Fridae

Carmelle won the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok on Saturday with “Sobra-Sobra”, a song the Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN introduced as an anthem about women’s empowerment. The Philippine entry, written by Nica del Rosario and Mat Olavides, topped both the jury and public vote, finishing with 211 points, according to the results reported by Eurovoix.

Co-writer Olavides singled out the kulintang and kubing when he spoke to ABS-CBN about the song’s Filipino sounds. Carmelle raps on the track, too. The singer had already taken the song through the Philippine selection in August. In Bangkok, Thailand’s MANG x DAOU finished second with “Aroma” and Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên came third with “EM TIÊN”.

In January, Del Rosario described herself as a queer woman and recalled writing “Tala”, later a hit for Sarah Geronimo, a month after she started dating the woman who became her wife. She said her favourite line she’d written was in the bridge and was glad the song had found the audience she’d meant it for.