Happy new year!

While a lot of us are still settling into the new year (and probably still remembering to write '2022' instead of '2021'), some artists have already been out and about with new music. Taking the hardships and lessons from the last year and turning them into a beautiful melody, there's nothing like good tunes to ease us into a new beginning. 

From emotional farewells from Jay Park to dancefloor bops from GOT the beat to reassuring reminders from Zack Tabudlo and James Reid, here are some new music from New Year's Day. 

'To Life' - Jay Park

"This is a toast to life."

It's a new era for Jay Park. As 2021 came to a close, the coveted Korean rapper also bid farewell to a chapter in his life and career as he steps down as CEO of his hip-hop labels AOMG and H1GHR MUSIC.

As an ode to the journey he's had, the 'All I Wanna Do' hitmaker released a poignant and emotional track 'To Life'— produced by Cha Cha Malone—where he recalled the hard work and challenges that made him the artist he is today. Beyond featuring a cameo from his AOMG family, Jay Park also shared a message to his fans where he thanked them for their support through the years and revealed that stepping down was a decision that he had given a lot of thought.

“Just wanna let y’all know it’s been a really hard year for me, probably one of the hardest years I’ve had in a while. It took a lot of thinking, a lot of organizing my emotions to come to this conclusion," he said. 

'Step Back' - GOT the beat

SM Entertainment is starting the year with nothing less than a bang. On top of their record-breaking online concert SMCU EXPRESS @ KWANGYA which garnered over 51 million viewers across multiple platforms, the entertainment company has unveiled a supergroup like no other. 

Comprising BoA, Girls' Generation's Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet's Wendy and Seulgi, and aespa's Winter and Karina, GOT the beat comes as the first group under SM Entertainment's new GOT (which stands for Girls On Top) project where more acts will be unveiled soon. 

As their first offering, GOT the beat released their highly anticipated single 'Step Back'. 

'Good Behaviour' - Linying

Linying is here to tell us that it's okay to let go and move forward. Despite the pain of our past and all the confusion that probably lies ahead, the Singaporean singer-songwriter—with Caleb Williams—penned together 'Good Behaviour' to remind us that we should give in to love and indulge in happiness. 

"'Good Behaviour' is unequivocally my favourite song on this album. I’ll hear it in my dying moments," she shares in a statement.

"Before this, songs about happiness were a myth to me—I couldn’t imagine being moved to write by feelings other than confusion and disappointment. And yet, this is a song about surrendering control, giving in to the love, and believing that sometimes, you don’t need to be on your best behaviour in order to be accepted. I’ll forever be grateful to know that feeling."

'Panahon' - HEY JUNE!

HEY JUNE! are taking us back to simpler times (you know when didn't have a deadly pandemic looming around us). Shrouded with good energy and positive vibes, the band's new heartwarming single 'Panahon' recalls fond childhood memories from Filipino culture. 

This comes as the band's sophomore single, following 'Just A Hit'. HEY JUNE! comprises Jim Mase (guitar, synth), Earl Paglinawan (guitar), Coey Ballesteros (bass, back-up vocals), and Aci Fodra (drums), 

'HATDOG' - Zack Tabudlo and James Reid

After an immensely successful year, Zack Tabudlo is kicking off a new era, starting with 'HATDOG'. Titled after a word his fans closely associate with him, the sincere track talks about reassuring your loved one that you're with them no matter what. 

In a TikTok video, the Filipino singer-songwriter shared that he wrote the song in 30 minutes while waiting for James Reid at his studio. 

Look back on the year that's passed with Bandwagon's Best of 2021 lists, where we recount our favourite songs, albums, music videos and more.