EXCLUSIVE: Baby Dolls eyes exploring other music genres beyond novelty
It’s Showtime group Baby Dolls is grateful for the warm reception to their hit songs, including “Oohh Lala Baby” and “Ikembot Mo,” as they continue to make their mark in the local music scene.
In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, the Baby Dolls shared how the growing appreciation for Original Pilipino Music (OPM) has helped their songs reach more listeners, while giving them an opportunity to celebrate Filipino music and culture.
“I think hindi lang siya dahil na-enjoy nila, but sadyang nakakatuwa din kasi siyempre, OPM, umaangat din ngayon. (Mas) makilala talaga kung ano yung kantang Pilipino,” member Arianne said.
Baby Doll Juby shared the same sentiment, saying that one of their goals is to contribute to the growing OPM scene and help bring Filipino music to a wider audience.
“‘Yan yung feel ko din na main goal namin. Yung mga songs po na nare-release namin so far, na kinakagat po ng tao, I feel like part na din siya ng history sa OPM. Tsaka parang dumadaloy na talaga siya sa dugo ng isang Pilipino. Kahit marinig mo siya kung saan-saan, mapapasayaw ka talaga.”
For member Eriel, the popularity of their songs also reflects how novelty music continues to be part of Filipino culture.
“Novelty is really a big part of our culture and it speaks a lot about kung ano ba yung mga Pilipino. So, novelty, mostly parang for fun. Away muna yung mga negative vibes, more on positive vibes tayo. And ganun ang mga Pilipino na very on to positive looking,” she said.
While the group remains committed to the novelty genre, Baby Dolls also hopes to explore other musical styles that would allow them to showcase their versatility as performers.
When asked what genre they would like to try next, the members agreed that R&B is something they would love to explore.
“Parang feeling ko, ma-showcase yung vocals namin sa R&B lahat. Parang vibe lang siya, tas alam mo yung chill lang pero the vocals is giving,” Johaira said.
“Pero feeling ko malayo-layo pa yun. Gusto pa rin talaga namin mag-stick kung saan kami nagsimula sa novelty. At siyempre, gusto namin ibalik kung ano yung novelty dati na na-miss na mga Pinoy,” she added
Jelai also shared that R&B is a genre that all the members enjoy listening to, making it an exciting possibility for their future releases.
Aside from exploring different genres, Baby Dolls also expressed their desire to collaborate with fellow OPM artists, including SB19 and Maki.
For Chole, a collaboration with SB19 would be an exciting opportunity to combine their talents in singing and dancing.
Johaira also imagined how their different musical styles could come together in a collaboration: “Parang iniisip namin na ang cool. SB19 tapos kami, ganon, super mix talaga.”
Meanwhile, Eriel expressed her interest in working with Maki, whom the group has often encountered: “Sa Filipino male singer, soloist, feel ko Maki kasi kapag nangkikita po kami ni Kuya Maki, at very jam jam kami.”
As they continue to grow as performers, Baby Dolls hopes to bring their music to Filipino audiences overseas and eventually perform on some of the world’s biggest stages.
“We’re hoping na ma-reach namin yung mga Kapamilya at Kapuso natin sa ibang bansa,” Chole said.
Arianne added, “Dati delulu lang kami, dati as backup kami, ngayon sumasayaw na kami as an artist! Sana makalapag pa kami sa bigger stages like Philippine Arena, Coachella, Lollapalooza, everything.”
Ina also expressed. “Parang sana din maranasan namin yung mag-speech kami kasi may awards kami. And maging part kami ng mga teleserye and movie”
Jelai, meanwhile, shared another dream of the group: “Tapos yung iba pa namin fantasy, endorsement!”
Juby also added, “Tsaka isa din sa pangarap namin ay nasa billboard kami sa EDSA, sa BGC, sa QC, sa Pasay, sa buong Metro Manila!”
For now, Baby Dolls is preparing to take another major step in their journey as they stage their first solo concert on November 8 at the SM North EDSA Sky Dome in Quezon City.
Teasing what fans can expect from the show, the group promised new music and different performances that will give audiences a glimpse of what they have been preparing.
“I think marami po kaming ilalabas ng mga bagong kanta. Iba-iba din po yung atake. Sana mapanood niyo po yan sa aming concert,” they said.