Where do we even start with Orange & Lemons and “Pinoy Ako?” It was one of the biggest OPM songs of the 2000s, attached to one of the most popular shows on primetime TV. For months after its release, you could barely turn a radio on without the song blaring. It was played in bars and jeepneys, in offices and inside taxis. The song made its way to the farthest reaches of the country and ultimately helped catapult Orange & Lemons from being beloved indie darlings into the biggest thing in local music.
But the song didn’t just lead to massive popularity and adoring crowds. Allegations of plagiarism, a hard pivot from indie to mainstream, and infighting within the group were all issues that the band had to deal with following the release of “Pinoy Ako.”
Now, for the first time since the song came out, Clem Castro of Orange & Lemons sits down and talks about the song that changed the trajectory of the band. “We weren’t ready (for the fame),” he says. “It made the band, but it also broke us.”
This is the long, complicated story of one of the most popular and polarizing OPM songs, perhaps ever.
Watch: The real story behind Orange & Lemons' hit song "Pinoy Ako"
Watch OG Presents: Orange & Lemons and “Pinoy Ako,” only on the OG YouTube Channel.
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