CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Fresh off the success of his latest release Baby, Cebuano singer-songwriter Vincent Eco wastes no time in following up with another single off his forthcoming concept EP Sa May Baybayon. The titular track Baybayon (in English, “shoreline”), written and sung in Vincent Eco’s native Bisaya, is out on major streaming platforms now.
I thought I would never write a Bisaya song again but when inspiration strikes you have you take it.
Vincent Eco, on writing “Baybayon”
Baybayon is about “loving someone passionately that you are willing to carry their burden,” Eco shares on the theme. As a whole, the EP Sa May Baybayon, which is set to drop within 2024, is a narrative about the ebbs and flows of a relationship from its sweet beginnings to its bittersweet end.
As described in a recent article by Rappler, “there are very few singer-songwriters who can pen a song about heartbreak like Vincent Eco” and Baybayon is no exception. With lyrics in Bisaya, the song is proof that Eco’s capability to tug on the heartstrings transcends language.
Baybayon is not Vincent Eco’s first foray into Bisaya songwriting as he had previously released Ikaw ang Gihigugma in 2022. “I thought I would never write a Bisaya song again but when inspiration strikes you have you take it,” he revealed in a Facebook post. “Thankfully I didn’t put it aside because it is the reason why I am writing songs again.”
The release of Baybayon comes amidst Vincent Eco’s ongoing fundraising campaign for his first overseas performance at Music Lane Okinawa Showcase Festival in January 2025, where he will share the stage with OPM icon Barbie Almalbis and artists from all over Asia and is set to be the first Cebuano artist to have been selected in the festival’s history. A fundraiser event is set on October 26th in Cebu City.
As with the first single release Baby, Vincent Eco also worked with Irish producer David Prendergast on Baybayon. Prendergast is well known for his work with artists such as Kodaline, Overhead the Albatross, Paul Alwright, and Cebuano indie rock band The Sundown. Creative director Nikko Tan designed the cover art and directs all visual materials for the forthcoming EP.
Baybayon immediately made a splash upon its release, finding itself on Spotify’s New Music Friday Philippines playlist as well as the Visayas and Mindanao focused playlist “BISDAK!” on which Vincent Eco is featured as the playlist cover.
“Baybayon” is available on all streaming platforms now. Stream the track through Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, or any of your favorite music platforms or support Vincent Eco’s fundraiser for Music Lane Okinawa by buying the track on Bandcamp, where 100% of the earnings goes to the tour fund.