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Two of OPM's most celebrated artists, Filipino rap icon Loonie and R&B star Arthur Nery, join forces for a new single titled Palaisipan. It's a collaboration that blends raw lyricism with soulful melodies to capture the complexities of modern-day “situationships.”

In an interview, Loonie shared that his and Arthur's team-up was first sparked when they performed a heartfelt rendition of “Lando” as part of a tribute to Gloc-9 at a music awards in 2024. Backstage, they discovered a mutual admiration for each other's artistry, which quickly led to talks of creating a track together.

“We found out that we were big fans of each other and that's when we started talking about making a song together. Aside from Arthur's incredible vocal range, I also think the range of styles that he can do is limitless and that's what made me want to work with him,” he recalled.

Loonie then pitched the song “Palaisipan” because, the rap artist said, “I wanted to make a song about 'situationships' which I noticed are very common nowadays. I wanted it to encapsulate the feeling of vagueness and the confusion that comes with short-lived hookups and the mind games before, during or even after the relationship.”

The synergy between Loonie's storytelling and Arthur's soulful delivery came naturally in the studio.

The former said, “Arthur had this line about 'naligaw lang sa dinami-dami ng pasikot-sikot sa 'yong katawan,' and I followed it up with 'nabulag sa'yong mga kurbada' It just clicked, we found a middle ground and had fun with it.”

Produced by Yung Bawal, the track embraces a nostalgic early-2000s sound, offering a refreshing contrast to today's trap-influenced beats. Both artists wanted something upbeat yet timeless, making “Palaisipan” stand out in the current OPM and hip-hop landscape.

Loonie said, “This collaboration shows how transcendental and malleable rap music can be. I can literally go from collaborating with heavy metal rockers to reggae artists, and now with R&B singers, without compromising or losing my identity in the process. At the same time, I am able to open new areas for me to explore in terms of rhythm and melody. I guess the message here I wanna put out is: Collaboration is innovation.”

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A post shared by Marlon Loonie Peroramas (@loonieverse)

The song proudly uses Tagalog in both verses and chorus, highlighting the richness of the Filipino language in music.

Loonie stressed, “I think it's about time for us to push Tagalog lyrics internationally because if Korea can do that with K-Pop and if Jamaican reggae artists can make their broken English sound cool then, I don't see any reason why can't we do the same.”

A music video for Palaisipan will be released ahead of the track's digital debut, with promotions centered on authenticity. “No gimmicks, no clickbait--just pure love and music,” Loonie says.

And the surprises don't stop there--Loonie and Arthur have confirmed that they recorded not just one, but two songs together.

“We have no expectations for how it will perform,” Loonie concludes. “We just want to share the music with our fans and perform it live soon.”