There are five kinds of videoke songs that Pinoys love to sing: "todo biritan," "sayawan," "banda," "senti," and "duet."
And for every category, Pinoys are sure to have a go-to artist or song.
Take note: these types of songs are only based on observation by a frequent videoke sessionista (who misses the booth).
Here are some samples:
Todo Biritan
Let's face it, Pinoys love a good birit song. Most OPM classics are.
Any karaoke singer is welcome to hit those big notes—the songs of pop rock band Aegis immediately come to mind.
No videoke session is complete without anyone belting out "Luha," "Halik," and "Basang-Basa sa Ulan."
Todo Biritan songs are also the melodramatic power ballads or hits that allow singers to emote.
Examples of these ballads are Sharon Cuneta's "Bituing Walang Ningning," Ariel Rivera's "Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin," and Regine Velasquez's "Daldalhin," of course.
The recent catalogue of Sarah Geronimo songs offers a different take on todo birit songs.
Hits like "Ikot-ikot" and "Kilometro" lets one sing it all out while grooving to a beat.
Sayawan
This category is often a throwback to the golden age of the musical genre "Manila Sound" or '70s disco.
This is when the titos take over the mic to sing "Katawan" by Hagibis or "Macho-gwapito" by Rico J. Puno.
And among the classics, VST & Co.'s "Awitin Mo Isasayaw Ko" are always on queue.
Alternatively, if one wants to make the videoke session into his/her own mini dance concert, there are the dance hits of Gary Valenciano.
There are songs like "Di Bale Na Lang," "Wag Mo Na Sanang Isipin," and "Eto Na Naman."
Ogie Alcasid's "Sumayaw Sumunod" is also among the automatic choices.
Banda
For the 1990s and early 2000s karaoke singers, this category is their signature playlist.
In some ways, the banda section has its own set of categories depending on the era.
There is the lineup of '90s OPM bands: Parokya ni Edgar, Rivermaya, True Faith, After Image, and Neocolors.
But, of course, there is the top band of that era: Eraserheads with "Ligaya," "Pare Ko," and "Ang Huling El Bimbo."
Moving to the early 2000s, this era had bands like Sugarfree, Spongecola, Hale, Itchyworms, and Kamikazee at their height.
It also saw the rise of Imago, Mojofly, and Moonstar88 that created karaoke staples "Migrane" and "Torete."
Then enter the 2010s, where artists like Ben&Ben, IV of Spades, UNIQUE, and Juan Karlos dominate the airwaves.
But the leader of this pack is Up Dharma Down or UDD.
They are responsible for the songs "Oo" and "Tadhana."
Senti
The moment senti songs are lined up for karaoke, the mood in the booth gets mellow.
Everyone in the room gets nostalgic, and some songs do trigger memories that induce tears.
Three bands are a go-to artist in this category: Southborder, Side A, and Freestyle.
Here's the perennial playlist:
"Kahit Kailan" and "Rainbow" (Southborder)
Tthe wedding classic "Forevermore" and the tita's sawi song "Tell Me" (Side A).
"So Slow," "Half Crazy," and the ultimate broken-hearted song, "Before I Let You Go" (Freestyle).
Singers Kyla and Nina are also famous in this category.
Kyla has the anong-nangyari-sa-atin ballad "Hanggang Ngayon."
Nina has the kirot-sa-puso love song "Someday" and the hopeful-but-accepting-defeat love song "Jealous."
Duet
What's a videoke session with friends and family without a duet number?
OPM has a ton of love song duets. There is Freestyle's "Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang."
Regine Velasquez has three memorable duet songs: "Hanggang Ngayon" with husband Ogie Alcasid; "Muli" with Gary Valenciano; "Forever" with Martin Nievera.
For younger sessionistas, a throwback to James Reid and Nadine Lustre's early music career is a good place to find modern duet songs.
James and Nadine sing "Hanap-Hanap," "Bahala Na," and "No Erase."
You, what is your go-to OPM videoke jam?
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