Kilig.
This is the feeling that, to dwta, best encapsulates what it’s like being part of the OPM scene today.
Citing Filipino artists being able to sell out shows at the Philippine Arena as a penultimate example, the “Padaba Taka” hitmaker grins and giggles. “Sayang hindi niyo nakikita ’yong itsura ko ngayon, kinikilig ako,” she says during our interview. “Who would’ve thought na isang Bicolana ’yong mapapasama sa roster ng artists ngayon na sobrang gagaling.”
The kilig and the gratitude stems from the fact that her songs, written and sung mostly in Bicolano, are listened to, enjoyed, and played over and over not just by Bicolanos or those who speak and understand the language but also all over the world.
Dwta, whose real name is Jhasmine Villanueva, is among the new breed of noteworthy artists in the OPM scene today, best known for her enchanting tunes charged with both story and emotion. Her rising status is a reflection of the OPM scene’s evolution in the past years: with experiences, and expressions from all regions finding their voices heard.
Her most widely streamed song at present is “Padaba Taka,” (Bicolano for “I love you”) a sweet, upbeat track that takes listeners not just through the sights and flavors of Bicol but also through the fuzzy feelings we all love about love.
But kilig and romance aren’t the only feelings dwta enchants her listeners with. In her songs, the Bicolana singer-songwriter plays with concepts of folk practices and folklore alongside topics of unrequited love, tying the mystical to the relatable. More recent singles touch on a wider breadth of emotions—grief over love lost, explosive anger over betrayal. Dwta’s magic has even cast nursery rhymes into a spell of unexpected complexity, transmuting the original’s child-like simplicity into heartbreaking tunes.
Contrary to her songs well worthy of a spot in our relapse hour playlists, dwta is far from being a melancholy figure. Throughout our conversation and shoot, she laughs heartily and jokes around, bringing a candidness that makes it easy to connect with the young woman behind the music.
As she cements her spot in the OPM scene—earning nominations and performing in some of the scene’s most anticipated events and festivals—dwta continues to explore her craft. Her latest single, “Nasusunog (Pants on Fire)” was born out of a songwriting camp, hosted by Sony Music and Mono Stereo Groove.
Collaborating with other artists in the camp, the spark for “Nasusunog” came when she had told them her desire for something different. “I told them I wanted to do something fierce, something bold. Nag-agree naman sila na sige, let’s do something different. Ibang dwta,” she says. “Kasi diba ’yong mga songs ko dati, folk pop, very upbeat songs, light. About siya sa love, sa heartbreak. Ito, tungkol naman siya sa anger… It’s a different side of me.”
Likewise, she also explores a varied linguistic landscape: “Part din siya (ng pagiging different). English, Tagalog, and Bikol na siya,” she says. (“Yes, multilingual queen! Dwta worldwide!” she jokes.)
But even while she explores new sounds and sides of herself, dwta continues to hold on to her roots. The overwhelming feelings of hearing people sing back to her in Bicolano, remain a core memory, she shares.
There’s a tinge of worry whenever she has to perform outside her “homecourt,” she says. But in performing as a headliner in a province so far away from her hometown, hearing the crowd singing along to her songs—in Bicolano!—she couldn’t help but burst into tears.
“Umiyak ako kasi akala ko walang pupunta, na baka crickets lang, ‘kroo kroo kroo’ mga tao. Pero grabe, sobrang init ng pagtanggap nila sa’kin,” she recalls. “First time kong umiyak sa mismong stage habang kumakanta pa.”
And while the thought of now being in the era of Filipino artists filling large venues (once thought to be a feat rarely accomplished) makes dwta kilig, it also fills her with gratitude.
“Kahit hindi nila naiintindihan, pero nararamdaman nila ’yong songs. [I feel] grateful and honored,” she says.
With the reinvigoration of the OPM scene—not just with its slew of artists from all genres, but even to the renewed energy of its listener base, to the multilingual, multiethnic evolution of the scene—it wouldn’t be surprising to hear more of our local languages on the global stage.
And when asked about her dream gig, dwta, often called an enchantress through her music, makes a manifestation: “Coachella! ’Yon na, pabonggahan na. Let’s go, manifest!”
