Acoustic Pop rock act Stephen Speaks is back in Manila for these next two weeks for a mall tour; his first in the Philippines since the world was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic.
โI was last here in 2019 and I was planning on doing a few more things but it got interrupted by the pandemic,โ singer-songwriter Rockwell Ryan Rippinger. โNow, I came back as soon as I could. I love the Philippines and I am glad to be back.โ
Stephen Speaks is here for a fifth time for several reasons.ย
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โFirst I have a mall tour that will last about a week. Second, I have a new single coming out that I will unveil on Valentineโs Day. And third, I am working on the details for the release of a greatest hits album โ my first โ on vinyl with a local record label called Eikon Records.โ
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Fans can follow Stephen Speaks in his mall tour with this schedule:
February 12 โ Solaire (a Wish Radio event)
February 14 โ UP Fair
February 15 โ Eastwood
February 16 โ McKinley Hill
February 18 โ Ayala Bay
February 19 โ Ayala Terraces
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โThat new single will be my first with TJ McCloud who was the co-writer of โPassenger Seatโ and I am excited about it. It is a preview of our new album that will be out either late this year or next year.โ
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Speaking of albums, all of Stephen Speaks previous music were all released either digitally or on compact disc.ย
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In fact, the year 2023 marks the 20thย anniversary of the release of Stephen Speaksโ debut album, No More Doubt, in the Philippines. The album was declared platinum (30,000 units sold) 10 days after its release on February 14, 2003, and today, has more than 250 million streams.
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โWeโre going to release a โgreatest hitsโ album on vinyl and that is the first time fans will be able to get the songs โPassenger Seatโ and โOut of My Leagueโ among others on vinyl,โ added Rippinger.
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The album will be released by a local independent label, Eikon Records, and should be available by October of this year.
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โWeโre packing it with the hit songs and I am excited just as much for the fans because it will be on vinyl.โ
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โAnd we are planning a concert to coincide with the vinyl albumโs release later this year. Weโre hoping it will be one anniversary to remember.โ