If you will take a look at the daily song streaming tabulation of Spotify, you will notice the presence of the track Tadhana. The song is now over 12 years old and this original version is performed by the Up Dharma Down (UDD), a rock and electronic band that was founded nearly 20 years ago.
This is one of the great advantages of having songs available on digital platforms. The music stores of old usually got rid of old and non-moving physical stock to make room for new releases. Hence those songs become non-available.
The digital era has changed that. Nowadays, songs, even from the very distant past are simply uploaded and stored up there in the cloud where they wait for users to demand that they come down and be performed again.
Well, it looks like a lot of listeners from two or three generations are in love with Tadhana and are listening to it again and again and again. The song remains in the Top 20 of the Spotify hit list. This means that it is streamed more times than many supposed current hits of the moment. This just goes to show that a great song that listeners can relate to will remain a hit for years and years to come.
Tadhana is a composition by Armi Millare who was the original lead vocalist and keyboard player of Up Dharma Down. It was used in the TV series “Lumina” and then also in the movie “That Thing Called Tadhana” a few years ago. Armi has since left the group and is now on the solo trail.
Take note though that the other members of UDD are still together and creating great music. Paul Yap, on vocals, bass and synths, Ean Mayer on drums and Carlos Tanada on lead guitar recently dropped their highly-anticipated new single Run Deep. This is the exciting new sound of Up Dharma Down. Watch out for the full-length album that is set to follow soon.
BINI makes it big
By the way, welcome a new big streamer to the Spotify tabulation. This is the girl band BINI which occupies the numbers one and two slots. I am happy for this development, most especially for Pantropiko. The song is no hip-hop or K-pop inspired. It is a happy, sunshiny beach tune. I hear the Beach Boys and ‘80s Europop. I like it that BINI dared to be different and made it big.
I am also happy that it looks like Pinoy listeners did not succumb to the Taylor Swift influence this time. There is only one Swiftie song from her new album “The Tortured Poets Department” among the Top 25 streamers. Yehey! Pinoy music lovers are now thinking for themselves and there is not one K-pop tune in the list. Of course, Pinoy hip hopper Hev Abi remains as ubiquitous as ever.
Here is the list: Pantropiko by BINI; Salamin, Salamin by BINI; Babaero by gins&melodies and Hev Abi; Alam Mo Ba Girl by Hev Abi; we can’t be friends (wait for your love) by Ariana Grande; Makasarili, Malambing by Kristine Dawn and Hev Abi; Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter; Saturn by SZA; Fortnight by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone; End of Beginning by Djo; Burgis by Flow G and Hev Abi; Sumugal by Hev Abi, Unotheone and LK.
Take All the Love by Arthur Nery; Lil Kasalanan Shortie by Hev Abi; intro (end of the world) by Ariana Grande; Faded by Illest Morena; Tingin by Cup of Joe and Janine Tenoso; Tadhana by Up Dharma Down; Heaven Knows: This Angel Has Flown by Orange and Lemons; Get Low by O SIDE MAFIA and BRGR; Karera also by BINI; Palagi by TJ Monterde; Mahika by Adie and Janine Berdin; and Pakundangan by DEMI and Hev Abi.