love, and Still Got Love, in the amateur category as finalists. While in the professional division, the grand prize went to Till I Met You with finalists Away From You and Be My Lady. ⁵

The 7th Metropop in 1984 produced A Smile In Your Heart as the grand champion in the amateur category, with Fallin in Love Again in the third place. Finalists in both the amateur and professional divisions were all English OPM. ⁵

Language is not a qualification for what an OPM is. From these annual competitions, there is no doubt that an OPM is an original music composed by a Filipino.

Is OPM about using native instruments?

Another misconception about an OPM, though rarely talked about today, are the instruments used. In this line of thinking, an OPM can only be an OPM if they used native instruments. But consider this: if the use of native musical instruments is what makes a music OPM then those without it are not? Or, if a music composed and performed by a foreigner used a Philippine music instrument, does it make their music OPM?

Is OPM truly original?

It is also of importance to remember that Philippine music was highly influenced by foreign music during the colonial era—333 years from Spain which was followed by 48 years under the USA. Popular music genres in the Philippine music scene are pop, rock, hip hop, reggae, blues, R&B, jazz, ska, and soul, however, all of these were only brought in the country. Strictly speaking, the only original Pilipino music genres are those which developed or were composed in pre-colonial times—folk and kundiman music.

If this is the case …

What makes an OPM original?

What makes an OPM an original Pilipino music? It was composed by a Filipino because only a Filipino can capture and express the Filipino sentiment and music style. It is why there are genres like Pinoy rock, Pinoy hip hop, Pinoy R&B, Pinoy jazz, and Pinoy reggae. The Filipinos took these genres, experimented with it, and added the Pinoy touch and made it their own.

OPM is not about the language it was written in, not about the instruments used, not about the genres, not about when the music was composed. OPM is Original Pilipino Music because it was composed by a Filipino to express his/her Filipino heart as well as to showcase the Filipino style.

Closing

Is this an attempt to redefine P-pop and OPM? Far from it. This is an attempt to shed light about these two misunderstood labels. This is important because of the growing Philippine idol industry which many Filipinos are confusing as the entirety of P-pop, and supposedly not a single one is OPM.

In All P-pop are idols, Not, the confusion between P-pop and idols is disentangled.

P-pop is commonly used to refer to Pilipino idols, or P-idols, but did you know these are not interchangeable?

P-pop is an umbrella terminology for all music composed or performed by a Filipino. On the other hand, idols are acts commercialized and marketed for their attractiveness and personality; and to sell dreams ¹.

What is P-pop?

P-pop, or Pinoy Popular music, encompasses all music composed or performed by a Filipino. It is not the successor to OPM (“Original Pilipino Music”) and neither is it a subgenre of it. P-pop is simply another term for the entirety of Pinoy music regardless if it is mainstream, indie, underground, from Filipinos abroad, or was performed by a foreigner.

There is a big overlap between pop music as a genre and pop music as popular music. Just remember that pop music since the mid-1950s has usually been identified as the music and the musical styles that are accessible to the broadest audience ² (emphasis mine).

An in-depth look about P-pop was discussed in What is the difference between P-pop and OPM?

What is an idol or P-idol?

Most who are fans of idols assume it originated from K-pop, or Korean Popular music, and like most assumptions it is incorrect. The idol culture started in early 1930s Japan, although it was only in mid 1960s that the word idol was first used as a label for this particular type of entertainers.

History of idol culture

The year was 1933, actor Korema Arima (有馬 是馬) was on a tour in Kamaishi City (釜石市) when he scouted 13-year old Matsuko Ashita (あした まつこ / 明日 待子) to be an actress in the Moulin Rouge Shinjuku (レッドミル新宿区) theater in Tokyo (東京都). With her captivating smile, unmatched beauty and cuteness, and natural talent as an entertainer, she immediately rose to stardom. People visited the Moulin Rouge Shinjuku (レッドミル新宿区) theater to watch and interact with her.

She also caught the attention of major companies and received offers to be featured in advertisements, posters, signboards, and to star in films. By 1946, she made her debut as a singer with her song Tanoshiki Ashita (楽しき明日; Happy Tomorrow) under King Records (キングレコード株式会社). In today’s norm she was undoubtedly the very first idol and she laid down what this type of entertainer should be.

However, it was not until 1962 when the first idol trainee system was developed. It is a set of training programs where a talent starts young and trained in singing, dancing, and acting, until the company deems them ready for debut. Japanese-American businessman, talent manager, and founder of Johnny & Associates (株式会社ジャニーズ事務所) Kitagawa Hiromu (喜多川 擴), or known professionally as Johnny Kitagawa (ジャニー喜多川), was credited for developing it.

