You know it’s going to be a good OPM year when the Pinoy music scene is starting the year with fresh upcoming artists like Ica Frias and her debut single “Ayoko Na.”
With her chill sad acoustic beats, “Ayoko Na” becomes the anthem for the insufferable pain of heartbreak and letting go, making Ica Frias the artist you need to watch out for in 2023.
Ica Frias or also known as “IF” loves expressing deep, heart-breaking emotions in her music. Ica’s heavenly voice makes you linger in the pain of giving up on your love as “Ayoko Na” speaks so much of the heart’s frustrations and the art of letting go – making it a sure bop to Filipino hearts and homes.
You can imagine singing your heart out with lyrics like “Mabalewala lang at masaktan ng paulit-ulit” along with Ica’s soulful voice. You can imagine the future of “Ayoko Na” becoming a household name, screaming these lyrics and belting out in karaoke sessions with friends and family.
Ica started her singing journey at the age of 5, singing non-stop at school events with friends to eventually serving in the music ministry in their church. She started doing live gigs/acoustic sessions in food parks with her friends during her college days just for the love of performing, making use of anything within her reach to find an avenue to showcase and express her talent. Her perseverance to pursue music led her to refine her craft further in songwriting and performing.
To launch her solo career, Ica joins the Manila-based label Off The Record to journey with her in the music scene. She has been performing since early last year with artist friends in the Pinoy music scene – starting with Off The Record’s TugTogTug gig at Saguijo last November 2022 with Daniel Paringit, No Lore, Aster, and many more. She also capped off the year performing in UP’s POLARIS Music Festival, singing among big stars such as December Avenue, Zack Tabudlo, Zild, and Juan Karlos.
When asked what “Ayoko Na” is all about Ica simply answers that it “…is about knowing when to let go.” “I wrote this song to express/to bring out my emotions. The pain or the heartbreak I am feeling at the moment,” she added.
What many people don’t know is that she started writing this while in the “moment” “Isang gabi, nafeel ko mag drama so nag try ako gumawa ng song tapos unang sentence na lumabas in my head ay “Ayoko nang isipin ka..” dun na nag start.
“Ayoko Na” was co-written with Ica’s childhood friend Daniel Paringit who is also one of OPM’S fresh and upcoming artists, Surrounded by a close-knit team of musicians and creatives, Ica flourishes into the artist she has been made for.
With Ricky Ilacad and Daniel Paringit as producers, arranged by Ica, Daniel, and Cluster Ng, mixed and mastered by WORD Entertainment Production, Ica was able to produce a single with excellent musicality and soulful melody, masking the heartbreaking lyrics that speak of release and letting go.
“I want to call attention to the people who experienced the same pain I went through and relive that experience together. The heartache and all the disappointment that comes with hoping for someone who was unable to choose me, and the decision to finally choose myself,” says the 25-year-old singer.
“Ayoko Na” is proof that we will all crave songs that speak the language of our hearts. Whether it is about loving, living, or grieving over lost love, “Ayoko Na” gives us that kind of release. A song we all can truly belt our hearts with. Ica along with Off The Record is pumped up to share to us more of Ica’s songs this year as she is OPM’s Next Big Thing.
Ica’s single “Ayoko Na” dropped on January 20, for streaming, click on this link: https://offtherecordph.lnk.to/IcaFriasAyokoNa.