In his latest single, "MANGOES AND RICE," Filipino-American crooner Labit peels away the layers of memory, culture, and quiet resilience to reveal a track that sounds like summer and soul together. The song is released to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month and comes with an emotional music video and much bigger news. Labit's album "SOL" is coming out on October 10th. "MANGOES AND RICE" is a meditation. Riffing on his upbringing, it gets at the emotional texture of growing up Filipino-American. Acoustic guitar strums rebound under Labit's echoing vocals, which float under an easy intimacy. The track is gently radiant, like sifting through childhood pictures beneath the warm sun.
The songwriting exposes a private communication between Labit and his sister regarding their bond and how the lessons of their formative years echo into their lives. But Labit raises that intimacy to the level of something universal. If you're crushed between cultural expectation and personal identity, you'll find something to hold on to here. The video for the track depicts that same sentiment in bold strokes. It begins as a portrait of a young woman navigating work-related mental fatigue and the unspoken cultural weight many AAPI people bear. The grimness slips away as the video cuts back and forth, and a joyful backyard celebration with family, food, and laughter appears. It's not so much a fête of perfection as perseverance.
"MANGOES AND RICE" is an affectionate tribute to where he's been, equal parts honesty and heritage. His honeyed vocals are honest and soothing, urging us to remember who we are and stay grounded. With this release, Labit leaves a beautiful signature of one of the lovely chapters of his evolution as an artist where openness and culture walk uniquely together. And if "MANGOES AND RICE" is a sampling of what "SOL" has in store, you are in for a serving of heart, healing, and homegrown truth.
Discover Labit on Instagram