Two years later, the 1964 French movie Cherchez l’idole, or Aidoru o Sagase (アイドルを探せ; Find an Idol), was released in Japan and one of the star-studded cast was Armenian-Bulgarian-French yé-yé singer-songwriter and actress, Sylvie Vartan. Vartan’s adorable youthful looks, singing talent, and elaborate dance performances, captivated the nation. By November 1964, Japanese mass media started to label any act projecting a cute, innocent, and jolly aura and with talents in singing, dancing, and acting, as idols. ³

By 1996, the founder of SM Entertainment (SM 엔터테인먼트) brought the Japanese idol trainee system to Korea and fine-tuned it for the Korean culture and entertainment industry. This is what is known as cultural technology which included detailed guidelines on how to bring the then new K-pop idol industry to the global market. ^{4 5}

Defining idols

According to Tatsuo Inamasu (いなます たつお / 稲増 龍夫), a Japanese sociologist and psychologist specializing in social psychology and media culture theory, idols are people who share their growth process with their fans and play an active role in the charm of their very existence (machine translation of 成長過程をファンと共有し、存在そのものの魅力で活躍する人物). ⁶

Japan Info described idols as entertainers who start young, are always cute, and are often trained to sing, dance, MC, voice act, entertain, model, and play musical instruments. They are not just seen as entertainers, they are also regarded as role models for young people. An idol is a reflection on society, a picture of the ideal Japanese young citizen, and as such their image must be flawless. ⁷

Music idols are entertainers—generally from 12 to 25 years old—whose visual aesthetics are commercialized and marketed to bring happiness to and keep a close relationship with their fans. They undergo intensive training in singing, dancing, and acting, as well as in developing their personality and social skills to be an approachable and ideal celebrity their fans dream [them] to be.

Conclusion

Is this an important distinction the industry and fans should remember? Yes. In the Japanese and Korean music industries, J-pop and J-idols, and K-pop and K-idols, are often used interchangeably by foreign fans yet within their respective nations they make a distinction between idols and non-idol acts.

Similarly, P-pop and P-idols are often used interchangeably but should not be the case within the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora. All Filipinos love music more than any nation on Earth and, as of this post, majority of P-pop acts are either bands or solo acts who are not idols as defined.

Idol or not, a music composed or performed by a Filipino is P-pop but not all P-pop acts are idols.

The next question is: when did the P-pop idol industry begin? It will be answered in the next article.

The trillion-peso questions are: when was the beginning of the P-pop idol industry, and who was the first P-pop idol?

To know when the P-pop idol industry started it is important to first define what an idol is.

What is an idol?

Music idols are generally 12–25 year old entertainers marketed for their visual aesthetics and personality. They are given intensive training in singing and dancing usually for twelve to twenty-four months, sometimes longer. Idols are expected to keep a healthy relationship with their fans and to grow with them through the years.

Idols are beautiful, pure, and multitalented

1933 Japan: Matsuko Ashita (あした まつこ / 明日 待子) became the very first music idol in history. She was a theater actress with a captivating smile, unmatched beauty and immense cuteness, a good dancer and singer, a model, and a natural entertainer.

Idols are an ideal person one wants to be and as such are expected to be perfect in many ways. They should be beautiful specimens, have an aura of innocence and purity, be cute or cool, and demonstrate various talents. They are more than entertainers, they represent the dreams of every person.

Idols undergo a trainee program

1962 Japan: Johnny Kitagawa (ジャニー喜多川) developed the very first idol trainee system. Through it his company, Johnny & Associates (株式会社ジャニーズ事務所), produced many of the first idol groups in the world.

1996 South Korea: SM Entertainment (SM 엔터테인먼트) founder, Lee Soo Man (이수만), brought the Japanese idol trainee system in Korea. Through Korea’s cultural technology, an adaptation of the Japanese idol trainee system, the K-pop idol industry achieved global status in a short amount of time.

An idol trainee program is an intensive training in singing while dancing an incredibly synchronized choreography. It sometimes include training in social skills, how to act and answer in interviews and variety shows, learning new languages, and specialized skills. It also serves as a chance for the idol to master their craft.

Talent search competitions are also a common method in discovering those with hidden talents and have the potential to become huge idols. Idols discovered through a talent search competition usually debut early all the while going through the training system. They already have fans they can share their growth with—from an unpolished talent to a dream idol.

