Angelika Sam Ortiz in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News. Photo by Nestor Licuanan.

MANILA – Determined to finish her entry at a song camp in February 2023, Angelika Sam Ortiz felt that something was missing in the lyrics to the piece she had entitled "Pantropiko."

But she struggled to find the words.

"Bigla na lang siyang pumasok sa isip ko like ‘Oh shux, wala na akong maisip’," Ortiz said.

(Suddenly, it entered my mind like, "Oh shux" I can't think of anything.)

Then, it hit her.

"Sabi ko why not ilagay na siya sa song, and ayun!"

(I said why not put it in the song, and that's it!) 

And so a hit was born–but one that would wait almost four months to become one.

“Pantropiko”, the summer bubblegum pop anthem released in November that year and made OPM group BINI household names, was the first song composed by Ortiz, a film-major student.

It took her ten days to write it, and five more to create the demo track with help from colleagues at FlipMusic Productions Inc.

The newbie songwriter — who said she also wanted to express herself in writing and music aside from photos and films — never imagined “Pantropiko” would be a hit, not just in these tropical islands, but globally. 

‘Feels like summer’ 

The song is both a celebration of love and summer — as also seen in BINI's "Pantropiko" performance video, which was uploaded on YouTube five months ago and garnered more than 15 million views as of writing.

Making the song, Ortiz visualized one thing: the Philippines’ world-famous beaches–thus the main theme and title.

"Actually po ang una kong naisip dito is kung anong unang magiging itsura ng MV since I’m a film student din po… Naisip ko na ang gandang visual kasi ng beach, lalo na sa Philippines," she shared in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN.

(Actually, the first thing that came to my mind was what the music video would look like since I'm also a film student... I already thought of the beautiful visuals of the beach, especially in the Philippines.)

Was she also inspired by love?

The singer-songwriter blushed and admitted that she thought of her crush when she wrote the song.

"Para maka-relate din yung younger generations," Ortiz said.

(So that the younger generations can also relate.) 

Online, Filipinos matched up "Pantropiko" with another weather-inspired OPM song–"Raining in Manila" by rock band Lola Amour.

"Nung sumikat raining in manila laging umuulan. ngayon na sikat pantropiko ang inet," wrote X user @eiju_les. 

(When it was the rainy season in the Philippines, the song "Raining in Manila" became popular. Now, the song "Pantropiko" became popular this hot summer.") 

User @maloiku,  meanwhile, said: "Mga season sa pilipinas: Raining in Manila, Pantropiko, Christmas in our Hearts."

(Seasons in the Philippines: Raining in Manila, Pantropiko, Christmas in our Hearts.)

RELATED: BINI fever ramdam na sa Singapore

'Humble' beginning

Ortiz was a runway and print advertising model and belonged to a girl group before FlipMusic Productions Inc. founder Julius James "Jumbo" De Belen discovered her potential. 

De Belen described it as a "very humble beginning."

It started when the two met each other at an event, with Ortiz following De Belen on Instagram after.

There, De Belen saw Ortiz’s potential in music through her cover songs, inviting her to write a song for BINI. 

De Belen, the producer and writer of Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo’s “Tala”–which became a hit in early 2020 five years after it came out–shared it was their practice to invite people from outside FlipMusic to experience writing songs. 

“May mga ibang songwriters na we feel na may potential na puwedeng magsulat para we try them out.”

(There are other songwriters that we feel have the potential to write so we try them out.)

As a newbie songwriter, Ortiz needed more confidence and struggled to determine whether she was capable of finishing the whole song.

She was only used to writing poems, a chorus, or a verse part of a song. 

Ortiz even came to a point when she wanted to message De Belen to say she could not finish the song. 

Fortunately, it really felt like summer when Ortiz finished the song for BINI.

READ: EXO's Lay praises BINI on China's 'Show It All'

‘Icing to the cake’ 

De Belen next worked on the song with a team that included fellow hitmakers Paula Patricia "Pow" Chavez, Mart Sam “Mat” Olavides, Migz Cortes, and Rap Sanchez.

ABS-CBN News team in FlipMusic studio with Pow Chavez, Jeli Mateo, Mat Olavides, Angelika Sam, Wilen Valdes, and Jeremy Mateo of FlipMusic.

"Putting a song together is really teamwork," Chavez said.

Chavez shared that they supported the newbie Ortiz and added "icings and toppings'' to the already delicious "cake" Ortiz had brought to FlipMusic’s table–making it more attractive and added something that people can appreciate more in "Pantropiko". 

Describing himself as the "go-to producer when it comes to tropical sounds", Olavides updated the music to current sound. 

The arranger also applied three main genres to the song: African, Latin, and Caribbean music. 

It was during Ortiz's school finals nearly a year since she began writing that she found out that her song was chosen to be part of BINI's EP recording "Talaarawan."

"Pantropiko" was released on November 17, 2024, then the tail-end of the rainy season.

Chavez added that no matter what season a song is released, when listeners find it "catchy and beautiful" it will eventually be appreciated and made viral.

Some songs that they wrote and composed through FlipMusic, such as Ron Henley's "Biglang Liko" (2013) and Nadine Lustre's "Paligoy-ligoy" (2014), also became viral more or less ten years after their release. 

Another element that helped "Pantropiko's" virality is its choreography. 

Dive into BINI’s ‘Pantropiko’: From one member’s challenge to a summer dance craze

The "easy to remember" steps of the song’s chorus part is meanwhile the brainchild of BINI’s youngest member and main dancer, Sheena Catacutan.

'Hiling sa mga tala'

Still unable to process "Pantropiko" reaching millions of listeners and topping in charts, the "once a dreamer, now a hitmaker" Ortiz is grateful for the opportunity given to her.

"Sobrang feeling blessed and thankful syempre sa FlipMusic, sa Star Music, and BINI for having 'Pantropiko' as one of their songs sa EP nila."

(Feeling very blessed and thankful of course to FlipMusic, Star Music, and BINI for having Pantropiko as one of their songs on their EP.)

Ortiz is set to release her first debut single "Ningning" under FlipMusic on May 29.

She said she was inspired by singer-songwriter Adie and the band Cup of Joe to write songs, adding that she wishes to collaborate with them in the future. 

Her song has joined her inspirations' songs in Spotify's Top 50 Philippines chart–with "Pantropiko" at #1, Janine Berdin and Adie's "Mahika" at #22, and Janine Teñoso and Cup of Joe's "Tingin" at #23 as of writing.

Ortiz said she was also able to balance her academic responsibilities and career aspiration..

"Kapag gusto mo talaga [i-purse], parang laging may way and time for it."

(When you really want to pursue something, there will always be a way and time for it.)

To other aspiring student-songwriters like her, Ortiz's message is to just keep writing and never doubt themselves.

"Labas niyo lang nararamdaman niyo sa songs and eventually darating din sa time na makukuha yung songs niyo or mari-release din yan."

(Let out your emotions through songs and eventually the time will come when you will get an opportunity or the song will also be released.)

RELATED: K-pop group UNIS covers BINI’s ‘Pantropiko’