Nation's girl group BINI, Broadway icon Lea Salonga, KATSEYE's Sophia Laforteza, and Filipino-American Grammy winner H.E.R. are leading the soundtrack of DreamWorks Animation’s highly anticipated upcoming film Forgotten Island.
Set for release in Philippine cinemas on September 23 after premiering at the Annecy Animation Film Festival later this month, Forgotten Island is a Filipino culture-inspired animated adventure from DreamWorks Animation, written and directed by Academy Award nominee Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, and produced by Mark Swift.
Set in the 1990s, the film follows best friends Jo and Raissa, voiced by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, whose plans after high school threaten to take them in different directions. What begins as a simple night filled with karaoke and food soon turns magical after they discover a mysterious portal leading them into the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures.
Reflecting the film’s nostalgic setting, the soundtrack draws heavily from the sounds of the 1980s and 1990s while blending influences from Filipino and Filipino-American music culture.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Angela Leus, Filipino-American Senior Vice President of Film Music at Universal Pictures, shared that authenticity became the guiding principle for the film from the very beginning.
“From the very beginning, I said, ‘I need to be aware of every Filipino music creator out there,’ so it was a deep dive and a lot of reaching out to our community in the Philippines and here,” Angela said. “It was about educating myself on who’s out there.”
Having grown up in the Philippines while surrounded by the music her parents loved, Angela said she immediately saw the opportunity to honor Filipino artists across generations while introducing them to a wider global audience.
Among the biggest names leading the soundtrack is BINI, who will perform the original song “A Parallel World,” produced by composer Nathan Matthew David and Shawn Wasabi. The track incorporates Nathan’s central friendship theme for Jo and Raissa, reimagined in a fresh and modern way.
Angela revealed she had been keeping a close eye on BINI long before their recent international milestone on Coachella.
“Joel and Jan had a very creative understanding of what the music was going to be, so it was very easy to come to them and say, ‘There’s this group called BINI — they’re amazing.’ It was a no-brainer and easy to get to that point,” she said.
READ: EXCLUSIVE: BINI shares experience recording ‘Forgotten Island’ OST
In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, BINI shared their excitement and gratitude for being part of a project that proudly showcases Filipino identity on a global platform.
“It’s an honor to be part of this,” Maloi said. “Kasi first time naming maging part ng isang DreamWorks project. And the fact na it’s a Filipino-centric movie, and we’re part of it, we’ll be hearing our voices sa isang movie that represents the Philippines, is such a big deal for us.”
Meanwhile, KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza lends her voice to a remixed version of INXS’ classic hit “Never Tear Us Apart,” which will soundtrack one of the film’s emotional moments between Jo and Raissa.
Angela explained that the song had always been central to the filmmakers’ vision.
“It was important for us to use the original INXS recording because it signified their friendship as young girls. But as you see them grow, that’s where the idea to bring in Sophia Laforteza from KATSEYE — who’s a badass — came from. She put a new twist on it to signify the evolution of their friendship,” Angela said, adding: “The song parallels their friendship and captures the journey from where they were to what they become.”
H.E.R., who also voices one of the lead characters, teamed up with fellow lead star Liza for the film’s title track “BRB,” written by the Grammy-winning Filipino-American artist herself.
Angela said the filmmakers do not want to assume that she will be writing a song because they wanted everything to come from an "organic place" but when she saw the film, she became inspired to write something and even brought Liza to join her.
“We’re so lucky to have that as the end result because it’s a perfect representation of Jo and Raissa in the story, but also of two strong Filipinas.” Angela further teases that “we wanted to make sure there’s Tagalog in the song. As a Filipina, hearing that song, seeing it on screen, and hearing the Tagalog language on a global stage is incredibly special.”
READ: Liza Soberano reacts to landing lead voice role in 'Forgotten Island' of DreamWorks
Adding even more prestige to the soundtrack is theater icon Lea Salonga, who was tapped to provide vocalizations that would bring added musical texture to the film.
“When composing the music, Nathan had the idea of having Lea create vocalizations to bring musicality to the film,” Angela said. “She was able to bring that in a musical way while staying true to the story. Watching Lea Salonga work — she’s such a pro and a badass.”
Nathan explained that creating the score required balancing nostalgia with cultural authenticity. He revealed they leaned heavily on analog synths while incorporating elements of '80s pop and hip-hop to match the film’s setting.
Once the characters enter the mystical portal, the soundscape evolves dramatically, introducing indigenous Filipino instruments and traditional sounds, including chanters, the Las Piñas bamboo pipe organ, and a Filipino choir singing Tagalog phrases.
For Nathan, incorporating Filipino music was never simply about adding local sounds for flavor, but about using them intentionally to strengthen storytelling.
For Lea’s character as the dreaded Manananggal, he used the indigenous southern Philippine instrument known as the gandingan.
The filmmakers themselves expressed excitement over how deeply Filipino artistry shaped the film’s identity.
“What’s been thrilling for us all along is giving a voice to Filipino culture and Filipino stories, and seeing how that has translated into this freshness in the music. Whether it’s having BINI perform — who’s sweeping the world with their talent — or having Sophia Laforteza bring a new perspective to a classic song like ‘Never Tear Us Apart,’ all these voices, which people may already be aware of, are now getting a center stage. It’s really cool,” Joel said.
He added, “Many amazingly talented Filipino artists have come together to create this unified experience. We couldn’t have imagined it coming together this perfectly.”
Beyond the original songs, the soundtrack also features P-pop powerhouse SB19 covering Francis Magalona’s iconic track “Mga Kababayan,” while Ruby Ibarra collaborates with Carl Angelo on “Salbahae Ako.” The soundtrack further includes global hits such as DMX’s “Party Up” and Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
Apart from H.E.R., Lea, and Liza, the film’s voice cast also features Manny Jacinto, Jo Koy, Dolly de Leon, Amielynn Abellera, Jenny Slate, Dave Franco, and Ronny Chieng.