"Multo" () is a song by Filipino band

Cup of Joe Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially ava ...

from its debut studio album, ''

Silakbo ''Silakbo'' is a 1995 Philippine action crime film directed by Joel Lamangan. The film stars Cesar Montano, Alice Dixson, Anjanette Abayari, Marjorie Barretto and Joko Diaz. Plot Atty. Andy Gil, an agent of the National Bureau of Inv ...

'' (2025). Written by co-lead vocalist Raphaell Ridao and his brother Redentor during the

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, the

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

and

pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

explores themes of grief, emotional haunting, and self-reflection. Produced by Shadiel Chan, it signifies a more introspective turn in the band's musical direction. It was released on September 14, 2024, under

Viva Records Viva Records Corporation, commonly known as Viva Records, is a Philippine record label owned by Viva Music Group, a subsidiary of Viva Communications. History Viva Records was established in 1986, 6 years after Vic del Rosario Jr. left Vicor ...

. The song received favorable reviews from critics, most of whom deemed it an evolution of Cup of Joe's sound. Commercially, "Multo" peaked at number 80 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart, where it became the first entry from a Filipino artist. The song topped three Philippine charts and reached within the top 10 of the UAE and top 20 of the Netherlands' national charts.

Background and release

On February 9 and 10, 2024, Cup of Joe held its first solo concert, Cup of Joe: Seatbelts on!, at the

New Frontier Theater The New Frontier Theater, known as the Kia Theatre between 2015 and 2018, is a multi-purpose theater and events hall in Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The theater first opened on May 27, 1967, and primarily served ...

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

. The band also released its single "Lahat ng Bukas" (2024) on February 9, featuring Keanna Mag. In August 2024, Cup of Joe released the music video for their single "Misteryoso" (2024), starring Jhoanna Robles and directed by Justin de Dios. To mark its sixth anniversary, the band unveiled Dos: The Sixth Joenniversary Special, a four‑part live project on September 6. On September 14, Cup of Joe surprised its fans with the release of "Multo" under Viva Records, after announcing it just three hours before the release. In March 2025, the music video for the track was released, featuring actors

Miles Ocampo Camille Tan Hojilla (born May 1, 1997), known professionally as Miles Ocampo, is a Filipino actress, commercial model, television host and writer. She is considered one of the most promising artists of her generation, noted for her versatilit ...

and

Elijah Canlas Elijah Luiz Madiclum Canlas (born August 16, 2000) is a Filipino actor and commercial model. He began his professional acting career in the 2014 independent film ''Sundalong Kanin'', an official entry to Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film ...

. "Multo" served as the first single of the band's first album, ''Silakbo'' (), which was released in January 2025.

Composition and lyrics

"Multo" is three minutes and fifty-seven seconds long. It was written by Cup of Joe's co-lead vocalist Raphaell Ridao and his older brother Redentor during the height of the

. According to Ridao, the two were confined to a room and found it difficult to process their emotions after they both experienced losing someone, eventually turning to songwriting as a means of coping. Produced by Shadiel Chan, the song served as an emotional release for both of them, expressing feelings of longing and sadness that had been difficult to confront. Musically, "Multo" is a

and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

, described as

melancholic Melancholia or melancholy (from ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complain ...

by Elijah Pareño of ''

Rolling Stone Philippines ''Rolling Stone Philippines'' is a Philippine magazine and brand owned and published by Modern Media Group. It is the Philippine version of the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine that focuses on music, entertainment, pop culture and politics. Histor ...

''. It address themes of moving forward in life while being persistently affected by the memory of a past relationship, highlighting the process of accepting grief and confronting emotional pain. The lyrics "''Pasindi na ng ilaw''" () and "''Minumulto na 'ko ng damdamin ko''" () have been interpreted as a metaphor for the group's artistic evolution, reflecting a shift from a more playful image to a more introspective exploration of their musical identity.

Reception

"Multo" received favorable reviews from music critics, with most of them regarding the song as an evolution for Cup of Joe's sound. ''

Billboard Philippines ''Billboard Philippines'' (also shortened as ''Billboard PH'') is a Philippine music and entertainment media brand and magazine owned by Modern Media Group, serving as the local edition of the ''Billboard'' magazine. It publishes news, video ...

''' Gabriel Saulog wrote that the song "hits you straight in the feels", adding that "sonically, the track itself is a bit more ambitious and experimental for the band, with a hook that lingers deep upon its first full listen". Likewise, the Philippine magazine ''Metroscene'' observed that the song offered a "more refined" version of the band's signature sound. They named it as a standout track on ''Silakbo'', explaining, "The maturity of the sound really stands out, and it's almost like the band's growing alongside their music." Elijah Pareño of ''

'' also wrote that "Multo" established Cup of Joe as serious musicians and storytellers. ''

Nylon Manila ''Nylon'' is an American multimedia brand and publishing company, which produces a lifestyle magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel. Originally a pri ...

'''s Nica Glorioso called the track "a beautiful song that does its job of making people feel what the band intended them to feel", further describing it as "stirring", "evocative", and "haunting yet cathartic". Commercially, "Multo" debuted at number 181 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart in April 2025, becoming the first song by a Filipino act to enter the chart, and later reached number 80. Meanwhile, the track entered at number 74 on the ''Billboard'' Global Excl. U.S. chart, where it marked the highest debut for a Filipino song as well as the first one to enter the top 100 of that chart, later peaking at number 33. In the Philippines, it topped the ''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

chart during the same month. "Multo" also helped Cup of Joe become the first Filipino artist to reach more than 8.3 million monthly listeners on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

. The song had an impact on Filipino pop culture as well, with ''Nylon Manila'' and ''

ABS-CBN News ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs, known on-air as ABS-CBN News (formerly known as ''ABS-CBN News and Public Affairs''), is the news and current affairs division of the Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. The division is the coun ...

'' reporting that "Multo" had become a nearly inescapable

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trend online.

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

. * Cup of Joe – vocals,

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...

* Raphaell Ridao – songwriter, arranger * Redentor Immanuel Ridao – songwriter, arranger * Shadiel Chan – arranger, producer

Charts

References

{{Reflist 2024 songs Number-one singles in the Philippines Philippine songs Pop rock songs Synth-pop songs