Girl group Dione stakes claim to bigger slice of the P-pop pie

Scene from “Break You Down”

If the catchy groove and empowering themes of Dione’s self-penned song “Break You Down” were an indication of what’s to come for one of P-pop’s finest and fiercest girl groups, then the quartet’s eager fans—collectively called Tali—should gear up for more exciting times ahead.

Not only can the Talis expect to see more of Joyden, Clara, Ella and DK’s terpsichorean skills in the coming days, they can also hone their sing-along proficiency and performing chops when the fab-and-fearless foursome releases its upcoming ballad “Pangako,” which will be released by Warner Music Philippines on July 13.

Indeed, the girls of Dione are gearing up to stake their claim to P-pop stardom, although they said they’re not out to compete with others.

Diverse skills

“We’d rather compete with ourselves and cheer on the other P-pop groups out there—that will be healthier for all of us,” they told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent chat.

According to Joyden and Clara, while the girls may have come from other singing groups (like Luna) and were exposed to different artistic pursuits, they all managed to consolidate their individual gains and finally debuted in April last year—and that’s when their rigorous training as a single unit truly took shape.

The pandemic may have slowed down their management’s initial plans for the group, but that didn’t stop the lovely ladies from honing their skills in singing, rapping, dancing and even acting—all on full and proud display in the “Break You Down” music video.

“We try to learn everything through training and workshops, although each of us began with special skills,” stated Clara. “I’m the main dancer, while Joyden is great at rapping. On the other hand, singing is DK’s turf, while Joyden and Ella also dabble in acting. These diverse skills go hand in hand and allow us to communicate and express the meaning of our songs.”

But what do they like about being part of a group, instead of pursuing a solo career?

“I love seeing how our performances make the fans happy—that’s where my drive to do well is coming from,” Ella admitted. “I’m one of BTS’ Army and, like other young fans, their music and advocacies resonate well with me. BTS inspires its followers to love themselves, and that has also helped me a lot. Now I also want our group to be able to do that.”

“It’s a great feeling at sobrang sarap when you can boost other people’s self-esteem and morale,” DK chimed in. “Although it’s also satisfying when you see people rallying behind you. Being in a group gives us the platform to do something for others, entertain people and temporarily forget their troubles.”

For Joyden, being a member of any singing group was never part of her plans in life. She mused, “But this must be God’s plan for me. It didn’t take long for me to realize how much it makes me happy every time we perform onstage.

“As a group, we’ve also been through difficulties, but the minute we hit the stage, all my worries fly away. There’s something about performing that boosts people’s confidence, and more so when you know you have your family backing you up with your dreams. It just gives me the extra push!”

Doing something good

For her part, Clara says that the group enables her to experiment with different types of music. “I’m not partial to any genre,” she pointed out. “I’ve always had an artistic mind … And music allows me to put my feelings and emotions into a song—it’s a great form of release.

“Of course I also want a solo career in due time, but Dione is my priority for now. The satisfaction is unlike anything when you see people come together for a common goal. Kapag pinagsama-sama namin ang iba’t ibang nagagawa ng individual members, everything just blends beautifully. It’s an experiment like no other!” “It’s a great feeling at sobrang sarap when you can boost other people’s self-esteem, not just your own” DK chimed in. “But it’s also satisfying when you see people supporting you. Being in a group gives us just that—a platform to do something good for others, to entertain people who need cheering up.”

Dione members (clockwise, from top left): DK, Ella, Clara and Joyden

When we asked Dione which music acts they look up to, they came up with a list that reflects not just diversity, but also the sources of their versatile musical tastes. “It’s Sarah Geronimo for me,” shared Joyden. “But she’s just one of so many because the whole world knows that when you talk about great singing, you’ll find a lot of them in the Philippines. For foreign acts, I like the Japanese band One Ok Rock.”

For Ella, it’s KZ Tandingan because she said that the songstress from Davao del Sur is “palaban.” “Among foreign acts, I’m partial to BTS and Niki,” she added.

DK also adores KZ, along with singer-rapper Flow G and The Carpenters. “They may no longer be around as a group, but I always listened to The Carpenters as a kid,” she reasoned.

As for Clara, she said she’ll always have fond memories of Regine Velasquez. She explained, “Hers was the very first concert I watched … and she even pointed to me during the show (laughs)!”

When we asked one of their mentors, VJ Caber—the member of RCS (Ryan Cayabyab Singers) who arranged this interview on behalf of the girls and their management team (Firstone Entertainment)—what their other plans are, he said, “Dione has a wish list. Every goal has its share of struggles in a highly competitive industry such as ours. But we’ll get there eventually. Meanwhile, we’re preparing a surprise video that the fans will hopefully embrace.”

We then asked the girls what “Break You Down” is about.

“It tackles different themes, but more than anything, it’s about breaking down stereotypes,” DK asserted. “We can’t be limited by people’s perception of us. That’s why if you notice our backup dancers, the Junior New System, they may be an all-male crew, but you see them dancing in heels! We want to send a message that you can be whoever you want to be and still succeed, despite people expecting you not to.”

Heartbreak, hope

As for “Pangako,” Dione tapped into the K-drama craze to explore themes surrounding heartbreak and hope.

“Initially, we weren’t sure about the topic to focus on,” said Clara. “Eventually, we decided to reference K-drama series and Korean movies, particularly in situations where the second male lead starts to get the cold shoulder from the woman after she falls in love with the male lead (laughs).

“We said, ‘Let’s put our feet in their shoes and see how it feels to get your hopeful heart broken.’ ‘Pangako’ is a promise between me and the moon. You’re willing to wait for the person to get his or her heart broken so you can shower him or her with all your love.”

Cutting in, Joyden further explained, “In short, this is for all the martyrs out there (laughs)!”

Can they all relate to what the song is saying?

“Hindi nga po, eh (laughs). So sometimes, I run out of words … because that has yet to happen to me.”

What do they do every time they hit that sort of snag?

Ella quipped, “We just keep watching K-drama for inspiration (laughs)!”