Cool kids party. The cooler ones make the music
When you realize that your new favorite song was produced on your college blockmate’s laptop, with a mixing session facilitated through Discord, it comes as no surprise.
The growing accessibility of music-making—and the creative license it affords—means many young artists get to build an oeuvre from their bedrooms, earning listeners through platforms like TikTok. By the time they catch a record label’s attention, they already have a solid idea of who they are as artists and, more often than not, a loyal audience.
The launch party for Cheap Thrills, a collaboration between rapper Young Cocoa and R&B artist Demi, was filled with fans and like-minded creative friends. We congregated in an uber-cool, hidden Poblacion spot (if you know you know, literally). It would feel intimidating had the artists not gone around the room to shake everyone’s hand.
Before his performance with Demi, Young Cocoa told me they produced the entire song remotely. I assumed he was overseas; the Iloilo-born artist is a self-proclaimed third culture kid, having spent the first 16 years of his life in Indonesia. He returned to the Philippines for college, studying industrial design at the University of the Philippines Diliman. In 2021, his single Manila went viral after getting nods from K-pop idols, including RM from BTS.
But no, he clarified he wasn’t abroad. He was just shy. “Demi and I have met a couple of times, but I didn’t want to look like the guy who’s DMing her like, ‘Yo, can you please hop on my song?’”
Young Cocoa continued, “(Demi) asked me (during the music video shoot), ‘Why didn’t you just DM me?’ I was like, ‘I was shy, I’m not gonna lie.’”
Demi, whose singles Pakundangan with Hev Abi and homebdy with Madman Stan were practically inescapable a few years ago, had her own reservations. She said her first response to the rapper’s invite was, “Hindi ‘ko sure bakit ako.” They have different styles. She also writes in Filipino; he, in English.
Young Cocoa added that Cheap Thrills “was headed to the graveyard for demos” because they couldn’t figure out what it was missing. His team and J. Greg, the song’s producer, suggested they find a female voice. “There are so many people I’ve wanted to work with, and Demi’s always been (one),” he said.
Rapper Young Cocoa and R&B artist Demi find pleasure in cheap thrills in their new collaboration.
In writing, he explained, “I took a lot of reference from early days of college with my girl: not having a lot of money but still trying to show her that we can have a good time. You don’t need to look at my wallet; I’m gonna make sure we have fun.”
When the demo reached Demi, she saw it as a party track—a different kind of cheap thrill. “Taft girl kasi ako,” she said. She currently studies industrial engineering at De La Salle University Manila, and her verse drew from her “Happy T” outings. “Gusto ko ‘pag pinakinggan nila ‘yung kanta, maglelet go lang sila. Labas mo lang ‘yung gusto mong ilabas.”
She was no stranger to remote production, having started taking music seriously during the pandemic. I asked how her life has changed, now that the world has opened back up, more so for her. “‘Yung music, binigyan ako ng freedom. Dati, sobrang strict ng magulang ko. Hindi ako pinapalabas para mag-gig dati. They didn’t see the point of going out for a gig, especially (since) nasa engineering (course) ako,” she explained.
“Ayokong sabihin na parang maraming nangyari, kasi gusto kong makita ‘yung sarili ko as the same. Masaya na ako na nagka-freedom ako.”
Before our interview, Demi and I ranted about—as usual—Manila traffic. She was stuck for hours, with her manager and some friends to keep her company. “Ako ‘yung nag-drive,” she revealed with a laugh.
She has been taking it slow with making music, writing only when it feels right. Young Cocoa, meanwhile, is excited to play around with pop and maybe some Tagalog rap. “I’m a fan of a lot of people, man,” he said, particularly drawn to more experimental artists like Ena Mori. He also wants to work with producer Ocho the Bullet, who fronts the alternative six-piece band (e)motion engine and has produced music with SB19’s Josh Cullen.
When the two took the stage to finally perform Cheap Thrills, the packed event turned into a full-on party. It’s apparent that Young Cocoa and Demi make music to have fun, but this doesn’t mean they have no regard for craft. In fact, this was the very mark of taking their work seriously: knowing when to let go and, as the chorus repeats, “Sumayaw, ‘wag kang mahiya.”
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Cheap Thrills by Young Cocoa and Demi is out now on all major music streaming platforms via Sony Music Entertainment. Follow Young Cocoa at @_youngcocoa and Demi at @demichelsy.