Defining an idol

Idols are not idols because of their clothing style, color choices, music genre, dance routines, or because they released music videos and did fan signing events—these are marketing strategies. Idols are idols because of who they are, the image they portray, and how they represent their culture. A talent agency can have all the best concepts, catchy songs, and the best dance choreographies, but if a potential idol have an image which is not within the dreams of their target market, there is no idol.

With these in mind, an idol—solo or group—should have these characteristics:

• Appearance: beautiful and handsome
• Character:
  • wholesome image
  • keeps their personal lives and opinions private
  • innocent and pure
  • cute or cool
  • approachable and friendly person
  • an inspiration
  • a role model
• Multitalented entertainer and performer
  • a singer
  • a dancer
  • can act
  • can host
  • comedic ¹
• Dance routines
  • formation changes
  • point choreography
• Represents the best and positive about their nation and culture, and their target market

Idol groups

There are additional characteristics for groups to be considered an idol. These are:

• Each member have a unique character and personality
• Members usually have a role to play in the group
  • leader
  • center
  • strong visuals and cuteness/coolness
  • lead vocals
  • main vocals
  • sub-vocals
  • lead dancer
  • main dancer
• Members with specializations showcase their talents
  • vocalizations
  • hip hop / rapping
  • breakdancing
  • hosting
  • acting
• Members usually have a solo or duo part in a song

This format is seen in Japanese idol groups like Morning Musume (モーニング娘 / Mōningu Musume) ^{2 3} and Onyanko Club (おニャン子クラブ / Onyanko Kurabu) ⁴; in Korean idol groups like 2NE1 (투애니원) ^{5 6} and Girls’ Generation (소녀시대 / So Nyeo Shi Dae (SNSD)) ^{7 8}; and in Pinoy idol groups like Alamat (ᜀᜎᜋᜆ᜔) ⁹, Bini (ᜊᜒᜈᜒ) ¹⁰, MNL48 (ᜋ᜔ᜈ᜔ᜎ᜔48) ¹¹, and UGG (ᜂᜄ᜔ᜄ᜔ / U Go Girls) ¹².

What is the P-pop idol image and industry?

The P-pop idol image is not new but as an industry it is. Think of Matsuko Ashita (あした まつこ / 明日 待子), she was only considered a J-pop idol decades after the trainee system was developed and the word idol was coined. In her time she was simply called an actress, a singer, and a star.

The P-pop idol image and industry are no different. The Philippines already had a P-pop idol five years before the P-pop idol industry was established.

Who was the first P-pop idol?

The trillion-peso questions are: when did the P-pop idol industry start, and who was the first P-pop idol? With the limited information publicly available for P-pop acts, it is no wonder these questions remain unanswered. Even so, based on the established criteria mentioned earlier, it is possible to identify the first idols in P-pop history.

First solo female P-pop idol

The earliest act—that passed the established criteria of an idol—was in 2004. She is widely known as projecting a wholesome image, cute, pure, friendly, an inspiration to many, and a very good role model for teenagers. She was dubbed as the Pambansang Krung-krung (ᜉᜋ᜔ᜊᜈ᜔ᜐᜅ᜔ ᜃᜓᜇᜓᜅ᜔ᜃᜓᜇᜓᜅ᜔ / Nation’s Crazy Personality). Sandara described it as unique, cute, and crazy ¹³. She is none other than Sandara Park (박산다라).

Sandara Park (박산다라) was the first runner-up in ABS-CBN’s Star Circle Quest in 2004. She made her singing debut that same year with the release of her eponymous album which sold more than 100,000 physical copies. It was certified platinum by the Philippines Association of the Record Industry. Her single In or Out was a mega dance hit, played in major radio stations and heard in homes and parties. In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Sandara recalled how her fans sang her single with her during her promotional tour all over the Philippines. ¹⁴

While Sandara (산다라) is pure Korean, her songs were composed by Filipinos. In What is the difference between P-pop and OPM, P-pop, or Pinoy Popular music, was defined as all music composed or performed by a Filipino. It is simply another term for the entirety of Pinoy music regardless if the music is mainstream, indie, underground, from Filipinos abroad, or was performed by a foreigner.

Sandara (산다라) is the first P-pop idol.

First P-pop idol girl group

The title for the first P-pop idol girl group goes to Pop Girls, they debuted on December 13, 2009 with their song Crazy Crazy. While Pop Girls was inspired by North American and English girl groups, they passed the criteria of an Asian idol girl group.

