NBT: Raven goes pop rap hybrid in "Paraluman"

raven turns romantic confession into pop-rap hybrid on “Paraluman”
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.

About the Artist:

Paraluman: OPM Artist Raven Talks About His Music Journey

raven is a 21-year old singer-songwriter and producer hailing from Cavite. This open-genre musician,
who performs, writes, and produces his tracks, dabbles into lo-fi, hip-hop, and folk-indie-pop-rock
soundscapes for most of his songs. Releasing independently, he has 18,000 monthly listeners on Spotify
with his single “Ngayon Lang To” getting 100,000 plays since release. Since starting his channel, he has
garnered more than 12,000 subscribers on YouTube, with over 600,000 views on his videos. With his
steady rise into the industry, he has captured the attention of OPM icon Rico Blanco, who has taken him
under his wing, as he releases new music signed under Sony Music Philippines. When it comes to his
music, Raven takes inspiration from Keshi, Lauv, Rico Blanco, Kiyo, among many other artists

Kung Tayo, Tayo

They say that “If we’re meant to be, together we will be.”
Back with a fresh, mellow pop sound, raven tells us a story about being in a situation full of uncertainty in his latest track “Kung Tayo, Tayo.” Based on a true story that was experienced by a classmate, and from
a touch of personal experience, the song is a reminder that things such as love should not be forced upon, especially if the other feels differently than you do. Sometimes, you just need to let fate play things
out the way it’s supposed to be

S.U.K.I

Rising producer/singer-songwriter raven teams up with indie pop
artists Naila and somere on the new single “S.U.K.I.”—released today via Sony Music
Philippines.
The lo-fi jam, which was produced by raven and Rico Blanco, takes into account the
pain and longing of someone who gave his all, but failed miserably to mend what’s left
of the romantic relationship. Collaborators Naila and somere, who also provided their
lilting vocals to the insanely catchy bop, are also credited as songwriters for this special
project featuring different generations of musicians.
Putting together the entire song is interesting from a production standpoint, as it started
from a random challenge posted by alternative rock icon Rico Blanco on TikTok, where
he played a piano while beatboxing for others to explore with either a rap verse or a
vocal melody with lyrics.
Blanco’s captivating instrumental, which only lasted for a few seconds, has racked up
over 2.8 million views on the platform since it was uploaded late last year.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer/rapper raven took the challenge seriously and wrote
verses that sting with melancholic thoughts. The genre-bending artist shares in a
statement, “S.U.K.I. was actually based from my own personal experience. I wrote it as
a tribute to a young love that didn’t end up pretty well, despite trying everything to make
it work.”
Up-and-coming singer-songwriters Naila and somere completed the musical narrative
by writing and singing their own verse on the rap ballad, giving the material a refreshing
perspective that complements raven’s bedroom pop treatment.
According to 15-year-old artist Naila, her verse was lifted from a poem she personally
penned when she was in 8 th grade. “It was when I finished reading a book about a
couple with a very tragic love story, I was so attached to it to the point that I even made
a poem using the female protagonist’s point of view. I was scanning my old notebooks
that time and saw the poem that I wrote. I really wanted to make it into a song and then
eventually, Sir Rico’s video showed on my timeline, which gave me an idea of duetting
on his video and posting it in TikTok.”
It took 16-year-old artist somere days to think of the words to “S.U.K.I.,” but ended up
with lyrics of her own that reflects an important phase in her life. “Things became
unfortunate, I had a very bad mental breakdown and words of pain suddenly came out
of my mouth. I decided to duet Sir Rico’s video, thinking that maybe someone out there
may be going through the same thing, and maybe I can use my voice to give that
person a nice warm virtual hug.”

The collaborative ideas led to the low-key gem that is “S.U.K.I.,” which brought an
entirely confessional safe space for the artists to bask in their individual pain and come
up with a song that could inspire others to move forward and be better.
Its music video, which was shot in a lush greenery somewhere in Tanay, Rizal, features
raven enjoying his sweet time outside of the city.