The Beat Manila’s Up and Coming is a series where we feature rising talented artists from the Philippines, giving them a platform to share what they’re passionate about and to promote the music they (and us too!) would love for the world to hear. Do you want or know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at mnl.editorial@thebeat.asia or slide through our DMs on Facebook or Instagram!

The Pinoy Pop (P-Pop) movement is taking over the country as more and more groups emerge into the local music scene. There’s no denying that the genre is gaining momentum in terms of popularity as more listeners, especially today’s youth, are getting hooked on their catchy sound and often inspiring messaging.

Last Apr. 25, 2025, a shining new group took to the stage at the Viva Café in Cubao, showcasing a group of fierce young ladies ready to make their mark in the P-Pop scene. Introducing Raya, the newest girl group under Viva Artist Agency (VAA) championing femininity and confidence with their signature sound that blends pop and hip-hop.

Before debuting, you might have already heard of these girls or have seen their pre-debut covers of the Hotdog classic, “Bongga Ka Day” and Sarah Geronimo’s hit “Kilometro.” The covers were released with equally impressive performance videos, which showcased their talents and commanding stage presence. The group has also performed in various mall shows and opened for concerts, including ALAMAT’s Ragasa concert last December.

Now an official artist of Viva, Raya made a bold entrance with their debut single, “Bling!” which talks about having the confidence to make your mark in the world, which further solidified their group’s concept inspired by the Filipino ancient term “Hiraya,” meaning hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

The Beat Manila got to sit down with the stunning new gems of P-Pop, composed of Jemima (the eldest), Rona (the nonchalant), Kash (the youngest), Priscilla (the hidden weapon), Aviona (the guardian angel),  Abel (the princess), Ash (the “makulit” – naughty one), Anna (the “biritera”— one who sings high notes well), and Sofia (the diva), to get to know more about how they came together and what they intend to showcase as rising artists in the industry.

Raya Coming Together: The Fate of Celestial Gems

“Diamonds on my neck, diamonds on my wrist.” This is one of the memorable lines in Raya’s debut single, and it turns out that it goes beyond the song’s theme of empowerment and self-worth, but is actually deeply rooted in the group’s concept.

Raya mentioned in the interview how they are each assigned a gemstone in the Navaratna (meaning nine gems in Sanskrit), which are historical and astrological celestial stones deemed valuable across various Southeast Asian cultures. As we asked the girls about how the group was formed, we were fascinated by their individual stories of hope and perseverance.

The members auditioned for VNEXT at Viva Café last year, a nationwide audition held by the artist agency in search of the next generation of P-Pop idols. It seemed that Raya was brought together by fate, considering how most of them had only tried their luck or were already on their way to pursuing different career paths when they caught wind of the auditions.

Anna was preparing to go into nursing, while Jemima, after a few failed auditions, finally decided to pursue studies in the US. Abel had always seen herself as part of an alternative rock band, and Ash had never seen herself entering show business but enjoyed performing, having been part of dance troupes and choirs back in school.

On the other hand, this isn’t Sofia’s first rodeo, having been part of two other girl groups that unfortunately disbanded, while Kash, Aviona, and Priscilla were all actively auditioning and pursuing their dreams of debuting in a girl group. Their stories were woven into a web of dreams, hopes, and harsh realities as they all had their ups and downs in their journeys of becoming professional performers.

If these girls had one thing in common, however, it was that they were all dreamers and by some cosmic force, Viva had brought them together to form this new group, like constellations finally aligning.

“Since we all came into Raya with high hopes, we thought: 'Why not name our group ‘Hiraya?’” Shared Sofia when asked about the origin of their name. “The word is too long, so we shortened it to ‘Raya.’ We want to inspire the youth to reach for their dreams despite the difficulties.”

Raya on ‘Bling!’ and Being Symbols of Hope

Raya made a bold entry into the P-Pop scene with their impressive pre-debut covers and their debut single “Bling!” — a girl power track oozing with confidence and charisma, tied together by a sound that blends both pop and Hip-hop.

When asked about what their new single is about, Jemima explained, “‘Bling!’ tells more about women empowerment and celebrates how she values her worth, her shine, and her spark. It also connects to our concept, which is gems of P-Pop. It aims to inspire women and young girls to know their worth — their gem, or what really makes them shine. So, women empowerment, confidence, girl power. Period!”

Raya had also contributed in the production of the song, and mentioned how their team had always encouraged them to suggest ideas for lyrics. They also attended songwriting camps and are continuously honing their ability to create more songs that are, as Kash described, “songs that come from our hearts.”

