In the 2008 film Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which was based on a novel of the same name by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, a character named Thom (played by Aaron Yoo) suggests a theory about why The Beatles are so successful. Other bands, he says, make songs about sex or pain. But not the Fab Four.
“They had it all figured out," says Thom. "'I Want to Hold Your Hand', the first single. That’s what everybody wants. They don’t want a 24-hour hump sesh. They don’t want to be married to you for a hundred years. They just want to hold your hand.”
Perhaps that's what was on Unique Salonga’s mind when he came out with “Midnight Sky” last July. It was the singer-songwriter’s first single after having divorced from his band, IV of Spades, of which he was the lead singer. "Midnight Sky" is simple and sappy—steeped in that saccharine sentiment of yearning for love and verbalizing it into the cosmos. In the chorus, he even takes a page out of the Lennon-McCartney songbook: “And I will hold your ha-a-a-and / Hold my ha-a-a-and…”
The song has almost 3.2 million views on YouTube and 4.2 million streams on Spotify as of early September. Those numbers are nothing to sneeze at in the landscape of local indie music, which never lacks in talent but doesn’t always generate bona fide superstars who cross over to the mainstream. With a loyal fanbase and his critically acclaimed solo debut album Grandma, Salonga—or simply UNIQUE, as he styles himself—is showing signs of that superstardom at just all of 18 years old.
“Isang beses pinakinig sa 'kin ng tatay ko 'yung Beatles. Paulit-ulit ko na siyang pinapakinggan. Tapos tumatawa ako mag-isa sa kwarto kasi tuwang-tuwa ako. Tapos ayun na.”
Boy Wonder
When Grandma was released on streaming platforms in early August, the response was overwhelming. It was met with near-universal acclaim. Former Rivermaya vocalist Rico Blanco—who knows a thing or two about saying goodbye to a band—called it “brilliant.” Quest called Unique a “once-in-a-generation” artist. BP Valenzuela said the album was “really good,” and Reese Lansangan said one of the songs in the album, “Ozone,” gave her goosebumps.
The album itself is a technical and creative achievement—one that seems even more remarkable when you consider that the mind and heart from which it sprung was brought into this world in the year of our Lord 2000. But Unique will tell you himself he’s had enough of people's shock and disbelief.
“Ang weird lang, kasi parang ageist masyado,” says Unique. “Porke bata hindi na pwede maging magaling? So ‘pag matanda dapat magaling ka na?"
His manager, 31-year-old Kean Cipriano, says he knew there was something special about Unique immediately. Cipriano owns the indie label O/C Records, which produced and released Grandma. He also happens to be the vocalist and frontman of Callalily and a 13-year veteran of the local music business. He says he knows talent when he sees it.
“May kagat yung bata. Umpisa pa lang," says Cipriano. "He knows what he’s doing. That’s very rare. And at the age of 18, he knows what he wants to do and what he wants to hear.”
