What do you do after a breakup? You may take a walk, find a new hobby, or download a dating app to look for a new partner. Yet, most of the time, breakups, and loss in general, can be so painful that it may take quite a while for us before doing those things and moving on.
Baguio-based Filipino pop-rock band, Cup of Joe, has successfully portrayed that post-breakup emotional haunting in their hit song, “Multo”. Marking their attempt at a new genre of music, the tune not only brought Cup of Joe to the international music stage, but also touched the hearts of many people experiencing the same pain.
A Tale of Love and Loss
It is said that heartbreak gives birth to the best artists. “Multo” was written by Raphaell “Rapha” Ridao, Cup of Joe's lead vocalist and songwriter, along with his brother Redentor during the Covid-19 pandemic. The loneliness they felt during quarantine led them to transform their feelings into song lyrics.
Produced by Shadiel Chan, an experienced music producer and CEO of a record label called Nine Degrees North, the song was released under Viva Records. In his personal Instagram post, Raphaell leaked an initial acoustic demo of the song, thanking his closest people for the support they showered him during his music career.
“Multo” features themes of loneliness, grief, and the emotional difficulty of dealing with loss. The song encapsulates that specific feeling when you feel like you've already moved on, but the image of the thing or person you lost still appears in your mind like a ghost. There's this frustration in your head when you just can't seem to shake those old memories off, and you don't understand what's going on or why you feel that way.
The catchy lyrics “Hindi na ba ma-mamamayapa?”, which translates to “am I never going to be at peace?” portrays the exact anger someone feels when things just don't seem to get any better, even after a considerable amount of time has passed since the breakup or painful event.
Yet, it is perhaps the chorus that has captured the hearts of countless music enjoyers: “Pasindi na ng ilaw/Minumulto na ko ng damdamin ko”, which translates to “Turn on the lights/I'm being haunted by my emotions”. This verse signifies the despair someone feels when they so badly want to get out of loneliness, which may feel like darkness at times.
Cup of Joe's New Start
“Multo” is a groundbreaking moment for Cup of Joe, which used to produce boyband-style, upbeat pop music with choreographed dances and fan interactions onstage. As the seventh track in their debut album, Silakbo (“Outburst”) – released in January 2025 – “Multo” is a melancholic, pop-rock ballad about heartbreak, something Cup of Joe had never really tried before.
Rolling Stone, the renowned pop culture magazine, calls “Multo” an “artistic awakening” and a mark of Cup of Joe's arrival as “serious pop storytellers”. Gabriel Saulog, host and lead writer at Billboard Philippines, states that though the attempt in switching musical genres may come off as a “surprise… ambitious and experimental”, “Multo” also “lingers deep upon its first full listen”.
This means that “Multo” isn't just a gift for Cup of Joe's fans – dubbed “JOEwahs” – going through loss, but also a sign that the band itself is experiencing some kind of renewal.
This may be especially true, considering the band itself experienced loss after bassist Raphael “Sevi” Severino decided to part ways just three months before “Multo” was released as a single in September 2024.
International Success
“Multo” hit global ranks precisely because many people had similar experiences. TikTok users have shared their personal stories, relating the song's lyrics to memories of exes and lost lovers – those people you didn't even date, but somehow stick in your mind forever. In addition, the song's lyrics are written entirely in Filipino, boasting local richness and authenticity.
Garnering over 1,7 million plays as of May 2025, “Multo” is the most-played song in Spotify Philippines, showcasing the love Filipinos have for a local artist lineup. In the international music industry, the song even ranked number 80 at Billboard Global 200, making Cup of Joe the first Filipino artist to enter the chart.
When this article was written, the music video of “Multo” has garnered more than 13 million views on YouTube, its lyric video more than 67 million views, and a live version of the performance at a restaurant called The Cozy Cove more than 43 million views. Instagram users have also demanded Cup of Joe to release an acoustic version, as posted in Raphaell Ridao's leak.
References
- Pareño, Elijah. “Cup of Joe's ‘Multo’ Proves a Sad Banger can Still Be a Breakthrough.” Rolling Stone Philippines. Published on April 11, 2025. Accessed on July 22, 2025. https://rollingstonephilippines.com/music/cup-of-joes-multo-proves-a-sad-banger-can-still-be-a-breakthrough/.
- Saulog, Gabriel. “Cup of Joe Summon The Ghosts Of Their Past On New Single “Multo” – Listen.” Billboard Philippines. Published on September 16, 2024. Accessed on July 22, 2025. https://billboardphilippines.com/music/news/cup-of-joe-summon-the-ghosts-of-their-past-on-new-single-multo-release-2024/.
- Sukoco, Rafa. “Top 5 Songs on Spotify in Southeast Asian Countries.” Seasia. Published on May 3, 2025. Accessed on July 22, 2025. https://seasia.co/infographic/top-5-songs-on-spotify-in-southeast-asian-countries.
