Sam Concepcion Photo courtesy of Universal Records Philippines

We’ve all had dull and boring days, at times intensified by a gloomy weather, and music has made those days brighter on countless occasions. Music is known to have the power to uplift moods and inspire, and Sam Concepcion’s latest single, “Otomatika,” further emphasizes that.

“O, otomatika. Yugyugan. Mismo ang tugtugan. It’s so automatic disco retro magic. O, otomahika. Tambalan. Mismo ang galawan. It’s so automatic disco retro magic. O, otomatika,” he sings in the chorus一the beat is incredibly irresistible and hard not to bop along with.

It’s the kind of song you’d want to listen to when it’s raining, like how it was during the day we caught up with Sam. Or, on a sunny day, perhaps on a road trip, to match the vibe. Its energy is infectious, in a nutshell. “It's something that makes you feel good, makes you want to get up and dance,” Sam said. “Otomatika” reinforces the automatic connection between the music and the dance, making it more relevant in the digital era where dance challenges are ubiquitous and well-loved as content.

The feel-good track was written and produced by Jungee Marcelo in collaboration with Thyro Alfaro, and Sam credits the viral-worthy choreography to James Wong, whom he previously worked with for his hit song “Diwata” and his “Get Down” concert last year.

From shooting at the Universal Records Philippines headquarters during this Metro Talks interview, our thoughts automatically shifted to (or traveled back to the time of) the conceptualization of the song at the peak of the pandemic and the filming of its vibrant music video.

“It was during the pandemic when it was shot. And, you know, it was during a time when not a lot was going on. And so, myself and Stages, of course, who came up with the concept and the idea for the song just kind of like put it together during the pandemic so that we were still working on something,” Sam looked back.

He continued, “I wanted to shoot a music video that just kind of captures the fun and the lighthearted-ness and the energy, just that bright and feel-good kind of energy that the song brings. We really put that in the video. And so, if you see the music video, you see me in this little restaurant where the energy is kind of dead [then] the music plays, and it just starts to become really colorful and vibrant. We start to do the song. And as we progress to the video, I go into these different places in the spot where we continue to infect the rest of the people around us with the vibe and the energy, and ultimately, it just ends in this big dance where everyone becomes part of it. The bartender becomes part of it, the waiter, and everyone just dances the whole thing at the end.”

As someone who’s been part of the entertainment industry since 2005, many things have changed and evolved in the scene naturally. Adapting to these changes is a welcome challenge for Sam. “I think what I like most about the music now is that there are so many artists in different genres and different music coming out from everywhere across the Philippines. And I think that’s one of the things that really create this drive and demand for different types of artists, different types of music because today, in the digital age, you have access to all kinds of music from different parts of the world. It’s limitless, it’s endless, the possibilities,” Sam pondered.

“And so, that’s what I most look forward to making music today because now, the world is like your stage. Everyone can listen. All they need is to see it, to have a link, or see it on a playlist, or see the music video online. And so, it just opens you up to all of these things, all these possibilities and the world kind of opens up to you as well. And that’s kind of an overwhelming thing when you think about it at first because everyone has access to music and all kinds of it and everyone is up against the whole world. ‘Up against,’ so to speak. But I think the important part is to just know your listeners and be truthful in the way you present your music.”

Authenticity in song-making is something that Sam takes seriously. “I think we aim to be more specific and precise with what we want to put out there,” he said when asked about the evolution of his creative process. “The process becomes less about creating a hit song, more than it is about learning about who you are as an artistーwhat kind of stuff sounds most authentic to you, what do the listeners want to hear from you, what do you want to tell them? It becomes more about that and the rest kind of just follows and that is, I feel like, the prime motivation to make music is more like discovering and seeing what you want and seeing what you’re made of, sort of.”

And it is, ultimately, by being true to the story he wants to share through his music that he can connect with his fans and casual listeners alike on a personal and deeper level. With “Otomatika,” it’s about making a party out of the ordinary, allowing oneself to sing and dance the day away, and getting immersed in the beats and the moves.

The magic of music in general, as Sam pointed out, is that “you never know who you’re going to touch and in what manner, in what way.” The limitless possibilities of a song to move listeners are constantly inspiring for Sam. For an artist like him, the biggest compliment is when you discover that your songs have become people’s theme songs. “You become a part, indirectly, of their experiences and their life. That’s kind of like the magic of music,” he pondered. “It’s in the simple things like that, that actually aren’t so simple. But it’s kind of the real purpose of it all is you become part of other people’s lives and somehow, if you’ve touched them in a way through the music, your work is kind of done, right? It’s kind of the aim.”

With “Otomatika” now on repeat in our playlist, it’s mission accomplished then, Sam!

Watch the Part 1 and Part 2 of our conversation with Sam Concepcion below:

Produced by Grace Libero-Cruz

Videography by CJ Reyes

Grooming by Aimee Grey

Styling by Team RainxEm

Photos courtesy of Universal Records Philippines

Special thanks to Grace Foronda