Do you still remember that time you had to rewind a cassette tape to listen to your favorite song for the hundredth time? That one time you were at the mall and spent the day inside a booth with headphones on to listen to tracks from a recent album release? Or perhaps, the excitement you got the first time you joined an online party because your bias was about to drop a new single? The way we enjoy music has evolved in so many ways, especially after the pandemic. Now that the world is slowly opening again, exciting things are on the way for avid fans of the music scene.
Reminiscent of the record stores from the 90s to early 2000s and bringing in laid back, pop and hip-hop elements – the UMusic Pop Up store officially opened its doors on July 22 with the Danish artist Maximillian popularly known for his hit song ‘Beautiful Scars’ visiting the store. And the store hosted artist ‘meet and greets’, the following day for the Nomad Music Festival, celebrating the 2nd anniversary of Island Records Philippines. Trust us when we say it’s unlike any music store you’ve been to before: Instagram worthy interiors, and cozy spaces to hang out. The place also features a mini stage where you can catch exclusive performances from your favorite artists from Republic Records, Island Records Philippines, and Def Jam Recordings Philippines. With concerts, fan meets, and live gigs kept to a minimum in the last few years, it’s no secret that the music industry took a hard hit when the world was asked to stay home. As a way of supporting the community, some of the staff who will be working in the store are roadies who used to work with artists in music events pre-pandemic.
To make things even more exciting, the UMusic Pop Up will also house an extremely curated selection of merchandise from the Universal Music Group’s local and international artists. This includes album releases (*cough* BTS The Proof album *cough), apparel and accessories. Listening sessions, merch customization and artist visits are just some of the things to look forward to in the coming months.
The UMusic Pop Up is located at the 2nd Floor of the Venice Grand Canal Mall in McKinley Hill, Taguig until December 2022. Make sure to follow UMusic on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok for more updates!