MANILA, Philippines—For aspiring musicians, the Internet has proven to be a powerful asset; for 22-year-old Arthur Miguel, it has only helped him reach new heights.
If you’re wondering how this young musician amassed 1.6 million Spotify listener, he began by performing song covers during the height of the pandemic on YouTube and Soundcloud.
“When I was a kid, I always listened to music a lot kahit hindi ko pa siya naiintindihan, naeenjoy ko pa rin siya. Then one day, I tried covering a song and posted it on my social media,” he says.
Eventually, Miguel then decided to write his own songs. “Biglang pumasok sa isip ko na magtry magsulat ng songs and it went well.”
Image courtesy of Warner Music PH
He recorded his own music with guitar and using his own experiences as motivation. He names Taylor Swift and Moira Dela Torre as two key musical influences. Arthur Miguel now has over 974K YouTube subscribers. “Whenever I listen to their songs, I get inspired to write new stories for my songs.”
Because of his YouTube success, he signed with Warner Music Philippines in 2021, putting him on a larger platform as an artist. With the help of his new label, Arthur Miguel released “Ang Wakas,” shortly followed by “Dito, Sa Ilalim ng Buwan.”
After these successful singles, he dropped his single “Leron,” which is a heartfelt track with long-time friend Trisha Macapagal. “I met Trisha on Facebook. Kasali kami sa isang fandom group then a friend introduced me to Trisha. She suggested that we should do a song cover, then we tried.”
Image courtesy of Warner Music PH
This interaction led to them collaborating on songs Arthur considered fit for her. “I know when I need Trisha on a song, nararamdaman ko agad if yung nasulat kong song is for a duet or a solo,” he explains. The reimagination of the Filipino children’s song “Leron Leron Sinta” eventually became a part of his debut album, “Pasahili.”
The eight-track album “Pasahili,” which is short for para sa hindi pinili, draws on Filipino hugot culture and is dedicated to anyone experiencing heartbreak in whatever way. “Even if they didn’t choose you, life must go on, and it just means it isn’t for you,” he describes.
Image courtesy of Amplified Entertainment
In addition to “Leron,” a reimagined version of his hit single “Ang Wakas” is included in the debut album to highlight its new sonic quality. Two more songs from the album will have official live performance videos in collaboration with highly acclaimed director Dean Marcial, who has already released three music videos.
Marcial is a New York-based director best known for his work on “The Green Guilleras.” He is also the co-founder of CALAVERA USA, a Brooklyn-based production company that has won several awards from the SXSW Film and TV Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival. “I’m grateful to work with such an amazing, hardworking director. He’s really good especially when he creates stories,” he explains.
With his phenomenal talent at such a young age, Arthur, is also a part of Warner Music Group’s global showcase for 2022. He recently collaborated with American R&B star Pink Sweat$ for the Asia edition of his hit “I Feel Good,” completing a full circle moment for the young artist, who is also a Sweat$ fan “Working with Pink Sweat$ is such an honor for me. I’ve covered some of Pink’s songs, and now we have a collaboration. That’s crazy.”
Image courtesy of Amplified Entertainment
With his rise in the OPM charts, Arthur Miguel sees no sign of slowing down in his music career. He has one goal in mind- to be a relatable and comforting voice for his audience.
The live performance videos for “Pasahili” and “Di Man” is now available on Warner Music Philippines’ YouTube Channel.