ENTERTAINMENT
| August 19, 2018
 |
| (Image Source; MNL48/Hallo Hallo Entertainment) |
MNL48,
the first all-Filipina pop idol group formed via the Philippines' number one
daytime show It's Showtime, officially introduced its debut single. And to my
surprise and many local pop culture buffs, it happens to be the Filipino
translation of the hit Japanese song "Aitakatta - Gustong Makita"
which was originally sung by no less than the globally phenomenal AKB48.
Regardless of what many of you think about this, it is without question that
this marks the group's first foray into the local music scene.
It
has been almost a year since MNL48 was formally launched. From thousands of
aspirants from different parts of the country, ABS-CBN and Hallo Hallo
Entertainment were able to choose the top one hundred girls who were embarked
on their own journey towards stardom. Throughout the first quarter of 2018,
Filipino viewers were able to follow the journey of these girls on their small
screens via MNL48 On It's Showtime and see some of them come and go. After a four-month
search, the official members of MNL48 were formally introduced and it didn't
take too long for the group to launch their own debut single.
Anyway,
in a media presentation regarding MNL48's debut single launch which took place
a week ago at Moviestars Cafe in Quezon City, members of the local entertainment
press were the first to catch a glimpse of the singles official music video.
The said video features members of MNL48's top 16 which is known as 'zenbatsu'
dancing and strutting in some of the popular tourist spots across Metro Manila
such as Manila Bay, Luneta Park and Intramuros. It is also announced during the
media event that MNL48 is set to release its very first album under Star Music
by 2019 which will include its carrier single "Aitakatta - Gustong Makita"
and Filipino translations of two other hit AKB48 songs "Talutot ng Sakura"
and "Umiindak Na Saya" plus instrumental versions of the three.
As
I have mentioned in the beginning of this article, the debut single and its
upcoming album is just the beginning for MNL48 as it will eventually be
launching their own original songs which could happen in the near future. As
OPM (Original Philippine Music) continues to prosper anew, I am hopeful that
the first all-Filipina pop idol group would make its own impactful contribution
to the local music scene and even delight music lovers of all ages. For now, if
you want to know what MNL48 is up to lately as well as interact with some of
your favorite oshi, then catch them
on #MNLife every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and #MNLaugh every Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday starting at 6:00 pm live and exclusive only on MNL48's official
Facebook and YouTube channels. Visit www.mnl48.com or follow @MNL48Official on Facebook and Twitter for more updates on the
group and its forthcoming gigs.
