This is kyleaux and His Coming-of-Age Story as Pinoy R&B’s Rookie

Coming up in a crowded rap and R&B scene, the 17-year-old producer has laser focused on songwriting, patience, and letting his sound develop on his own terms

By Elijah Pareño

Photography By Kim Santos

January 14, 2026

Santi Layosa, known on record as kyleaux, came up at a moment in the post-pandemic era when young artists in the Filipino rap and R&B scene were starting to multiply.

Since 2023, the 17-year-old performer has been a member of the 25hearts collective, meaning he already knew what he wanted to sound like. His early singles “gusto kita” (with producer and fellow collective member k1ko) and “Ulan” introduced him to the world as a musician who is comfortable moving between rapped verses and sung hooks. At times, Layosa wears his swaggy producer hat on, having worked with BARQ for “Shake Dat Thang” where he injects his style of hard-hitting kicks, rattling bass, sustaining clangs, and a catchy bounce.

While many artists his age lean into exaggerated online personas, kyleaux has stayed focused on writing songs that reflect how he moves through the world. “My goal was to be the realest and my music to be a reflection of who I am,” kyleaux tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “It was important that I found my sound. And once I found my sound, it was gonna be the easiest way that I could show myself without feeling shy.”

How To Be Real

That clarity shows up in his catalog of later singles. Tracks like “Malasakit” and “NOTICE ME,” released throughout 2025, pushed him deeper into his own hook game and pop writing instincts. The songs pull from early 2000s R&B à la Usher and Pharrell. His vocal delivery remains whispery throughout — often conversational, sometimes intimate, depending on the production.

Age has not limited his perspective. As of 2026, kyleaux understands how quickly scenes move and lose direction once attention hits. That approach has helped him avoid the trap many young artists fall into when their growth outpaces their grounding. Instead of presenting himself as fully formed, kyleaux allows room for change. More importantly, he has clarity about what kind of artist he wants to become later on.

“There’s no boundaries, no barriers, no shield. It’s just the realest version of himself,” he says about his music persona. “Every word, every chord I hit, every note I have in each song, it’s just real. It’s just a reflection of who I am and what I do every day.”