They were often mistaken for Korean pop superstars, proudly all-Filipino boy band 1:43 (one forty-three) gives the term KPop a whole new meaning in their third album titled #KalyePop.
The much-anticpated album set to release this April under MCA Music, the EP titled #KalyePop (KPop) is composed of six strong original tracks from the foremost Filipino boy band that popularized “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo,” the monster hit song that won the 2013 PMPC Star Award for Music “Song of the Year.”
“#KalyePop or KPop is our humble contribution to the rebirth of the local music industry. We hope that our new musical direction will advance our mission of winning back the Filipino audiences to Original Pilipino Music (OPM),” says boy band spokesman Anjo Resurreccion.
Except for the novelty song “Ang Saya-Saya” penned by acclaimed composer Jonathan Ong of Sonic State Studio, the rest of the tracks of #KalyePop, including the hit song “Hayop Sa Ganda” and the earlier promotional single “Ikaw At Ako” were composed by musician and the group’s road manager Urie Tesorio. Band manager and public relations entrepreneur Chris Cahilig produced the album while Ong arranged the songs. Its neocolonial themed album cover was photographed by 1:43’s original member Kimmeth Nicolas and styled by Ryuji Shiomitsu.
The three remaining tracks of #KalyePop include the cleverly titled novelty song “Istambay Me” which tackles about the rampancy of unemployment among Filipino youth and the ballads “Langit” and “Pwede Bang Malaman” which carry the 1:43’s signature romantic melody and lyrics.
1:43 is composed of four talented, charming, and stylish men namely, Resurreccion, a University of Santo Tomas (UST) Psychology graduate and a MYX VJ Search finalist; Argee Golding, an international taekwondo medalist from UST; Gold Aquino, an entrepreneur and a Business Administration graduate from the Centro Escolar University (CEU); and Yuki Sakamoto, a Hotel and Restaurant Management student from CEU-Makati and the main vocalist of the group.
According to Cahilig, the idea of producing a #KalyePop for 1:43 has been in his mind since he formed the boy band in 2010 as a reaction to the young Filipino audience’s fancy for KPop music and star.
“#KalyePop is inspired by the musical aesthetics of the everyday Juan dela Cruz on the street. We wanted a selection of songs that can be easily played with a guitar while having a drinking session or danced by the masses young and old, rich or poor in public gatherings,” explains Cahilig.
One of the tracks of #KalyePop is now a certified radio hit. The song “Hayop Sa Ganda” has so far received over 330,000 views on Youtube and is considered the fastest moving OPM song on the social media site. It brought back 1:43, the original hit makers of the song “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo,” to the limelight.
The release of #KalyePop is supported by McJim Classic Leather and Belle Vita. Interested parties may book 1:43 by sending an inquiry at [email protected] or visiting the 1:43 Fan Page on Facebook.