Brian Pepito's song 'Bisayang Gwapito', released in January, has received two million streams on Spotify. Victor Besa / The National
Brian Pepito's song 'Bisayang Gwapito', released in January, has received two million streams on Spotify. Victor Besa / The National
Brian Pepito's song 'Bisayang Gwapito', released in January, has received two million streams on Spotify. Victor Besa / The National
Brian Pepito's song 'Bisayang Gwapito', released in January, has received two million streams on Spotify. Victor Besa / The National

How this Filipino sales manager in Abu Dhabi got two million streams on Spotify


Alexandra Chaves
  • English
  • Arabic

When Abu Dhabi resident Brian Pepito released his song Bisayang Gwapito in January, the singer didn't expect for it to be a hit. But less than a month later, the track found its way on to a Spotify playlist in the Philippines, introducing it to the wider public.

Now, the song has been streamed more than two million times on the platform. It has become one of Spotify's most streamed songs of the summer in the UAE, and is part of the Top Hits Philippines playlist, which has more than 3.7m followers.

Bisayang Gwapito is a love song – most of Pepito's songs are – about a man trying to keep his lover's affection and interest, not with material wealth, but pure charm. It is a standard electropop tune, replete with synth backing vocals and a typical EDM drop, mixed in with Cebuano rap verses.

The 25-year-old Filipino from Cebu says he inherited his love for music from his parents, who would often sing at home, and wrote his first song, Love at First Sight, when he was 17. Growing up, he also taught himself the guitar, piano and the ukulele by watching videos online.

Pepito, who works as a sales manager at a school, moved to the UAE from the Philippines in 2016. Back when he was job-hunting, he joined a band as a vocalist and started performing at different venues in Dubai, including at The Fridge in Alserkal Avenue.

After he accepted his first job months later, however, it became harder for him to join rehearsals and gigs, so he decided to return to writing his own music, from lyrics to composition, in his makeshift recording studio at home.

Last year, he started sharing his songs on social media and online platforms such as Spotify. “My dream was just for people to hear my music,” he says.

One of the first songs he released was Love at First Sight, a track reminiscent of music by Filipino pop rock bands in the early 2000s. In April 2019, he put out his first album, Mapasaya Ka Lang, with seven tracks that leant towards alternative rock and acoustic pop.

He began working on Bisayang Gwapito in late 2019, collaborating with a producer in the Philippines. The song took about three months to complete, with Pepito and the producer sending various versions back and forth until they decided on the final track.

In terms of genre, it is a departure from his older styles, which he says is part of his approach to making music. Instead of cementing himself to one genre, he jumps around depending on what song or style happens to inspire him in the moment. When asked how he would describe himself, he says: “A versatile musician. I can go between different genres any time, depending on the mood … music itself inspires me.”

When he writes his emotion-laden lyrics, he gleans ideas from those around him. “I get inspired through my experiences and people’s stories. I don’t just write about my own perspective, because then it would be repetitive. I try to think outside the box and ask friends to share their stories,” he says.

Over the years, Pepito’s mother and six siblings have also moved to the UAE. Sometimes, they all play music together at home. “I come from a music-minded family, so we have a small studio set up with drums, piano and guitar. Though I’m the only one among my siblings who sings,” he says.

After Bisayang Gwapito's success on Spotify, he says his daily streams jumped from 3,000 to 4,000 per day to 12,000 to 15,000 per day, and his monthly listener count is now up to more than 143,000 people. His other song, titled Di Magdahom, racked up more than one million streams, thanks to his newfound recognition.

Pepito has also grabbed the attention of music distributors in the Philippines, with three labels approaching him for a deal. He has signed on with The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music, which will help him market his songs globally.

Though his music career might be picking up, Pepito says it is too early to tell where it will go. Currently, he covers his own production costs with some financial help from his family. “I want to focus on my music, but I don’t know if my music can support me yet,” he says.

Pepito's trajectory reveals how the music industry has transformed in the age of streaming services. He is now able to earn some income from his streams on Spotify, Apple Music and Anghami, as well as platforms such as YouTube, Google Play, Deezer and TikTok, among others.

With a full-time job to handle, he is learning to balance his musical aspirations alongside work. "That's my problem right now because I work eight hours a day, so when I try to record, I don't have a voice any more. I'm doing my best to make time for my music on weekends," he says.

Pepito has more music in the works. His new single, Magikero, a Tagalog song with a moodier electropop sound, will be released on Thursday, September 17.

His new dream is now bigger than it used to be. "It's too far ahead – but my new goal is to be one of the top artists in the Philippines," he says. "I can see my music offering something different."

The%20Kitchen
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
While you're here
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m. Winner: Majd Al Megirat, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Shehhi (trainer)

5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: Dassan Da, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi

6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Heba Al Wathba, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi

Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Harbour Spirit, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E77kWh%202%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E178bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C150%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 2

Rashford 28', Martial 72'

Watford 1

Doucoure 90'

De De Pyaar De

Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

The biog

From: Ras Al Khaimah

Age: 50

Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years

Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'

Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'

If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Frida%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega

Director: Tim Burton

Rating: 3/5

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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.

How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.