Lola Amour: Serving Modern Anthems, Rain or Shine

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For the most part of the latter half of 2023, Lola Amour’s “Raining in Manila” was dominating radio and digital charts. While the song is an ode to friends who have moved away, it served as the perfect anthem for the rainy season.

The succeeding period after the success of “Raining in Manila” has been nothing but eventful for the band.

They toured the country commemorating the said hit. In January, they performed at the 9th Wish Music Awards with Clara Benin, then with Coldplay’s Chris Martin just a few days after. They returned to the Wanderland stage in Marc, and less than a week after that stint, they announced the departure of longtime bassist Raymond King. Their concert, where they’d unveil their debut record, would be King’s last gig with the OPM troupe.

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Awaited debut album

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The concert, held on April 13 at Circuit Makati Concert Grounds, marked a new chapter for Lola Amour. And for a musical troupe unafraid to embrace new seasons, nothing seems more fitting than to say goodbye to a bandmate and drop a five-years-in-the-making record in such a grandiose show.

“Lola Amour: The Album Concert” was punctuated by many memorable moments, including sets by Any Name’s Okay and Cup of Joe and a surprise appearance by internet sensation Dante Gulapa. Of course, the live performance of tracks from the band’s self-titled album was the main highlight.

Lola Amour has been serving a uniquely fun but no-nonsense pop, funk, and rock sound since 2013. They’ve gotten far in the scene with smash hits one after another. Their highly anticipated album is a testament to their artistry. It’s proof of their passion for crafting modern anthems that could accompany various seasons in life, no matter what they themselves are going through as a band.

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Tracks for all seasons

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“Umiinit,” the album opener, is a hark back to the Manila Sound. And with the country experiencing the dog days of summer, it comes at the right time to soundtrack the season. In “Saan Kakapit,” we hear the perspective of the person “Raining in Manila” is speaking to — and learn the kind of loneliness that they are going through.

The more laidback “This Ain’t Love,” penned by Dumayas in 2015, takes listeners through “the early stages of love.” With the succeeding track, “Namimiss Ko Na,” the band picks up the pace again. The song, released a month ahead of the album launch, is as funky as it can get. And in true Lola Amour fashion, it’s laden with metaphors and straight-from-the-heart hooks.

What comes next is a pair of songs that present two sides of a story. “I’ll Give My Heart” reveals the point of view of the muse in “If I Ever Come Back.” In “If I Ever Come Back,” the narrator talks about “wanting to grow somewhere else and letting go of a relationship that you know will only last when you are ready for it.”

The emotion further swells as the album continues with the familiar “Raining in Manila.” Ending the record on a poignant note, Lola Amour delivers a one-two punch with two paeans about depression.

“Lost For Words” is about “a person who had lost someone to the overwhelming pressures of the world.” The most rock-sounding cut in the album, it effectively captures the regrets that linger and the questions that arise after suffering an irrevocable loss.

Meanwhile, “Part II: Bliss” is a personal track that screams vulnerability and is sonically folksy. In an interview with Billboard Philippines, Dumayas shared that it’s a tribute to “a friend who had a battle with depression and [t]ook his own life.”

“The way he described his depression, I tried to put them into words. It was just a way for me to deal with the fact that he was gone; I think that same day, I wrote this. So, this is for him,” he added.

Listen to the album here:

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Watch Lola Amour’s best Wishclusives below:

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