DreamWorks Animation's 'Forgotten Island' represents a groundbreaking celebration of Filipino culture on the world stage, with an unprecedented soundtrack featuring some of the most talented Filipino artists working today.
Sources tell us H.E.R. wasn't initially planning to write an original song for the film — she had to watch it first and feel inspired before committing. Meanwhile, Angela Leus conducted a 'deep dive' reaching out across generations of Filipino artists to curate this lineup.
The film's soundtrack drops as 'Forgotten Island' previews at Annecy Animation Film Festival next week ahead of its theatrical release later in 2026. Bini, hot off wowing crowds at Coachella both weekends, contributed 'A Parallel World.' Katseye's Sophia Laforteza delivered a remixed version of INXS' 'Never Tear Us Apart.' The title track 'BRB' features H.E.R. and Liza Soberano with Tagalog lyrics — the first time many global audiences will hear the language in mainstream animation.
This isn't just another animated soundtrack — it's a calculated bet on Filipino cultural power at a global scale. When DreamWorks puts Lea Salonga, Bini, and H.E.R. on the same project, they're not playing it safe. They're playing to win.
DreamWorks Animation has assembled what can only be described as a Filipino music dream team for 'Forgotten Island' — but behind the glitzy premiere lies a carefully orchestrated campaign to get the right voices in the room. The film, set to preview at next week's Annecy Animation Film Festival before hitting theaters later this year, follows H.E.R. and Liza Soberano as Jo and Raissa, two best friends tumbling through a mystical portal filled with shapeshifters, demons, and witches.
Angela Leus, senior vice president of Film Music at Universal Pictures and a Filipina-American, revealed the intense vetting process required to pull together this soundtrack. 'From the very beginning, I said, 'I need to be aware of every Filipino music creator out there,' so it was a deep dive and a lot of reaching out to our community in the Philippines and here,' Leus told Variety. 'It was about educating myself on who's out there.' That meant navigating generational divides between artists who dominated Filipino radio in the 80s and 90s versus the new wave of P-Pop talent currently dominating streaming charts globally.
The inclusion of Bini is particularly significant — the P-Pop group just completed back-to-back Coachella weekends where they reportedly 'wowed' audiences, and their contribution 'A Parallel World,' produced by Nathan Matthew David and Shawn Wasabi, represents a major crossover moment for Filipino pop on an international stage. Meanwhile, Katseye's Sophia Laforteza scored the emotional centerpiece: a remixed version of INXS' 'Never Tear Us Apart.' Leus explained that while the original recording represented Jo and Raissa's friendship as young girls, bringing in Laforteza 'signified the evolution of their friendship' — and sources say it wasn't an automatic booking.
Even H.E.R. needed convincing before committing to the title track 'BRB,' a collaboration with Liza Soberano featuring Tagalog lyrics. Leus admitted that neither she nor the filmmakers assumed H.E.R. would write original material. 'Everything needed to come from an organic place,' Leus said.
'But when H.E.R. saw the film, she was so inspired that she decided to write something — and she was even more inspired to bring in Liza.' The result marks what Leus called 'a perfect representation of Jo and Raissa in the story, but also of two strong Filipinas' — a sentiment that's clearly meant to resonate far beyond the film's 90-minute runtime. Lea Salonga's involvement adds another layer of prestige and controversy-proof credibility.
Rather than singing a full song, composer Nathan Matthew David recruited her for 'vocalizations' that bring musicality to key moments — specifically, she provided sounds for a dreaded creature using the indigenous gandingan, a talking gong from southern Philippines. 'Watching Lea Salonga work — she's such a pro and a badass,' Leus said with obvious admiration. The soundtrack also features original songs by SB19 and Ruby Ibarra ('Salbaha Ako'), alongside DMX's 'Party Up' and Baha Men's 'Who Let the Dogs Out' — selections that underscore how this film is aiming for broad appeal while staying rooted in specific cultural frequencies.
Directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado acknowledged the weight of what they've created. 'Many amazingly talented Filipino artists have come together to create this unified experience,' Crawford said, admitting he couldn't have predicted it would 'come together this perfectly.' Whether that perfection holds up when audiences finally see 'Forgotten Island' in theaters remains to be seen — but one thing's certain: DreamWorks didn't hedge its bets. When you stack a soundtrack with Lea Salonga, Bini, H.E.R., and Sophia Laforteza, you're not hoping for representation. You're demanding it.
