Of pure talent and answered prayers: Calista rebrands as a four-member P-Pop girl group
P-pop, the vibrant and energetic genre of Pinoy pop music, is currently experiencing a rise in the Philippines and beyond. With its catchy tunes, synchronized choreography, and dedicated fandoms, P-pop groups are capturing the hearts of music lovers worldwide. Among these rising stars is Calista, a girl group ready to make their mark again on the P-pop scene with their unique sound and performances.
After three years of dedicated effort, Calista, the P-pop group, has finally released their debut EP, “Four (Finding Our Unique Rhythm).” The launch, held Tuesday night, marked not only the arrival of new music but also a new chapter for the group, who recently transitioned from a six-member act to a quartet. Anne leads the group, with Dain as the lead vocalist, Denise as the main dancer, and Elle as the creative lead.
The EP features five tracks, including the infectious title track, “Alas Dose,” which had the audience singing along at the launch. The other songs, “LMK,” “Bongga Ka ‘Day,” “Oops My Bad,” and “‘Wag Na,” showcase the group’s range. “Bongga Ka Day” is a reimagining of the classic Hotdog hit.
For Anne, the journey to this release has been anything but smooth. “It hasn’t been easy,” she admitted, “but we’ve faced everything together. My members are my strength. When I’m down, they lift me up. We’re so excited about this EP and what it means for us.”
The comeback required intense preparation. “We’ve been working constantly,” Anne explained. “We’ve focused on our dancing, singing, and developing new ideas. We explored different themes and sounds to find what works for us. It’s tough, and we knew we’d get tired. Some of us even got sick, but we persevered.”
Calista’s music explores diverse genres. “We want to show different sides of ourselves,” Dain shared. “We don’t want to be stuck in just one style. We want to give our fans a variety. People say ‘LMK’ really suits us, and we want to incorporate more R&B into our music, but we’re not stopping there.”
The group’s fans were out in force at the launch, cheering, holding banners, and singing along. “Fans are so important in this industry,” Anne said. “Their support keeps us going. When they’re there, it makes us want to perform even better. We’re so thankful to have them with us, sharing our dreams.”
Denise added, “We’re really excited about this new chapter. So many people believe in us. Our families are so supportive, telling us that this could be our year, and that keeps us going. Our fans are a huge part of that.”
Calista isn’t focused on competition within the P-pop world. “We’re not trying to compare ourselves to anyone else,” Anne emphasized. “We’re our own competition. We’re happy to see P-pop growing and we want to contribute to that growth.”
They also expressed gratitude to other P-pop groups. “We’re so thankful to BINI and SB19 for paving the way for P-pop,” Anne said. “They’ve introduced the genre to so many people, both fans and those who just listen casually, and they’ve made the audience for P-pop bigger. More and more groups are coming out, and we hope to reach that level too. Instead of comparing, we’re working on ourselves and using their success as inspiration.”
The girls of Calista are big believers in the power of manifestation. They write down their dreams and goals, and they’ve already seen some of them come true. They know that with hard work, talent, and a little bit of magic, anything is possible. By supporting Calista, we can help them manifest the rest of their dreams and reach for the stars.
