Forgotten Island Built a Soundtrack Out of Filipino Pop and Folklore
DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island” centers its soundtrack on Filipino artists and Filipino sound. The film follows H.E.R. and Liza Soberano as the voices of Jo and Raissa, two best friends whose one last adventure together sends them through a magical portal and into a night filled with shapeshifters, demons, and witches. The soundtrack releases September 18. The film opens September 25.
The Lineup
H.E.R. and Soberano lead the film’s title track, “BRB,” which includes Tagalog lyrics. H.E.R. wrote the song. She previously won an Academy Award for “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
BINI contributes an original song produced by Nathan Matthew David and Shawn Wasabi. Outlets differ on the title. Inquirer and GMA News call it “A Parallel World.” Rolling Stone Philippines lists it as “Parallel Worlds.”
Katseye’s Sophia Laforteza performs a reimagined version of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart.” According to the film’s creative team, the track represents the childhood friendship between Jo and Raissa. It also marks Laforteza’s first official solo project since joining Katseye.
SB19 covers the late Francis M’s “Mga Kababayan.” Ruby Ibarra and Carl Angelo collaborate on “Salbahe Ako.” Rolling Stone Philippines lists the Francis Magalona cover as “Mga Kababayan Ko,” a small title discrepancy from other outlets.
Licensed songs round out the soundtrack: DMX’s “Party Up” and Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
The Sound Behind the Story
Composer Nathan Matthew David built the score around 1980s and ’90s analog synths to match the story’s nostalgic feel. He also pulled in traditional Filipino instruments, including chanters, the Las Piñas bamboo pipe organ, and a Filipino choir singing in Tagalog. For Lea Salonga’s Manananggal theme, he used the gandingan.
Co-director Joel Crawford said the goal was giving Filipino culture and Filipino stories a center stage.
Why the Lineup Matters
Lea Salonga has performed on Broadway for decades. BINI and SB19 are two of the Philippines’ leading P-pop groups. Ruby Ibarra raps in Tagalog and English. Sophia Laforteza is releasing her first solo track since joining Katseye. All four are on the same soundtrack, next to two licensed songs from DMX and Baha Men. Major studio soundtracks rarely stack up Filipino artists at this scale.
