The brand-new season of Wishcovery marks a fresh start for the Wish 107.5-produced online talent search.
On September 29, a new breed of OPM singer-songwriters is slated to hit the digital space as “Wishcovery Originals” premieres on the Wish YouTube channel. Serving as the third edition of the competition, the show aims to discover and hone up-and-coming Filipino artists who can both perform and compose their own songs.
“What we’re looking for right now is a singer and composer. We want, this time, the composer to express his feelings through songs that he himself wrote,” Kuya Daniel Razon, the creator of the program and the main man behind Wish 107.5, remarked in a previous statement.
The first two seasons of the show focused on the singing prowess of the contenders.
Though thousands of artists have auditioned, only a select few will have the chance to showcase their talent and songs on the competition proper.
After the program’s pilot episode — which is dedicated to giving the audience a walkthrough of what to expect throughout the show’s run — there will be a series of weekly and monthly eliminations.
For the first three Sundays of each month, four contenders will battle it out on the weekly eliminations. These music acts will perform their own original composition on board the Wish 107.5 Bus.
The winners of the weekly eliminations will advance to the monthly finals. Featuring a brand-new song for this stage, the top contender will earn a spot in the grand finals and a cash prize worth Php 20,000.
For the weekly battles, the scores will solely come from the panel of judges, which includes Mayonnaise frontman and songwriter Monty Macalino, the country’s King of R&B Jay R, and veteran hitmaker-producer Jungee Marcelo.
For the monthly eliminations, the judges will only take up 75 percent of the total scores. The remaining 25 percent will come from the power-viewing statistics of the contenders’ Wish Bus performances to be uploaded on a dedicated platform, the Wishcovery YouTube channel.
Despite the fierce competition, exciting rewards await the grand winner of the show.
As in the previous editions of Wishcovery, Wish 107.5 will give a whopping set of prizes for the show’s grand champion — Php 1 million in cash, a recording contract worth Php 1 million, a brand-new car, a house and lot, and a commemorative album with fellow grand finalists.
Jungee, who has been sitting as a reactor since Wishcovery Season 1, lauded Kuya Daniel for coming up with a new concept for the competition.
“There’s no stopping Kuya Daniel; he really comes up with something new… The idea for [Wishcovery Originals] is really wonderful. I love that you bring honor and pay homage to the songwriters. I love that you enhance the musicality of the singer, not only in the singing but also in the creation [of the songs] — which is where it all begins,” he enthused in an interview.
Asked about what he is looking for in the next OPM star, the veteran hitmaker emphasized the importance of being a learner.
“The next OPM star shouldn’t only be good in singing, but also in songwriting. However, my hope for this competition is to not only develop these skills but also for the singer to have the heart to always accept criticism,” he relayed.
“In every competition, there are lessons to be learned. There’s this process of honing, not only of talent but also of character. If you really want to make it big in the industry, you must be a learner,” he added.
On the same note, Jay R remarked that most of the artists he knows who have enduring careers in the industry are all “humble and accommodating.”
“Your personality will be reflected in your artistry. This is based on my experience, on what I’ve seen from other great artists,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Monty Macalino, frontman and chief songwriter of OPM rock band Mayonnaise, gave a piece of advice to the contenders: “They should enjoy the moment because… to be able to write songs and to be able to perform are God-given opportunities.”
Follow the journey of aspiring Filipino singer-songwriters and hear new OPM songs on Wishcovery Originals! The show, which will air every Sunday on Wish 107.5’s YouTube channel, will premiere on September 29. Meanwhile, full videos of the contenders’ Wish Bus performances will be available on the Wishcovery YouTube channel.
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