Filipino pop music is experiencing a notable uptick in popularity, drawing in a growing number of fans not just here but also abroad.
Amidst this trend, a sub-genre known as Bangsamoro Pop has emerged, capturing viral attention on social media.
Leading the charge in this genre is the talented young singer, Shaira Abdullah Alimudin, also known as Shaira Moro, who is making waves and netizens proudly dubbed the "Queen of Bangsamoro Pop."
SHAIRA ALIMUDIN: BACKGROUND
Shaira Alimudin is a 22-year-old singer from Sultan Kuradat, known for her upbeat songs and witty lyrics.
Most recently, she gained viral attention with her hit song "Selos," which unfortunately had to be taken down due to copyright issues.
SHAIRA ALIMUDIN: EDUCATION
Presently, Shaira is a student nearing the end of her college journey, as she enters her graduating year, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Social Work.
In her interview with Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) aired on March 24, 2024, Shaira revealed singing at gigs part-time to finance her education.
Shaira also expressed pride in the surge of job opportunities she's received lately, attributed to the viral success of her song "Selos."
She said, "Masarap po sa pagkiramdam, nagiging proud po ako. Napapaaral ko po yung sarili ko dahil po sa pagkanta-kanta ko sa tuwing gabi."
SHAIRA ALIMUDIN: PERSONAL LIFE
Shaira has been happily married for five years. She and her husband, Muiz Abdullah, tied the knot in 2019, the same year they met each other.
In her KMJS interview, Shaira recalled the first time she met her then future husband.
She said, "Nag-transfer po siya sa school namin, naging tropa niya po yung mga tropa ko rin. Nang ma-close ko na siya, ayun po parang, 'Cute pala itong si kuwan.'"
Shaira further mentioned that it was music that brought them closer to each other.
"Pag wala kaming work sa room, lumalabas po kami sa labas ng room din, ayun, nagja-jamming-jamming."
Despite both being 17 years old at the time, their marriage was permissible under their Islam religion.
SHAIRA ALIMUDIN: MUSIC CAREER + "SELOS"
Shaira has been performing for quite some time, but it wasn't until recently that she found fame with her viral song "Selos."
Originally posted on the AHS Productions YouTube channel on December 2, 2023, the music video for "Selos" gained widespread popularity.
It even charted on Spotify following its recent surge in popularity. As of March 20, 2024, the music video had amassed over 9.3 million views on YouTube.
The lyrics for the song were penned by Krishna Ares Glang, also known as AG, of AHS Productions.
AG admitted that the song's composition was inspired by his own experiences with heartbreak, recalling a time in high school when he felt jealous seeing his crush with another person.
However, netizens were quick to point out the striking similarity between the beat of "Selos" and Lenka's "Trouble Is A Friend." Some even informed Lenka about it.
Speaking to KMJS, AG acknowledged that the beats were indeed a remix of the song, confessing his admiration for the singer
"I'm a big fan talaga ni Lenka, kasi yung mga songs niya, masyadong witty, madaling masabayan ng bata at matanda."
AG further explained that both he and Shaira have consistently acknowledged that the song was a remix, as clearly stated in the description of the music video they uploaded on YouTube.
"From the day na pag-upload pa lang namin, pag-release sa social media, nag-disclaimer kami sa pag-upload namin, iniiwasan natin yung mga infringement."
In response to the issue, AG and the agency took proactive measures by removing the music video from its YouTube channel and streaming accounts on March 19, 2024.
The agency initially announced this decision in a Facebook post, stating that they voluntarily removed the song to facilitate legal arrangements for its publication.
The statement read: “We have chosen to take it down from all platforms pending our agreement with the original artist’s management on securing a cover license for “Selos”.
“As most of you may know, the melody that we have used is originally from a song entitled 'Trouble is a Friend' by Lenka and as of the moment, we are already in contact with her team for us to make 'Selos' an official cover."
In their KMJS interview, AG mentioned that Lenka's team had already reached out to them regarding the issue and completely grasped that "Selos" was a fan project. They are now in discussions about making the release of "Selos" official.
AG said, "Nag-e-mail sa amin ang kampo ni idol Lenka sa claim nila ng intellectual property.
"Inaayos namin yung pagkuha ng cover license para daw malagay na sa legal.
"Ang nangyayari is parang settlement na lang dahil naiintindihan nila kami na admire lang talaga kami sa idol namin na si Lenka."
Now that the copyright issue with Lenka has been resolved, Shaira and her management team are hoping that their fans will no longer engage in negativity.
Shaira said, "Sana peace na lang po lahat, fans ni Lenka, and fans po namin is maging okay na, spread love na lang po and maging good vibes po."
In addition to "Selos," the agency has also removed another song by Shaira titled "Forever Single (Walang Jowa)," which fans also noted bears resemblance to the song "Masih Mencintainya" by the Indonesian band Papinka.
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