Filipino city pop band ALYSON announce emotionally charged new album 'AFTER OURS'

Filipino city pop collective ALYSON are stepping into a more emotionally expansive chapter with their upcoming sophomore album AFTER OURS, hitting the charts on 22 May.

Serving as the follow-up to their debut record Definitely Love!, AFTER OURS builds on the warmth and exuberance that first defined the band while embracing a more refined musical direction and polished songwriting approach. Where their debut leaned into the bright highs of romantic escapism, the new record explores the emotional aftermath that follows intimacy, temptation, uncertainty, and longing.

Drawing inspiration from Japanese city pop, jazz, Brazilian funk, Motown, Philly soul, ‘70s-inspired OPM, and Manila Sound, the album unfolds as a carefully sequenced listening experience rather than a collection of standalone singles. Lyricist and vocalist Pio Ligot describes the record as a reflection of what remains “after love lingers longer”, while drummer and producer Marcus Mababangloob shares that the album mirrors the band’s own growth and maturity as artists.

Much of the album was written and rehearsed nearly a year before recording, with many tracks captured live or in large ensemble takes to preserve the organic flow of performance. Collaborating closely with orchestral arranger and trumpeter David Jorvina, ALYSON expanded the emotional scale of the record through ornate horn and string arrangements.

The album also features a collaboration with Filipino artist Paprikka on the track ‘Talaga’, envisioned as a classic city pop duet inspired by vintage anime romances. Elsewhere, tracks such as ‘Ikaw Lagi’, ‘Landi’, ‘Bighani’, and ‘Kung Sakaling Tanawin’ showcase the band’s increasingly adventurous and emotionally unguarded songwriting.

Adding another layer to the project’s city pop influences, AFTER OURS was mastered in Tokyo by engineer Eiji Hirano, whose previous work includes collaborations with Japanese act Ryusenkei. Through its lush arrangements, old-school recording approach, and emotionally detailed storytelling, AFTER OURS positions ALYSON as one of the most ambitious young acts shaping the future of contemporary Filipino.