Sore Throat emerges from the dynamic, ever-evolving sphere of Philippine pop, a genre ecosystem that has spent decades refining its ability to connect with listeners both within the archipelago and across the vast global diaspora that carries deep ties to the Philippines. Pop as a category, far from the monolith it is often dismissed as, takes on unique, vibrant shape in every cultural context it touches, and the Philippines’ iteration of the genre is no exception, shaped by decades of intentional cross-cultural exchange, relentless local artistic innovation, and a longstanding commitment to centering the specific experiences of Filipino creators and audiences even as their work travels far beyond the country’s island borders.