Inspired by his observations on life and its parallel sources from film, art, literature, and pop culture, raven makes genre-bending jams that resonate on a universal level. Aside from writing and performing his own songs, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter also dabbles into the production side of music-making, often blurring the lines of bedroom pop, lo-fi rap, indie folk, and chill music to create boundless singularity that appeals to a young generation of listeners.
On his debut single “Paraluman,” rising singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer raven captures the essence of young love on his first official single under Sony Music Philippines—out today on all digital platforms worldwide.
Written as a tribute to the muse that inspired his music journey, the up-and-coming artist expresses his romantic admiration through a pop-rap tune that he recorded using a smartphone. In the first few verses, he compares the girl that he used to have a crush on, with the extraordinary muses that earned their place in the pantheon of art and literature’s greatest, from Mona Lisa to Ophelia. Raven then proceeds to spit poetry with a renewed sense of passion and excitement, hopping from one metaphorical reference to another in a bid to put his creative inspiration on a pedestal.
Over stripped-down guitars and minimal flourishes, Raven taps into the zeitgeist with his version of pop music that is steeped in bedroom aesthetic and lo-fi hip-hop influence, distilling various music forms to create something that is palatable to the streaming generation. His distinct sense of music style has the potential to gain foothold in mainstream consciousness, particularly in the Gen Z demo, but what sets him apart from his contemporaries is the unassuming earnestness in his words and music—one that is lavishly crafted with a balance of accessibility and wallflower demeanor. It makes sense why “Paraluman” is destined to be a future hit just by scratching the surface: it knows how to compromise with prevailing trends while sticking to its principles by heart.
The next few months saw the song evolve into a more polished material with improvement in the production side of things—thanks to the guidance and support of Rico Blanco and Balcony Entertainment, who helped Raven realize his vision with a more defined music direction. For his part, Raven re-recorded the song with a slightly different approach, throwing in some new techniques and subtleties to deliver a jam that wouldn’t feel out of place on both radio charts and obscure playlists.
“Paraluman,” his debut track, will be part of his upcoming album, Lika Na under Sony Music Philippines. The new record is currently under production, and is slated to be released this year.
Stream Raven’s debut single here.
