There’s a new sub-culture of rock that 19-year-old John Red Santiago (or simply Red), an emerging Filipino artist, is trying to promote—something Pinoy rock music aficionados could possibly delight in. He calls it ERock–a shortened term for emotional kind of rock, a category of rock music that talks about painful life experiences performed the rock way. Contrary to other rock music such as pop punk, heavy metal, acid, extreme metal, horror punk, and other blasting music genre, Santiago claims his kind of rock music is not all noise and is actually his venue for expressing how he feels about bullying, depression, self-harm, suicide, and other issues and social stigma young people like him go through. And he wants this new vibe to penetrate the OPM mainstream.
ERock is characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. Well, kinda just like Emo.
While it contradicts hardcore punk, Emo actually traces its roots to post-hardcore of the 80s where it was first known as emotional hardcore or “emocore.” Modified and pioneered by alternative, indie, and pop punk bands and other independent labels, it emerged from the burgeoning emo scenes, until it became associated with a certain fashion and culture in both artists and fans—skinny jeans, skin-tight shirts, black eyeliner, studded belts and accessories, and long bangs.
Red discovered his love for music and songwriting when he was in Grade 3, but he acquired professional mentorship and support from his manager NJ Javier and mentor, Dan Martel when he joined Stardom music in 2021. With the mentorship of his manager, Red has successfully merged Western emo with a fusion of Japanese music, to create his own uniquely Filipino ERock sub-genre. He tries to meaningfully establish a deep personal connection with his audience, and tries to create that songs resonate with his fans, especially those going through difficult circumstances.
His single “Pinapalaya na Kita,” for instance, is a slow song speaking about heartbreak, while his more popular “Kalasag,” has almost become a national hymn for young people who are being bullied, stepped on, and told that they will never be good enough, as the song’s uplifting lyrics speak volumes of resilience and grit, and encourages them to keep fighting for their dreams.
But is ERock really new? Some rock music fans do not agree that Red’s music is a novelty, citing bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Paramore and our very own Chicosci of the 90s, whose songs were also associated with social alienation, sensitivity, misanthropy, and a lot of angst. They were not awed at all and advised that Red should have consulted his “titos” and “kuyas” who have been classic rock fans from way back. Some even kidded: “ERock? Is the music a version of the e-bike, e-mail, e-cigarette, and e-sabong?”
Some also poked fun at Erock, saying that the genre has been existing for a long time.
Despite all these, Red continues to be hopeful and is thrilled about the unlimited possibilities that await him in the OPM scene, and he will continue to make his own music, based on the bashing and online bullying he has gained lately. And who knows, he might even write another song about it, as his goal is to uplift and inspire.
I’m no music expert and besides, the rock genre has always been fluid that every now and then, artists like Red surprise us with new styles forging into the arena mainly to express, not to impress. Whether it’s the head-banging riffs of metal, the drone of goth, or the lyrics of Red’s ERock genre, all types of rock music connect with all of us on a personal, primeval level. I believe we can all agree with that.
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