Jay Som - Belong

Six years on from 'Anak Ko', Jay Som’s Melina Duterte returns with 'Belong': a confident, quietly bold indie-rock album shaped by distance, reinvention and a whole lot of studio hours.

In the years since her last release, Duterte has been everywhere but centre stage – producing Grammy-winning records, touring with boygenius, and rebuilding her relationship with music behind the mixing desk. That time away wasn’t just a break; it was a recalibration. 'Belong' is the result: a record that opens itself up, lets others in, and still sounds entirely like her.

Opener 'Cards On The Table' is playful and layered, with vocals that glide over warped electronics. 'Float', featuring Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins, leans into crunchy, melodic alt-rock with real ease, while 'Past Lives', with Hayley Williams, goes big on emotion and even bigger on guitars. Both collaborations feel purposeful, not performative – real creative chemistry, not just names on a tracklist.

There’s contrast throughout. 'Appointments' is a delicate, open-hearted highlight. 'Casino Stars' is quirky and offbeat. 'What You Need' and 'Drop A' sit somewhere in between – polished, charming and quietly infectious.