Sarah Geronimo and SB19’s latest collaboration, “Umaaligid,” is more than a high-profile meeting of Philippine pop icons. It’s a bold musical and visual statement that challenges disinformation, betrayal and blind trust. It doesn’t hold back.
Released on 30 July 2025, Umaaligid is the first official project under Geronimo’s independent label G Music, which she co-founded with her husband, actor Matteo Guidicelli. The single dropped at midnight across all major streaming platforms, followed by a 10-minute music film on Geronimo’s YouTube channel. It marks a significant pivot for both acts, not only in sound but in intent.
This is not a fan-service crossover. It’s a deliberate shift into darker, more socially aware territory. The song takes direct aim at the spread of fake news, disinformation and mass manipulation. Wrapped in urgent pop-rock production, it mixes Sarah’s signature powerhouse vocals with SB19’s gritty harmonies and pointed rap verses.
“The lyrics serve as both a warning and a wake-up call,” reads the song’s official description, “urging listeners to remain cautious in the face of distorted truths.”
More than a pop song: ‘Umaaligid’ is a crime story set to music
Visually, the music video plays like a mini-thriller. Directed with cinematic tension, it opens on the aftermath of a house party gone wrong. A man named Victor is found unconscious. The next scenes flash through a series of betrayals, cheating in a poker game, smashing a prized guitar, insulting family members and ultimately assaulting Geronimo’s onscreen sister, Lily.
The story culminates in a coordinated retaliation. Geronimo and SB19 confront Victor in a mansion’s dimly lit backyard. Each member lands a blow. The video ends with their silent exit, leaving Victor’s motionless body behind.
There’s no sugarcoating. No redemption arc. Just consequence.
A shift in sound, a shift in tone
Umaaligid sounds different because it is. Geronimo delivers a terse rap verse, a far cry from the melodic ballads and slick pop singles that built her reputation. SB19 match her intensity, trading in polished choreography for bruised realism.
Their vocal delivery in the chorus feels more like a warning than a hook. It’s raw, anxious and unresolved; intentionally so. The lyrics dig into betrayal not just in romantic terms but as a breakdown of trust in your closest circles. The result is unsettling, and that’s the point.
For SB19, Umaaligid continues a steady evolution away from glossy idol pop and toward tougher, riskier material. For Geronimo, it’s a reminder that she has always been more than just the face of Filipino pop. She’s an artist still in motion, willing to disrupt expectations when the message matters.
Not just another collaboration
Unlike their previous team-up on “Ace Your World” (a high-energy promotional single for the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024), this new track strips away the marketing gloss. Umaaligid is theatrical but not indulgent, cinematic without trying to impress. It feels urgent, personal and timely.
“This isn’t a safe release. It’s designed to make listeners uncomfortable, to question what they believe and who they trust.”
In a scene flooded with algorithm-friendly collaborations, Umaaligid stands out because it doesn’t play by those rules. There’s no nostalgia bait. No easy catharsis. Just two of the Philippines’ most influential artists making a point and making it hit hard.
