1621 officially unveils extended play ‘Sapulso’
Quezon City was filled with excitement as fans and members of the press gathered on Friday, April 11, as the emerging P-pop collective 1621 officially presented their second extended play, “Sapulso,” at the Holic Dance and Night Club. The six members—Pan, Win, Migz, DJ, JM, and JC—shared this significant moment with their closest circles: family, industry acquaintances, and their devoted followers, affectionately known as “Guardians.”
The setlist for the evening included performances of tracks from their newly released EP, such as “Stuck,” “Maria,” “Bagamundo,” and “Bababa,” alongside the previously unheard “Diwata” and “Secret.” “Sapulso,” which translates to “pulse” in Filipino and is now accessible across all major streaming platforms, delves into the “complexities of love” through its collection of songs. The group’s musical approach in this new offering blends energetic rhythms with sincere lyrical content, showcasing their developing artistic identity.
The Meaning Behind the Music
During a press conference held before the launch event, member DJ articulated the straightforward reasoning behind the EP’s title. “Simple lang po ito kasi lahat ng songs sa EP namin, sapul at namin. So kapag in love ka, kapag may crush ka ganon sapul sa puso, kaya Sapulso,” he explained. This translates to, “It’s simple because all the songs in our EP strike us deeply. So when you’re in love, when you have a crush, it hits the heart, that’s why it’s ‘Sapulso.’”
Finding Their Sonic Footing
Reflecting on the progression from their initial EP, “1621BC,” the group acknowledged a significant growth in self-assurance and the solidification of their distinct musical character. Pan shared with entertainment reporters, “Siguro from the first, at that point parang hinahanap pa namin ‘yung sound namin. So, we tried different styles, different genres. So, maybe ‘yung advantage namin sa second EP namin is nahanap na namin ‘yung sound namin. Parang this is us as 1621. ‘Pag may song kami, parang ‘Ah ito sila.’ Nahanap na namin yung identity namin, parang nahanap namin ‘yung song namin.” In essence, he conveyed that their first EP was a period of exploration, trying various musical avenues. With “Sapulso,” they feel they have discovered their true sound, allowing listeners to immediately identify a song as belonging to 1621.
JM elaborated on this point, stating, “With this second EP, nag-explore po talaga kami ng different genres. We did try ‘yung mga ‘Bagamundo,’ ‘yung mga dark concepts, and then we did bubblegum pop songs. So actually, dito po talaga namin na-receive ‘yung reaction ng mga supporters from social media platforms na ‘bagay sa kanila mga ganitong songs, ito ‘yung song na nagsu-suit talaga sa kanila. So doon po namin na-realize na ‘ah oo nga naman, ‘yun talaga ‘yung song namin kasi pag-pinerform po namin para mas confident, comfortable kami.” He highlighted their experimentation with diverse genres in the new EP, from darker themes in “Bagamundo” to lighter pop tunes. The positive feedback from their supporters on social media helped them pinpoint the kind of songs that truly suit their style, leading to greater confidence and comfort in their performances.
Rapid Success and Gratitude
Within a day of its release, “Sapulso” garnered over 100,000 streams on Spotify, marking a significant achievement for the group.
A Journey of Growth
1621’s journey began after they demonstrated their talent on the survival reality program “Dream Maker.” They officially entered the P-pop scene in 2023 with a self-titled EP featuring the tracks “Laruan” and “Ikaw at Ikaw.” Their progress was further recognized in 2024 when they received the special award for PPOP Potential at the PPOP Music Awards and earned a nomination for Best Performance by a New Group at the 37th Awit Awards. Earlier this year, in January, they released a powerful EDM single titled “Bagamundo,” which they performed as part of the pre-show for the first leg of the “BINIverse World Tour 2025” at the Philippine Arena. With the release of “Sapulso,” 1621 continues to carve its own path in the vibrant landscape of Philippine popular music.
