Filipino artist MURI to perform at 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival

She is the only Philippine-homegrown artist confirmed at this year’s roster 

Photo credits: Franco Maigue

Filipino rising artist MURI is set to take the stage at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas, from March 10-15, 2025.

The AXEAN Festival alumna joins an impressive roster of international talents, showcasing her unique blend of soul, indie, and jazz-pop music to a global audience.

“I feel incredibly honored to have been chosen and to be representing the Philippines on such an international stage,” MURI shares in an official statement. “I’m excited because SXSW is one of the biggest festivals for artists to showcase in, and it’ll be my first time going. Aside from playing, I’m also pretty excited to be there as an attendee, watch other artists perform, and attend all the cool talks and presentations.”

Kim Ji Soo at the Pasasalamat Event of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines

South Korean actor Kim Ji Soo is making waves in the Philippines, and his recent appearances are turning heads! Known for his roles in GMA 7’s hit shows like Black Rider and Abot-Kamay na Pangarap, as well as the movie Mujigae, Ji Soo has become a beloved figure in the local entertainment scene. 

He recently graced the Pasasalamat event, a vibrant thanksgiving celebration hosted by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines. This gathering was a star-studded affair, bringing together influential figures from government, media, and the entertainment industry, all united in their mission to showcase the Philippines as a premier global tourism destination.

The TBP recorded P11.3 billion in sales leads in 2024, and also had collaborations with various influential personalities — American actor and model Timothy Granaderos, Filipino-American Nico Santos, American actor Josh Dela Cruz, American pop-rock act LANY, and Kim Ji Soo, of course — which resulted in over P1.44 billion in media values, further amplifying the presence of the Philippines worldwide.

Carats, This One’s for You: Get SEVENTEEN’s Artist-Made Collection at SM Mall of Asia!

Carats, get ready to level up your SEVENTEEN collection! This January, the highly anticipated Artist-Made Collection pop-up store has arrived at SM Mall of Asia, the first-of-its-kind concept in the Philippines. Exclusive to MOA! Featuring exclusive items created by none other than sebongs themselves, this is a rare opportunity to own a piece of SEVENTEEN’s creativity and artistry, straight from the hearts of the members.

Crossover J-Pop superstar KENSHI YONEZU debuts “Plazma”, theme song to the new film Mobile Suit Gundam Gquuuuuux - Beginning -

Global J-pop superstar KENSHI YONEZU releases “Plazma,” a new single and the official theme song to the latest installment in the iconic Gundam franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-. The track features electrifying vocals from Yonezu alongside high-tempo synths and electronic rhythms to match the vibrant universe of the mecha and their epic space battles. Today’s track is the latest in a string of prolific theme songs by Yonezu following his contributions to Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, the Final Fantasy XVI video game, and his global hit theme for the Chainsaw Man series. 

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuuX -Beginning- premiered in a total of 426 theaters, including IMAX® theaters in Japan on January 17th, as a re-edited version title comprised of some of the episodes. The TV anime is scheduled to premiere later on in 2025 worldwide. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuuX -Beginning- is already a huge hit, grossing over 598 million yen (3,829,801 USD) at the box office and drawing over 350,000 viewers in just 3 days, hitting the top of the X trends chart for the entire day, with many enthusiastic comments being posted, waiting for the release of Yonezu’s new song “Plazma”. Today, along with the song release, a new promotional reel is out on official Gundam YouTube channel.

Kim Won Shik Is Special Performer at the First-Ever Mr. & Ms. Chinatown Global

Award-winning South Korean singer Kim Won Shik was the special guest performer at the recent Winners Night of the first-ever Mr. and Ms. Chinatown Global. Held in Hilton Manila at Newport World Resorts last January 20, the prestigious pageant now welcomes participants from around the world, truly making it a global event.

In line with this, they invited Kim Won Shik all the way from Korea, to fly to Manila and perform his first single under Universal Records, “To Be With You.” This song was part of the OST of the Philippine adaptation of the hit K-Drama What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, and it even won Best Theme Song at the recently concluded 2024 Asian TV Awards held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Kim Won Shik, who wore a suit by Francis Libiran for the event, is honored to have been invited to perform at the inaugural Mr. & Ms. Chinatown Global. “I’m so happy I got to perform my debut single at such a prestigious event,” he said. “As a South Korean singer who was flown to the Philippines to sing my own song, I am very honored to be part of this!”

Kim Won Shik is currently based in South Korea, but has an active career in the Philippines. He is a Bench endorser, who has walked for Bench Fashion Week, and he is also busy promoting his latest single “Hello My Love,” which is included in the OST of the hit Viu original series How to Spot a Red Flag, starring Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano.

Eraserheads documentary reveals official poster ahead of March 21, 2025 screening

Eraserheads: Combo On The Run also makes history as the first Philippine documentary in Dolby Atmos

DVent Pictures and Warner Bros. Philippines, in cooperation with WEU, have unveiled the official poster of Eraserheads: Combo On The Run, a documentary film about the iconic Pinoy rock band and the monumental staging of their Huling El Bimbo reunion concert in 2022. 

The film’s poster was designed by Brandon Schaefer of Jumpcut NYC, a multimedia artist renowned for his work on some of the most acclaimed films in recent memory. His portfolio includes the poster for Drive My Car, winner of the 94th Academy Award for Best International Feature, as well as artwork for the Sundance and Cannes-winning documentary All That Breathes, and the 40th anniversary release of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.

Producer and filmmaker Maria Diane Ventura shared that Schaefer came up with multiple design concepts with minimal guidance, allowing him the freedom to explore different visual approaches. 

Ang Dambuhalang Pagbabalik: Ruru Madrid returns to primetime with "Lolong: Bayani ng Bayan"

Primetime Action Hero Ruru Madrid is set to reprise his titular role as Lolong in the much- awaited new season of "Lolong: Bayani ng Bayan" - this time teeming with bigger action scenes and even more compelling drama. Ruru's nuanced performance for television prime is something to look forward to coming off his big screen triumph and 2024 MMFF Best Supporting Actor win.

Set to make a comeback with Ruru are the well-loved characters of Shaira Diaz, Rochelle Pangilinan, Paul Salas, Mikoy Morales, Alma Concepcion, Maui Taylor, and Ms. Jean Garcia.

Joining Lolong in his exciting new journey are John Arcilla, Rocco Nacino, Martin del Rosario, Klea Pineda, and Ms. Tetchie Agbayani.