Gary Valenciano is an icon.
I was about to write a bunch of expletives before the word "icon," but I had to stop myself.
Sa Yah-weh!
Anyway, it's awesome to listen to Gary V. with Gloc-9's distinct beat. A month ago, I was spamming "Eto Na Naman" and "Di Bale Na Lang" on my YouTube feed and I got tired of it. Don't get me wrong, I didn't get tired of the songs, but I was looking for a change of pace and decided to check out if the service has good covers of his songs. While there are a couple of notables, there is a reason why Gary Valenciano has still performed like this for the past forty years.
I mean... the heck... the Bagets song is now 41 years old, according to Wikipedia.
And I will go nuts if I see Aga Muhlach in person.
I AM A '80S AND '90S VIVA/REGAL FAN!!!
And visiting the other side of the spectrum, listening to Gloc-9 singing with fewer social issues is nice. Again, don't get me wrong. I am a fan of his work and at this point in his career, you can batch him with not just Francis Magalona and Andrew E, but with the other industry icons. I enjoyed his collaborations with Parokya ni Edgar. Heck, I love his Mang Tomas commercials. I just like the balance between social issues and the typical songwriting cliches.
This has "Sing" vibes for me. The song with Rico Blanco and Chito Miranda.
With that said, it's not about the tone, but rather how the two icons bring their musicalities in the middle. It's hard to see Gary V sing a song like this without I guess, a catchy hook and romantic angle. And Gloc-9 flexing his rapping chops while unleashing a well, somewhat balladeer-like "birit," usually seen in AOS/ASAP performances.
Gloc-9 swaying to the beat is awesome.
Anyway...