MANILA — For indie OPM artist TONEEJAY, it is still surreal that his track “711” — recorded mainly in his bedroom — has made it to the top of local charts.
“It is overwhelming. Just drums and bass in the studio. So overwhelming the whole country is listening. Even on Billboard, it got to number 1. I’m an independent artist so it’s a big deal for me,” said TONEEJAY in an interview on iWant ASAP, Sunday.
“711” landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Philippines chart on December 30, 2023, and also led the Spotify Philippines chart on November 29, 2023.
As of writing, the track already has 43.6 million streams on Spotify. Meanwhile, TONEEJAY’s monthly listeners have climbed to 4.3 million.
“For me, those who listen to Spotify, I can’t imagine 10,000 people let alone 4 million. Thank you so much. It doesn’t feel real at times but it’s happening. I’m alive. I’m not dreaming,” he said.
According to TONEEJAY, while navigating the cutthroat music industry as an independent artist comes with its own challenges, he is not interested in signing with a label.
“I love having the freedom. I made my own label along with my friends. We distribute our music. We enjoy the freedom and community. It is all about the music for us,” he explained.
Source: ABS-CBN News
