It Started With a Riff: The Story Behind Callalily’s “Magbalik”

(SPOT.ph) For fans of Pinoy pop-rock band Callalily, a riff is all it takes to be transported back in time. “Magbalik” is arguably the band’s biggest song, and its guitar intro is perhaps one of the most unmistakable in all of modern OPM. In this OG video exclusive, band members past and present give us a peek into the making of the music.

In OG‘s latest drop called OG Presents: “Magbalik” by Callalily, the boys break down the track and lets us in on how exactly their hit song was made, from a fateful jeepney ride (where drummer Lemuel Belaro first thought of the chorus, based on a letter) and a late-night songwriting session, to romantic entanglements and input from a left-handed guitar player. Former lead guitarist Alden Acosta explains how the song has an “intro before the intro,” and that it has a similar pattern to their debut single “Stars” with a different rhythm and key.

The episode also goes into the story behind the music video (on a small budget, recalls lead vocalist Kean Cipriano) and how newer fans are discovering the band and sharing their own experiences with the song. It premieres today, August 13, at 8 p.m., only on the OG YouTube Channel. Check it out below:

OG or Only Good is Summit Media’s flagship video-first brand. A new episode drops every Friday at 8 p.m. Check out and subscribe to the OG Channel on YouTube.

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