Welcome to Songs You Need to Know, our weekly rundown of the best music right now. The Rolling Stone Philippines team is constantly sharing things to listen to, and each week, we compile a ragtag playlist of songs that we believe every music fan today needs to know. Whether it’s the hottest new single or an old track that captures the state of the present, our hope is that you discover something for your musical canon.
This week’s songs range from intimate ballads to noise rock freakouts from your favorite musicians. The acid house trip of Slayyyter makes you want to dance the night away while A$AP Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb cut “HELICOPTER” comes back strong after nearly eight years missing from the game. Mitski’s “Where’s My Phone” is a loud, paranoid beast of a lead single from one of the scene’s most revered singer-songwriters. In the local scene circuit, Quezon City rapper Hev Abi puts out a party banger “ALL NIGHT LONG,” and synth-pop act Fly Mama! creates the catchiest melodies out of syrupy synth lines. Together, they make 2026 a promising year for pop and hip-hop, and January isn’t over yet.
When acid house takes the spotlight
For the longest time, it felt like we were overdue for a Slayyyter comeback season. The pop star has released her latest single, “Dance…,” from her upcoming album Wor$t Girl in America, slated for release on March 27. Take it from a longtime pop stan who paid attention through the entire pre-pandemic hyperpop boom: Slayyyter has held OG status in the “slutpop” subgenre for years. The reigning, if often overlooked, queen of late-2010s pop ushers in a new sound here: a mechanical, hedonistic electropop hailstorm where the cold hits hardest. “Dance…” brings the heat from verse to chorus, leaning into fervor and bravado more than ever. —Elijah Pareño
Piano ballad superstar at his most earnest
Geese frontman Cameron Winter and his lead single “Love Takes Miles,” taken from his highly acclaimed solo 2024 debut album Heavy Metal, has been an anthem for lovers willing to wait, even in the farthest of lands. The single works because it refuses the illusion of emotional closure, not even a little bit. Winter’s piano moves patiently, almost cautiously, as if aware that too much drama would cheapen what the song is trying to hold onto. His vocal delivery stays infectiously catchy and unguarded, careful not to rush a hook or a moment of triumph from start to finish. Instead, the song lingers in uncertainty, vocally achieving the feeling of devotion. If undying love sounds like this, I wouldn’t take it for granted either. —Elijah Pareño
The party boy era for the QC resident
Flashes of “MADUMING TIMOG” appear in “ALL NIGHT LONG,” the latest music video from Quezon City’s own Hev Abi. Drenched in neon purple light, he moves through the frame singing a soul-inflected, autotune-heavy chorus that stretches across the song’s tight two-minute runtime. At first listen, the intention feels clear. But once the track loops, a hazier, almost psychedelic quality emerges, hinting at where his upcoming album might land. After months of relative quiet outside a handful of festival appearances, Hev returns with confidence, though this time as a more measured presence. “ALL NIGHT LONG” frames indulgence with caution, suggesting an artist still drawn to excess but increasingly aware of its consequences. —Elijah Pareño
A glossy, infectious return to form for Rocky
“HELICOPTER” is one of the strongest tracks of A$AP Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb. The whole album, his first in eight years, demonstrates a return to form for the American rapper, and in “HELICOPTER,” Rocky tells us exactly who he is. Unfortunately, that means some lines age the rapper, like when he admonishes people that “do anything for a blue check” on social media. Verification isn’t cool anymore, especially on X! But he makes up for it with an infectious delivery that glides smoothly over the beat. I hear 2016 is making a comeback, and what better way to usher it in than with good, old-fashioned pre-game rap. —Pie Gonzaga
If you could hear hot flashes, this is it
Japanese-American indie favorite Mitski has returned with the new single “Where’s My Phone?” ahead of the release of her eighth album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, on February 27. This new track marches at a pace quicker than hits like “My Love Mine All Mine” and “First Love/Late Spring,” but isn’t as dancey as “Nobody.” The track has an overwhelming, claustrophobic fuzziness to it, from the guitars to the outro’s vocals, making the song’s reflections on anxiety feel all the more real. I know Mitski just came back, but somebody give this woman a break, and her phone! —Pie Gonzaga
Moody synth pop begging for replay
Nostalgic, synth-heavy pop seems to be the vogue in Filipino pop these days, especially with Cup of Joe’s “Multo” finding overwhelming success last year. And it’s easy to plop “Paulit-Ulit” by Fly Mama! in that category, but I think the newly released track deserves a deeper appreciation than mere comparison. The Filipino four-piece band understands well what makes a good synth-pop track: guitars that seem to melt into gauzy pads, a forward-chugging beat, and a catchy, repeating phrase: “Paulit-ulit, paulit-ulit.” —Pie Gonzaga
