November 6, 2025 | 8:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Rock band IV of Spades is well and truly back following the release of its sophomore album “Andalucia,” five years after the group went on hiatus.
The road to success was far from a calm one for the band, which grew popular with 2018 hits “Ilaw sa Daan,” “Hey Barbara,” “Where Have You Been My Disco?” and “Mundo.”
It was short-lived with the departure of vocalist Unique Salonga in the same year to pursue a solo career. The remainig members, Badjao de Castro, Blaster Silonga, and Zild Benitez, were left to oversee the release of their debut album “ClapClapClap!” in 2019.
The 15-track album spawned the singles “In My Prison,” “Bata, Dahan-Dahan,” “Take That Man,” “Bawat Kaluluwa,” and “Come Inside of My Heart,” as well as the songs “Sweet Shadow,” “Not My Energy,” “Dulo ng Hangganan,” “My Juliana,” “I’m a Butterfly,” “I Ain’t Perfect,” and “Captivated.”
The three remaining members released two more singles — “Ang Pinagmulan” and “Sariling Multo (Sa Panaginip)” — in 2020 before announcing an indefinite hiatus.
Filipino music fans were very much surprised when IV of Spades released the song “Aura” last July with Salonga back in the picture.
Another surprise single, “Nanaman,” followed in August with the confirmation of a second studio album. To promote its release, the band also dropped “Konsensya” and “Suliranin.”
The album, “Andalucia,” fully reunites the band members who have matured over the years and rediscovered the friendship and unity between them.
“We needed to prioritize ourselves and our relationship first before working on a new project while we weren’t okay,” the band said in a statement. “It would’ve felt meaningless if we hadn’t fixed our bond before returning to making music.”
“Andalucia” lifts a veil on softness that exists in codes, an expression of moments in cryptic but poetic exquisiteness tha does not require full elaboration.
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Brian Lotho and Emil Dela Rosa co-produced the album released by Sony Music Entertainment, its 12 tracks spanning genres and emotions while keeping with IV of Spades’ relish for thematic words and sounds.
Second track “Monster,” for example, is a vibrant yet gritty rock anthem that fuses retro influences with a modern edge, while “Nanaman” has Silonga taking on vocal leads.
“Konsensya” sees a crossover between ’90s alternative, indie, and Britpop influences, while “Suliranin” is an escapist anthem inviting people to leave worries behind and lose themselves in the moment.
Some just have simply personal attractions like the viral “Aura,” which was the first song IV of Spades wrote together after reuniting. It fetched the Best Rock Song win at the inaugural Filipino Music Awards.
Completing the tracklist are “Tara,” “Paru-paro,” “Tamis ng Pagkakamali,” “Karma,” “Tangerine Boulevard,” “Kabisado,” and “Rewind.”
“Thematically speaking, we talk about things in life: flaws, people, and topics that often aren’t discussed openly,” the band continued. “It’s more fun now because we have more songs. The direction is clearer, and the process is more collaborative.”
The group approached the production of “Andalucia” as spectacle grounded in authenticity, “We wanted a sound that we could play live. The production is ambitious, so we started by jamming the songs before recording them.”
“What truly matters are the small things. Eating together. Whoever’s late buys the coffee. Sometimes we’d turn off the aircon, so we’d all be sweating while recording,” IV of Spades ended.
Cementing the comeback of IV of Spades are the band’s concerts at the Mall of Asia Arena this December, where a December 13 show was added after tickets for the initial December 12 date sold out.
Concert promoter Karpos Multimedia teased both shows will have the band playing new music live for the first time. They will also be reimagining some classic titles, celebrating how far they have come as one of the country’s most popular artists yet again.
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