Pop Girls started with members Jaliah and Mariam Baustria (Filipino-Lebanese twins), Shy Carlos (Filipino-Swiss), Rose Van Ginkel (Filipino-Dutch), and Nadine Lustre. They released studio albums and digital singles; and members graduated and new members joined. They had promotional tours and appeared on shows, until all the members graduated on April 12, 2017 after the release of their farewell song Prinsesa (ᜉᜒᜇᜒᜈ᜔ᜐᜒᜐ).

First P-pop idol boy group

In March 17, 2010, the Philippines saw its first P-pop idol boy group in XLR8. XLR8 was an 8-member idol boy group with members Arkin del Rosario, Carlo Lazerna, identical twins Meljohn and Melmar Magno, AJ Muhlach, Kiko Ramos, Caleb Santos, and Hideaki Torio. They regularly performed in GMA 7’s variety show, Party Pilipinas. They had one studio album (certified gold), two singles and music videos, won the Most Promising Recording/Performing Group of 2011 from the GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards, and three concerts under their belt, before they went their separate ways.

First P-pop idol co-ed group

P-pop co-ed groups are not new in the Philippines, there were the immensely popular co-ed groups Smokey Mountain from 1989 to 1995—whose songs can still be heard to this day—and the young teens known as Sugarpop from 2006 to 2009. Though, the title of the first P-pop idol co-ed group goes to RPM.

RPM (ᜇ᜔ᜉ᜔ᜋ᜔), or Real Pinoy Music, was a 7-member P-pop idol co-ed group that debuted on April 21, 2010. The group was made up of Pio Balbuena, Yanna Garcia, Anna Luna, Samantha Page, Chris Salcedo, Carl Trazo, and Vince Yap.

In closing

The P-pop idol image started in 2004, however, it was not until mid December 2009 when the P-pop idol industry itself was established. Since then the country had seen debuts of P-pop idol groups one after another, firmly marking it as the beginning of the P-pop idol industry.

Bonus: The 1st generation of P-pop idols

To properly identify the P-pop idol generations, it is important to define what and how long a generation is. Jane Pilcher has this to say:

As Jane Pilcher said, we describe those who grew up in, say, the 1960s, as belonging to ’the sixties generation’. This is a good basis because it is fixed to ten calendar years. For this reason, the 1st generation of P-pop idols cover debuts from 2010–2019.

Since Pop Girls had their debut 19 days before 2010, and they were the first P-pop idol to debut since 2004, a minor exception can be made. While the 1st generation of P-pop idols is still from 2010–2019, Pop Girls are included even though they debuted a few days before the turn of the year.

Immediately after the end date of the 1st generation is the beginning of the 2nd generation of P-pop idols. This current generation of P-pop idols cover debuts from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2029.

Bonus: The 2nd generation of P-pop idols

Think of P-pop idol generations as a person. Its first ten years were its days as a young kid. It had no idea of the world and was simply experimenting and learning from its environment. Accussations were thrown of being a copycat—exactly like how kids are. Idols have come and gone. But after going through with it all, like a young kid, the teenage years arrived.

The next ten years is a crucial period in a person’s growth. It is when a person learns the most and is easily molded. It is when a person starts to find its identity in the world, why he or she exists, their purpose in life. In the same way that the P-pop idol 2nd generation is the critical ten years of the industry.

This is an opportunity for the idols, the fans, and the nation itself, to mold the P-pop idol industry into its own Filipino brand it can be proud of. A chance to make it standout and be uniquely different from its counterparts in Japan and Korea. If the J-pop idol industry is primarily about young cute girls and handsome cool boys; and the K-pop idol industry is all about being a commercial product than being about the whole experience …

What is the identity of the P-pop idol industry? Two years into the P-pop idol 2nd generation and the first of these unique features are starting to show up, even on the marketing side. But this is a topic for another day.

It is 2022, there are less than 7 years left for Filipinos to shape and give an identity to its own P-pop idol industry. Let’s make it count!

Bonus: The Modern P-pop Generations

The P-pop idol generations should not be confused with the modern P-pop generations. This will be the topic of the next article in this series. Simply put it refers to all P-pop acts regardless if they are considered an idol or not.

Here are the generations of modern P-pop:

• 1st Generation of Modern P-pop (1990–1999)
• 2nd Generation of Modern P-pop (2000–2009)
• 3rd Generation of Modern P-pop (2010–2019)
• 4th Generation of Modern P-pop (2020–2029)