From a personal standpoint, I think explaining art too much can detract from the immersive experience of it. For fans though, there is an intense urge to want to explain, stemming from the desire to share what we deem to be masterful works of contemporary art. Such may be the case for Felip’s first album, 7sins.
Before we take a deeper expository dive however, it is worth considering that Felip himself is the king of brevity when it comes to talking about his work, preferring listeners feel the spirit behind his music and interpret on their own. It should be noted then, that although I have taken the time to review source materials, the points and opinions below are entirely my own, and focus only on the most obvious interpretation of various artistic elements.
With all that said, let’s take a closer look at 7sins by first understanding variety and cohesion in art.
The Principle of Variety in Art
Felip’s 7sins album takes a multi-genre approach, touching on hip-hop, pop rock, rap, R&B and gospel. Why are there different genres in the album?
The easiest answer is, Felip wants it that way! But kidding aside, whatever his reason may have been for taking this approach, the result has been a good one for the album.
To understand this better, we need to treat 7sins as a work of art. In all works of art, whether visual, musical or literary, the principle of variety is important. It is variety that makes a piece of work interesting and fascinating. Without variety, the album would be boring, rigid or repetitive.
That said, the indiscriminate and aimless use of variety can lead to an unpleasant sensory experience. This is where unity, another principle of traditional art, comes in.
What is Unity or Cohesion in Art?
Any piece of art, whether visual, musical, performance or literary, is composed of different parts. The way these components are put together or utilized to make them look, feel and sound like they belong together is what makes a piece of artwork cohesive. When something is cohesive, there is a sense of harmony, and this feeling, that nothing is out of place can contribute to the enjoyment of art.
In visual art, unity is achieved through the use of such elements as color, texture, shapes, lines and style. A painting will not look cohesive if the elements don’t blend well. Instinctively, for example, you will sense that the ‘90s anime version of Son Goku will look odd placed atop the backdrop of the soft strokes and hues of a pastoral impressionistic painting from the late 1800s. The colors, lines, style— they all clash!
In music, there are also a variety of ways to achieve cohesion. For example, the use of specific lyrical structures, tones, instruments and melodies. Sometimes, the known genre or style of an artist is already a clue on what to expect. You will know for example, to expect aggressive guitars, drums and lyrics from Metallica; and stratospheric ballads from Regine.
In Felip’s 7sins, its strongest unifying factor is its theme, the 7 deadly sins. So even if there are songs from different genres, they feel ‘together’ because of the overarching theme. The key then is to ensure that all its different parts show balance and a sense of belonging.
Visual Thematic Unity in ‘7sins’
Aside from unity in its conceptual theme, the album also utilizes visual unity.
The current form of the seven sins was passed down to us from a list that Pope Gregory I put together during the middle ages in 590 AD, and has often been presented in literature and art across the centuries, for example, most notably in Dante’s Inferno. An extension of the idea of sin associated with the concepts of good and evil were later also depicted in works of Renaissance art, for example in Raphael’s St. Michael Vanquishing Satan.
I mention all these as context because they tie in with the album’s visuals. The album art shows two winged, armored figures locked in battle, modern in its art style, but seemingly inspired in substance by its medieval source material. It may either be a reference to that period or man’s eternal battle against his demons.
The music video for the focus song, “envy” touches on this visual theme as well, represented by Felip in chain mail on horseback. Notice how in the video Felip then shifts from a seemingly medieval battlefield to a modern cityscape? The album and video’s visuals take us back to the centuries old origin and artistic portrayal of the 7 sins (again, middle ages), and then connect it to the present, where the sins are still very much at play in human lives.
Outside of its visuals and overall theme, other unifying elements in the album across its nine songs include the decidedly dark musical and lyrical approach, layered backing tracks, the use of synths and electronic sounds, and the topics of the individual songs themselves. They are all about very human struggles and weaknesses.
Writing from Experience in the Present
The truth is, the best songs are those written from authentic experience, or from the artist’s intense scrutiny of the human condition. Many love songs, or songs about heartbreak or personal brokenness hit hard, because artists who write from experience know what it’s like and are able to effectively translate their experiences into relatable music.
If you were a songwriter yourself, what would you write about that would be most authentic? I’m guessing it would be whatever it is you’ve lived through.
Obviously, Felip did not live through the medieval era, but the mood and visuals are just the backdrop for his art. What he really writes about more importantly, is his present experience as a flawed human being.
If the experience of love is a valid song topic to write about, why not other human experiences like the struggles of someone who has been on the receiving end of intense and sustained scrutiny?
I cannot speak for Felip’s experiences, only he can say for certain what he’s been through but he has left clues. In his Vogue interview he said, “The things I express in my songs are not even half the anger and sadness that I feel every time I write.” He had also spoken about his past anxieties in a mall show, and how brutal social media can be.
In music then, we can arrive at a deeper understanding of songs we listen to if we think about the human experience, particularly the songwriter’s.
Story Anchors and What the ‘7sins’ Theme is Really About
Unlike his EP COM.PLEX, Felip mentioned that the songs in 7sins could be listened to in no particular order. In my opinion however, I think it is important to treat the first and last tracks as story anchors that thread through the 7 sins.
The album opens with the aggressive “foes,” which almost sounds like Felip declaring war on his enemies. Knowing him to be an introspective person, this may also translate to battling the kind of external foes that provoke oneself to nurture far more sinister enemies, the internal demons that lead to repeatedly falling into sin.
For example, the difficulties of life (external) can lead you to gluttonous bad habits that are hard to break (internal), or wanting more from a relationship (external) can spiral into greedy neediness (internal), or obsessively chasing after someone who doesn’t care (external) can put you through a depressed state of slothfulness (internal), and so on.
Throughout the following 7 tracks, we witness a fierce and angry upheaval against destructive forces external and internal. In the end, we see the exhausted warrior weep in “ache,” sad but hopeful, that by accepting his weaknesses, he can finally, truly rise, save himself and grow in freedom.
The album ultimately isn’t doom and gloom. It ends with the hope for redemption.
And the Point Is…
Every work of art, be it music, visual or literary, has a story and a concept behind it. It can be as simple as declaring feelings for a crush or lamenting the one that got away, or it can be as complicated as rocket science or metaphysics.
It’s fine if you aren’t too keen on a piece of artwork. We all have our preferences. But it is an act of both intelligence and kindness to try to understand something first to be able to come up with an informed perspective about it.
This is my attempt to try to share my understanding of what I think is a spectacular work of art. Let me know what you think.
Unity and Variety in ‘7sins’ Explained in Tagalog
Watch this for a summarized explanation about the 7sins album in Tagalog:
7 sins is a masterpiece!