"LuzViMinda"[a] is a song by the Filipino boy band Alamat. It is a hip-hop song that incorporates indigenous Philippine instruments, namely the gabbang and kubing. Lyrically, it is about striving to reach one's full potential while being proud of their Filipino roots. The song is written in several Philippine languages—Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Tagalog, and Waray—as well as English, with lyrics by Alamat and production by member Alas Alvarez.
The song was released under Viva Records as a digital pre-release single on November 7, 2025. The music video, which depicts the Alamat members as ordinary citizens living in the Fort Bonifacio Tenement, was released on November 12. Its director Judd Figuerres drew inspiration from the visuals in American rapper Kendrick Lamar's 2017 album Damn. The song received acclaim from various publications, with critics generally praising its lyrics. Julienne Loreto of the British music magazine The Line of Best Fit favorably compared the song to "Tokyo Drift" by Teriyaki Boyz and Blackpink's "Pink Venom". "LuzViMinda" is also a track on Alamat's second album Destino (lit.'Destination'), which was released on November 21.
Background and release
Sometime in 2024, Mo Mitchell—a member of the Filipino boy band Alamat—began drafting the song "LuzViMinda". The group later shared their musical drafts with one another in a meeting, and they agreed to develop Mitchell's composition further.[1] In December, at their solo concert Ragasa (lit.'Rush'), Alamat announced their second studio album Destino (lit.'Destination'), which was set to be released in 2025.[2] On September 5, 2025, the group performed "Rock Baby" with Filipino singer-songwriter Mrld as part of Coke Studio Philippines at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The song incorporates a sample from the Filipino disco band VST & Company's "Rock Baby Rock".[3] On October 20, they announced that they would release "LuzViMinda", the title track from Destino, on November 7 and the album itself on November 21 at the MassKara Festival in Bacolod City.[4] On October 23, the group began posting teaser images for the album inspired by everyday life in the Philippines, with creative direction and production by Alamat member Jao Canlas.[5] From October 31 to November 2, the group also released handwritten lyric teasers confirming that "LuzViMinda" is a multilingual song containing verses in each member's native language.[5]
A 10-second sample of "LuzViMinda", where the chorus can be heard. It contains Cebuano lyrics like "walay makapugong" (transl.nothing can stop [me]).[6]
The track is three minutes and twenty-eight seconds. It is a hip-hop song[7] that uses the indigenous Philippine instruments gabbang and kubing.[6] It was written by all of Alamat, and produced by member Alas Alvarez.[8]
The song received acclaim from music critics. In a track-by-track review of the Alamat album Destino, Julienne Loreto of the British music magazine The Line of Best Fit commended the "richness" of "LuzViMinda", comparing it favorably to "Tokyo Drift" by Teriyaki Boyz for its use of Southeast Asian percussion instruments and "sharp" lyrics; as well as "Pink Venom" by Blackpink for its "delightfully brash" production.[6]Pulp's Andrea Dee and Scout's Pauline Miranda both opined that the track reinforces Alamat's musical identity, as well as their commitment to their advocacy of championing Filipino culture and diversity.[9][10] Mian Centeno of Art+ called the song a "roaring declaration" of the group's multilingualism and "refusal to dilute Filipino identity" in their music.[11] In their year-end Favorite P-pop Songs list, the staff of Pulp reiterated their love for the song, lauding its use of several Philippine languages, as well as native instruments.[12]
Music video
The music video was directed by Judd Figuerres[13] and released on November 12, 2025.[14] It features various settings including a computer shop, sari-sari store, basketball court, and jeepneys, with members dressed in sandos and jerseys.[15] Alamat member Jao Canlas choreographed the song's chorus.[4]
The initial concept for the video involved a stylized environment blending Japanese and Filipino aesthetics, created with the help of CGI animation; however, it was scrapped due to budget constraints.[13] A lyric in the song, "Lumaki 'to sa Pinas" (transl.Grew up in the Philippines), inspired a new concept more grounded in reality, in which the Alamat members all grew up in the Fort Bonifacio Tenement in Taguig.[13] The Tenement is a public housing complex built in the 1960s; its community has faced eviction since 2010 due to safety concerns.[13] For the video, Figuerres drew inspiration from the visuals in American rapper Kendrick Lamar's 2017 album Damn.[13]
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