Filipino rapper Waiian delivers a raw, unfiltered commentary on music and personal life with his highly anticipated third album, BACKSHOTS.
With the 9-track release, the acclaimed emcee takes a bold stand against the absurdity of the music establishment and trends, refusing to conform to social expectations, while reinforcing the importance of authenticity and staying true to one’s craft.
“BACKSHOTS serves as my testament to consistently speak my truth,” says the Solo Mission act. “The album is my rebelling against being known solely for motivational bars. Although I still believe in my roots, I also want to showcase my lighter side: the playful, humorous person who enjoys my life journey even as I pursue my rap career.”
Produced with Love and Rage
The album, produced by Kashira Music Prod and Pistolgrip, was shaped through a mix of love and raw emotion, challenging Waiian to rap over sonic experiments and eclectic beats. Throughout the project, the Makati City-based hip-hop artist credits his inspiration to artists who are not afraid to push the boundaries of songwriting, performance, and production.
“I drew inspiration from artists like Teezo Touchdown, Kanye West, Brockhampton, Kendrick Lamar, Denzel Curry and my past work, and more,” shares Waiian. “The 9-track album organically took shape, mirroring the cycle of life—its beginning and its inevitable end.”
A Journey of Growth and Reflection
BACKSHOTS offers a mix of seriousness and silliness, satire and sincerity, chaos and freedom. Lovingly layered with care and attention, the album takes listeners through unrefined thoughts and emotions, challenging and subverting traditional ideas of how music should be presented. With each track, Waiian blends confessional storytelling with unwavering commitment to his narrative, capturing both his growth as an artist and his reflections on career and life.
Key highlights from the album include “MAN IN THE MERROR,” the first track that he finished for this particular project, and “SI LODS NA ANG BAHALA,” which serves as a deep introspection of his life in a 3 minute and 32 second wav file. While he dedicates love, time, and focus to every single song in the record, making sure that each track possess its own distinct thought and direction, the aforementioned track reveals a splash of sentimentality that fits neatly alongside his earlier and current catalog.
He confides, “There is this one song that made me the most emotional when I came home from finishing it after several days of straight studio sessions. It’s SI LODS NA BAHALA, and I felt great being able to channel my life whereabouts in the confines of a song. It could be one of my favorite songs to perform from now.”
Music Video Releases
Waiian plans to accompany the release of the album with visuals featuring renowned collaborators and friends. The music video for “LODS NA BAHALA,” in particular, will have its own treatment, complete with archival imagery and locations from his formative years, including excerpts from the short films he made as a student and places he used to hang out at. “It’s about remembering my roots as a creative. These elements are blended with footage from my current life and experiences reflecting my artistic evolution.”
Additionally, the music video for “MAN IN THE MERROR,” which was directed Miguel Garcia from Madman Creative Solutions, will showcase his fun and goofy side, featuring places and people close to Waiian’s heart. He’s also in the pre-production stages of the music video of “SOFTIE,” which will highlight diverse couples representing various underrepresented identities in mainstream media, as well as a collaboration with Geloy Concepcion.
Live Performances and Upcoming Shows
Waiian will debut songs off BACKSHOTS live at the Wanderland Music and Arts Festival, where he’s meticulously planning and rehearsing every song for that special day to ensure a solid performance. Fans can expect a dynamic and energetic live set that captures the raw energy and emotional depth of his new album. He’s also set to co-headline the upcoming ALL OF THE NOISE music summit, along with Taiwanese band The Chairs, Singaporean rapper San The Wordsmith, and Thai indie pop collective KIKI.
Check out the track list:
(1) AUG27
(2) MALAKING BIRD
(3) MAN IN THE MERROR
(4) LOSE MY NUMBER
(5) SOFTIE
(6) MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES
(7) ASAN NA SI…
(8) SI LODS NA BAHALA
(9) BOUNCE NA KO MAN
Waiian’s new album, BACKSHOTS is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment. The music video of “MAN IN THE MERROR” will premiere at 8 PM on YouTube this Friday, March 14, 2025.
