Filipino singer-songwriter dwta turns a new leaf with defiant pop anthem ‘Tabi!’

Bicol-born singer-songwriter dwta makes a fearless statement with “Tabi!,” a genre-blurring track released on the same day as her birthday. While the song marks a vital shift in sonic direction and imagery, the song remains grounded in the artist’s unmistakable voice, showing artistic renewal and transformation.

Long recognized for her softer, introspective sound and earnest songwriting, dwta melds alt-pop sensibilities with folk textures, country-inspired banjo strums, driving percussions, and grunge-inflected electric guitars. The result is surprisingly a cohesive piece of work—one whose fearless new energy and quirks bring out the best in her.

“As I spend more time in the scene, I get exposed to so many creatives and different sounds,” the acclaimed Filipino artist explains. “Naturally, I pick up influences along the way and my sound just evolves with it. Tabi! is a reflection of that growth. You’ve already heard my softer side, so this time I wanted to show something bolder and more confident. It’s still me, just with a different energy.”

Now with a sharper edge and a more confident voice, dwta explores new dimensions of expression on her latest release, drawing from her experiences growing up in the countryside and embracing the formative years that eventually shaped her into the artist that she is now. In reconnecting with her roots, dwta reclaims a piece of her that had, at times, felt distant in her recent work.

In “Tabi!,” her past and present converge to reveal a new version of her, becoming both a homecoming and reckoning all at once. dwta admits, “Tabi! feels like coming back to myself remembering who I am, where I came from, and things I experienced growing up in the province. It’s like I’m finally making space for a stronger version of me.”

Thematically, “Tabi!” reframes departure not as a form of loss, but as an act of courage and self-preservation.

“I want people to feel like it’s okay to walk away from anything that disrupts their peace,” the Sony Music Entertainment artist shares. “Whether it’s a toxic relationship, a bad habit, or even a friendship, it’s okay to let go. It doesn’t make you weak; it actually makes you stronger. The vibe I imagine is like those action movie endings where you walk away while everything explodes behind you. That sense of freedom and power is what I want people to feel.”