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For many reasons, Forgotten Island is poised to be one of the most talked-about animated movies of the year. One of the main reasons is its heavy use of Filipino culture, folklore, and mythology. Dreamworks Animation’s first Filipino-centric animated movie, the film follows best friends Jo and Raissa, who find themselves on a mysterious island filled with all sorts of Philippine mythological creatures and must escape before it’s too late.
From the story, characters, setting, and even the voice cast, the film is awash in Filipino talent and energy. And that Filipino-coded essence also extends to its soundtrack, with a lineup of local artists and songs that we have yet to see in a major Hollywood movie.
RELATED: Forgotten Island Is Putting Filipino Folklore Front and Center Like Never Before
The Filipino Artists Joining Forgotten Island’s Soundtrack
As first revealed by Variety, the Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado-directed movie’s music and soundtrack will feature a heavy use of Filipino artists, Tagalog songs, and a mix of original tracks and covers that hold great meaning for Filipino and Filipino-Americans, particularly from the 1980s to ‘90s, in keeping with the film’s setting and authenticity. The songs are spearheaded by Angela Leus, senior vice president of Film Music at Universal Pictures, who is also a Filipina-American.
Leading the way is the Nation’s Girl Group BINI, who contributed an original song for the OST titled A Parallel World and which also marks their first original song for a Hollywood movie. Produced by composer Nathan Matthew David and Shawn Wasabi, the song incorporates Jo and Raissa’s friendship through an upbeat pop lens. Fans got their first taste of the track when the girl group gave a surprise song snippet and a look at the choreography of the track during Day One of their Signals World Tour kickoff concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Next, there’s KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza, who sings a remixed version of INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart that’s meant to represent Jo and Raissa’s evolving friendship, making it her first official solo project since joining the girl group. With Lea Salonga voicing the fearsome Manananggal in the movie, it makes sense that the filmmakers also requested her for the soundtrack, where she contributes her vast musical talents to the OST.
The movie’s two lead voice actresses, Liza Soberano and H.E.R., are also on the soundtrack as a duet on the film’s title track BRB. H.E.R, who is no stranger to original songs for movies, as she won an Oscar for her original song Fight for You for the film Judas and the Black Messiah, wrote the track and got Soberano to join her on it. Further, the song, which captures the movie’s joy and nostalgia, will feature Tagalog lines.
Adding to the star power is SB19, who will be covering Francis Magalona’s Mga Kababayan on the soundtrack, while Filipino rappers Ruby Ibarra and Carl Angelo, with the latter previously featured on the soundtrack for the 2025 horror movie HIM, will perform Salbahe Ako. And this is on top of the movie’s score, which will incorporate not only ’80s and ‘90s elements, but also traditional Filipino instruments, music, and chanting when the main characters find themselves on the island of Nakali.
All in all, it looks like the film’s OST and score are giving Filipino talent, music, and artists a big platform to shine in a movie that’s already about celebrating Filipino culture.
Forgotten Island will be released in Philippine cinemas on September 23.
Featured Image and Photos: MEGA ARCHIVES, BINI, SOPHIA LAFORTEZA, H.E.R.
Frequently Asked Questions
BINI’s original contribution to the Forgotten Island soundtrack is titled A Parallel World, produced by Nathan Matthew David and Shawn Wasabi. It marks the group’s first original song for a Hollywood film and centers on the friendship between the movie’s two lead characters, Jo and Raissa.
The Forgotten Island OST includes BINI, Lea Salonga, SB19, Liza Soberano, Sophia Laforteza of KATSEYE, Ruby Ibarra, and Carl Angelo. The soundtrack blends original tracks and covers of Filipino classics, with Tagalog lyrics woven throughout to reflect the film’s cultural setting.
Sophia Laforteza covers a remixed version of INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart for the Forgotten Island OST. The track represents the evolving friendship between protagonists Jo and Raissa and marks Laforteza’s first official solo project since joining KATSEYE.
Liza Soberano and H.E.R. duet on the film’s title track, BRB, written by H.E.R., who previously won an Academy Award for Fight for You from Judas and the Black Messiah. The song features Tagalog lines and captures the film’s themes of joy and nostalgia.
SB19 covers Mga Kababayan by the late Francis Magalona for the Forgotten Island soundtrack. The inclusion reflects the film’s use of culturally significant Filipino music from the 1980s and ’90s, the era in which the story is set.
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