“We were given a lot of freedom. Originally, ‘Bling!’ was written in English, and they translated it to Tagalog,” Anna told The Beat Asia. “There was once a part in the rap where our producers felt it was a little bit too fierce for a rookie girl group *laughs* and we actually helped revise it.”

Abel also shared that the team was able to identify their strengths and capabilities early on when we commented on how each member seemed to fit their assigned roles for dancing, singing, and rapping. “During our training periods, we’ve had evaluations where we were given the chance, like for myself, to rap, which I’ve never done before,” she said. “Throughout that training, we discovered our strengths.”

When asked about Raya’s signature sound, the members unanimously agreed that it all comes down to the theme. “We will always gravitate towards humble confidence,” said Raya Anna. “There’s always that undertone of confidence, of ‘Kaya ko ‘to’ or ‘Kaya natin ‘to!’ (We can do this!). It’s songs about strong women. It’s confident, it’s women empowerment, that’s Raya.”

Beyond their musicality, Raya follows a rigorous training schedule to be able to dance through those complicated choreographies. They shared that their athleticism may be one of their strengths as a group. Priscilla walked us through their routines, and boy, we were already sweating after hearing about the amount of workouts they do every day, which ranged from cardio, strength, to military-style training like core workouts, push-ups, and handstands. All of that before they even run their choreographies.

When asked about how they spend their downtimes, Raya still proved that their determination to become the best versions of themselves remains a priority.

“Most of the time we go out in cafes and that’s where we evaluate the things we need to improve on,” Aviona shared. “Like with steps, facial expressions, and even vocals. That’s where we share our thoughts on how we can be better.”

“When we go out, we’re hitting two birds with one stone,” Kash added. “We debrief and we hang out. We get to talk about us — about Raya, and other things outside of the group.”

P-Pop is definitely becoming one of the most listened to genres in the Philippines, and with it comes an army of emerging idols and hopeful artists bringing exciting new sounds and explosive performances. As a rookie artist, it could be difficult to find your footing in the industry at first, but Raya seems to know clearly what their strengths are and where they stand — proof that they were made to do this together.

“We all have unique and diverse personalities that are very distinct from each other, yet they come together really well,” Jemima expressed. “When you look at Raya, you don’t only see them as a group, but you see them for each individual as they are. The fact that we’re so many, like nine members with different personalities, and yet manage to look as one, says a lot about Raya. I think it also sends a message that you can be so different from one another, but be united as one in different ways.”

“Since we just debuted, we're trying to explore different genres, different styles, and we believe we’ll be able to show the diversity of what our group can do soon. We’re still experimenting, but there’s a lot more to come from Raya,” added Kash.

Colorful, hopeful, and strong. These are just some of the words the girls used to describe the group. At its core, Raya is about diversity and finding balance between strength and weakness, which is what makes up each individual and makes them the distinct gems that shine not only under the light but even in darkness.

Despite only getting started, Raya already has experienced the rush of performing for big crowds, having opened for concerts and accomplishing their showcase where they performed six consecutive songs — the most tracks they’ve performed for a setlist.

“It was the moment that we felt, this is it! Ito na yung Raya (This is Raya)! This is us finally showing ourselves to the world — showing them who we are,” expressed Jemima.

Just like how they entered the group with big dreams, Raya is continuing their journey with the same positive outlook and hopes for the future.

Aviona told The Beat Manila, “We want to release more songs that inspire. We want to send a message that there’s always hope, even though there are challenges in life. We are your hope, and if you can’t find hope in your life right now, you can always come to Raya.”

“We want to be braver and show more creativity as Raya,” added Kash. “I see it a lot in other P-Pop groups like SB19. They’re showing a lot of creativity in their crafts, and hopefully, Raya can reach that level and show that girls can do amazing stuff as well. We also want to share more with everyone, not just in the Philippines but also internationally.”

Anna also mentioned looking up to their brother group, ALAMAT, and the way they “bring out the Filipino identity through their music,” hoping that someday they would be able to write songs and choreograph dance routines the way they do artistically.

As for what we can look forward to from them, they’re still keeping things under wraps, but you can catch them on mall shows and Viva events, which are announced on their official social media pages. Although it may be too early for a newbie group, it’s never too early to manifest their own solo concert. With their talent and dedication, we believe anything is possible.

Don’t miss Raya’s upcoming music and performances by following them on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), and Instagram.