P-pop, or Pinoy pop, may not have achieved quite the same global status as its Pacific cousins K-pop or J-pop, at least not yet, but if the adoring crowds packed into Expo 2020 Dubai’s DEC Arena for Filipino boy band SB19’s show on Wednesday night are any indication, it may be not too far behind.
For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, the Filipino music scene was largely dominated at one end of the spectrum by gnarly, in-your-face rock outfits, as any frequent visitor to Bur Dubai’s sadly missed Music Room venue could confirm, and at the other by schmaltzy love songs performed by the latest “love team” sensation from the movies.
Over the past decade or so, however, as K-pop and J-pop have become increasingly popular across the Philippines and rapid economic growth has allowed for better production and glossier stars, Pinoy pop has undergone something of a metamorphosis, shaking off many of the western influences that had underpinned its musical output for so long in place of something distinctly Asian, but also unmistakably Filipino.
Here are some of the key players in what may come to be looked back upon as something of a golden era for Pinoy pop.
SB19
SB19 are perhaps the most obviously K-pop-influenced of the current crop of Pinoy stars. The band were created by the newly formed Philippines branch of Korean entertainment agency ShowBT after an extensive talent search in 2016 – their name comes from the SB of their agency, and subtracting the Philippine’s international dialling code, +63, from Korea’s +82.
In finest K-pop fashion, once selected Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken, and Justin were then put through almost three years of rigorous training in how to be the perfect pop stars by their mentor agency and were connected with Korean writers and producers before being unleashed on the world with their debut single Tilaluha at the end of 2018.
It was with the 2019 follow-up, Go Up, that things really took off though. A K-pop fan account using the handle @BAE_Sodu tweeted a video of the group practising the dance to the single in September, 2019 and the clip picked up almost 4.5m views.
The official music video has also amassed more that 11 million views on YouTube. The band have since achieved both Billboard Chart and award success, last year picking up an MTV Europe Music Awards nomination, and in January this year surpassing the six-week record of BTS’s Butter in the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart, when new single Bazinga notched up its seventh week.
Zack Tabudlo
Bazinga may have set the Billboard charts on fire, but SB19 can only dream of their fellow Filipino Zack Tabudlo’s numbers on Spotify.
When the streaming platform released its annual Wrapped report for 2021, Tabudlo’s single Binibini was revealed to be the most-streamed song of the year in the Philippines. It has amassed almost 84 million streams, dwarfing the 6.4 million achieved by SB19’s Billboard-topping effort.
The track’s video, with more than 35 million views on YouTube, makes SB19 look like indie underdogs, too, and his canny recent technique of releasing collaborations with stars such as Thailand's Billkin, and Filipino heavyweights James Reid and Moira Dela Torre, suggests his fan base is only going to grow.
Ben&Ben
This list is, probably unsurprisingly, fairly pop-heavy, but it’s not only polished boy bands and perfect pop princesses who are riding the current wave of Filipino musical success. Nine-piece folk rockers Ben&Ben (who also dropped by Expo 2020 Dubai earlier in March) topped that same 2021 Spotify wrap as the most-streamed artist in the Philippines for the second year in a row.
Their single Kathang Isip alone has achieved 181 million streams, while their total streams as a band have already soared past the one billion mark, making them the most-streamed Filipino act of all time on the platform.
Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Geronimo, 33, seems like something of a wisened veteran next to some of the young upstarts on our list, but there’s no denying that the star of screen, stage and catwalk is one of the Philippines’ biggest exports ever. She even shared a stage with Pope Francis on his historic 2019 visit to Abu Dhabi.
She certainly has the respect of her P-pop peers. At a 2019 press conference in Quezon City, the SB19 boys almost unanimously identified her not only as the artist they’d most like to collaborate with, but also as their biggest showbiz crush.
MNL48
If you thought the S Club 7/S Club Juniors transformation was a cynical exercise in popsploitation, you might need to sit down. MNL48 (the MNL stands for Manila) are the fourth instalment of a pan-Asian pop steamroller that also includes Japanese originals AKB48 (Akihabara, Tokyo), JKT48 (Jakarta) and BNK48 (Bangkok) before them, and has since expanded to include Delhi, Taipei, Shanghai and further domestic sister groups in Japan, Thailand and China – so far.
There are 48 members, who must be aged between 15 and 20, and they’re selected through a TV elimination process that has older members eliminated and new blood taking their place on an annual basis.
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
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Price: Dh554,000
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The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Dunki
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Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million