In Barbie Almalbis’ ‘Platonic’ music video, fierce, non-romantic love takes center stage

Filipina rock icon Barbie Almalbis has just released the highly anticipated music video for her song, "Platonic." This visual piece is a collaborative effort with award-winning photographer Niña Sandejas, designed to capture the essence of powerful, non-romantic love in action.

The track "Platonic" focuses on the significance of intense love shared within deep friendships, distinct from romantic relationships. Almalbis shared her personal connection to the theme, noting how platonic love has greatly enriched her life, alleviating feelings of loneliness and providing a strong support system. She expressed her belief that fostering such connections could lead to a less isolated world.

For the music video's direction, Niña Sandejas aimed to bottle the raw, intense energy often seen in metal mosh pits, but with a loving context. She found the perfect setting for this concept during a real live gig by Barbie Almalbis at Mow's in Quezon City, describing the idea of Barbie prompting such energy as exciting yet needing to be rooted in affection.

During the performance captured for the video, Barbie reportedly invited the audience to form a mosh pit, emphasizing that it should be done "lovingly." True to form, the Filipino crowd enthusiastically responded, resulting in vibrant scenes filled with crowd surfing, playful shoulder bumping, and palpable energy driven by the music.

"Platonic" marks one of Barbie Almalbis's initial forays into the metal genre. The song is featured on her nine-track album, "Not That Girl," which was released earlier in January and explores themes related to her journey with mental and emotional health. This year has also been busy for Almalbis with the official formation of the Tanaw Collective, featuring fellow rock icons Lougee Basabas, Hannah Romawac, Acel Bisa, Aia de Leon, and Kitchie Nadal, who have staged a repeat concert and released their first collective single, "Landslide."