The Second Life of “Bebot” and the Reinvention of Apl.de.ap
In a candid catch-up with Preview, Apl.de.ap reflects on the unexpected global resurgence of “Bebot” in 2026.
Published on Mar 2, 2026
When I last sat down with Apl.de.ap in October, the conversation orbited legacy, heritage, and his enduring global imprint. Months later, the Grammy-winning artist of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas sounds less like a pop star in perpetual motion and more like an entrepreneur happily toggling between diplomacy, coconut groves, underground raves, and an internet-fueled cultural resurgence he never saw coming.
Apl.de.ap Talks About Legacy and His Current Projects
“I’m pretty sure I dream about coconuts these days,” laughs Apl, describing recent days spent out in the fields for OMTSE, a venture builder focused on large-scale agricultural and natural capital infrastructure he co-founded.
Sure, it’s a far cry from the stadium lights he’s used to, but just last January, this very initiative brought Apl under another kind of limelight. Allan Pineda Lindo found himself in snow-dusted Switzerland, serving as a cultural ambassador for the Philippines at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It was the first time the country mounted its own pavilion. While it was long overdue, watching global investors lean into conversations about the Philippines felt absolutely energizing.
“It was great to see how the country participated and how excited investors were to want to create business in the Philippines,” he shares excitedly.
And then there's “Bebot.”
Released in 2005, the Tagalog anthem has found a second life in 2026, erupting across TikTok as the soundtrack to beauty transformations and Filipino pride posts. “It’s kind of surreal,” he admits of witnessing a Tagalog word ripple across global feeds. “Sometimes you feel like nobody knows anything from your catalogue—much less your solo songs—and here they are, taking over the internet!”
The trend, he emphasizes, was entirely organic. No campaign. No rollout. Just Filipinos doing what they do best, which is mobilizing culture at algorithmic speed. “I had no idea that it was trending,” he shrugs, adding, “My artist J-Rey told me that it was on TikTok and suddenly it was everywhere.”
“It really shows the power of Filipinos and their social media ability to make a Tagalog song trend globally. It was really humbling to see how many people knew the song.”
In between his recent surprise virality and getting his boots soiled out in the boondocks, album #10 with the Black Eyed Peas is quietly taking shape. “There isn’t a release date just yet,” he reveals, “but we’re always working on the album. We’ll get together and put things down. Some work… some don’t. We’re just always collecting things that we hear in the places we go [to] and challenge, inspire each other.”
June brings a European run with the Peas, but before that, Apl returns to Vancouver, Canada, in April for a benefit show. By then, it would have been a year since the Lapu-Lapu Festival Day Block Party tragedy whereby a sport utility vehicle drove into the crowd, killing at least 11 people. Proceeds from the show this year will go to victims’ families. “Hopefully we can bring smiles there again. It was such a great show with J-Rey last year and the audience was so engaged,” he shares.
Quickfire Questions with Apl.de.ap
Preview: Who’s your favorite bebot?
apl: My mom.
Preview: When did you first feel that you "made it"?
apl: Recording with James Brown.
Preview: Best concert to date?
apl: Too many to count! New Year’s Eve at the Copacabana Beach was a really special one. The first time I came back to the Philippines to perform in front of my mom was an amazing one as well.
Preview: What was your very first job?
apl: Farmer! I used to help my grandfather tend to carabao.
Preview: Which new artists are you dying to work with?
apl: BINI.
Preview: Which moment in your life would you most like to relive?
apl: The first time I got to see my mom again after moving to the States and both realizing [that] it’s going to be ok.
Preview: Would you rather be 15 year old again with all the knowledge you have now, or fast forward to ten years?
apl: Start my life at 15 so I can relive it, but I don’t think I’d change anything!
Preview: If you could snap your fingers and fix one thing about the world, what would it be?
apl: Malnutrition.
Preview: What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten in the Philippines?
apl: My mom’s adobo, surrounded by all my family.
Preview: Who is your role model and why?
apl: Dado Banatao. Talk about a man who’s never forgotten to look back.
Preview: What is one thing you’ve never revealed to your parents?
apl: I try not to disclose how much partying I do, but I’m sure she already knows.
Preview: Biggest guilty pleasure?
apl: Midnight spicy Chickenjoy.
Preview: What’s your favorite childhood memory?
apl: Hanging out with my brother Arnel.
Preview: Favorite scent in the whole world?
apl: The smell of a home cooked Filipino meal.
Preview: What is your biggest regret in life?
apl: Not telling people I loved them before it was too late.
Preview: If you could invite any 5 people in the world to your dream dinner party, who would they be?
apl: Kendrick [Lamar], Sadhguru, Manny [Pacquaio], [Barack] Obama, and Amal Clooney. Would be random. LOL!
Preview: What’s the worst career advice you’ve ever received?
apl: To hear “That we weren’t tangible enough.” To this day I don’t know what that meant but it drove us to just keep being ourselves.
Preview: What makes someone a "real" Pinoy?
apl: As long as they got love for the culture.
Journalist Shauna Jay Popple’s human interest stories appear in a variety of respected outlets. A luxury PR practitioner, she’s also taking up Fashion Design at SoFA Design Institute.