VXON taps into mental health in PhilPop Himig Handog 2024

VXON members (from left) C13, Patrick, Franz, Vince, and Sam in a concept photo for their “20:20” album. Image: X/@vxonofficial

P-pop boy group VXON said being chosen as the interpreter of the PhilPop Himig Handog 2024 entry “MHWG” is a responsibility for them as the track touches on mental health.

VXON — consisting of C13, Sam, Franz, Vince, and Patrick — was chosen as one of the interpreters of PhilPop Himig Handog 2024, bringing life to “MHWG” by Rob Angeles. Apart from the P-pop group, 11 more songs written by songwriters and their respective interpreters will be competing in this year’s edition.

For the group’s leader C13, mental health is a topic they always wanted to delve into in their music since they want to bring hope to fans, also known as Vixies. Franz, meanwhile, said bringing “MHWG” is an “honor and responsibility” for them.

“We want to showcase and tap into our vulnerability,” Franz said on the sidelines of the PhilPop Himig Handog launch. “Through this song, we want to express that there is hope. Life is beautiful and I hope we won’t lose the drive to keep moving [forward].”

While VXON admits there is pressure in being the first P-pop group to join the competition, Sam pointed out they want to “stay obsessed with [their] work” instead of focusing on winning.

“We just [want to] stay obsessed with our work and our output. We don’t want to focus on being on the top. We just want to focus on our art and how we can make an impact with our listeners,” he said.

Sam also stressed that one of their songs “SSP (Saksak Sa Puso)” is a reminder to acknowledge complicated emotions. It is the lead track of their album “20:20” which was released in January 2024.

The song, coupled with “MHWG,” serves as the group’s effort to remind listeners that there’s nothing wrong with getting into the core of what you truly feel as it helps in dealing with one’s mental health.

“With ‘SSP (Saksak Sa Puso),’ we showed that you should acknowledge every emotion that you feel. Because if you don’t resist them, it will persist. ‘SSP (Saksak Sa Puso)’ was made out of anger,” said Sam. “And with our PhilPop entry, we want to touch on life, enjoy the present as it is, and control what you can control.”

Goal to promote P-pop

Franz said VXON’s goal as a P-pop group is to “uplift” the growing industry and expose the genre to a wider audience. “It makes us happy knowing that many people are now listening to P-pop. We’re very proud to be part of its rise.”

“Of course, with our brothers and sisters in the industry, our goals are to uplift P-pop and expose the genre and Filipino talent to a wider audience,” he continued. “We’re also happy that we’re being recognized as one of the groups who contribute to its rise. We want to become better.”

While enumerating more of their goals as artists Franz and Vince said they want to still do more in their careers. One of which is strengthening VXON’s signature sound, as shown in “20:20” and their music.

“We really want to spread this kind of vibe — that this is who we are and this our music,” Vince said while touching on the group’s music.

Franz, however, clarified that the P-pop group is open to exploring different genres.

“We want to establish VXON’s sound. But at the same time, we’re very open to trying new genres and mixing them with our identity, while staying true to ourselves,” he said.

When asked how they deal with setbacks, the group pointed out that communication will always be their number one priority. “We always talk about our problems,” Patrick said. “When we notice that one is not doing okay, it’s automatic for us to talk about them. Communication is the key.”

“It’s impossible to not have any misunderstanding in the group,” Franz said, chiming in. “There are times we don’t talk to each other. But part of our journey is to meet halfway. We won’t agree with each other in all things, but we value communication the most.”

Dubbed as the “monsters of P-pop,” VXON debuted in January 2022. The group’s name comes from the members believing in the motto that “everything starts with a vision.”