IT’S common for a song to be accompanied by a music video to create a visual representation and better understanding of the listening public of what a song is all about.
But 64 music videos? That’s a whole lot!
For Filipino singer-composer Seth Dungca and his latest single “Pangako,” the huge number of music videos for his song is good so that the public will have a variety of perspectives for his musical creation.
Recently, the song created a world record and something for the Philippines to take pride as it spawned a whopping total of 64 music videos. The creative output handily surpassed the standing Guinness World Record for Most Music Videos Made for One Song.
The official world record is currently owned by British EDM duo Coldcut for their 1998 song “Timber,” which has a total of five different music videos.
This means Dungca’s “Pangako” generated 59 more videos than the previous record holder, already a source of Philippine pride.
The creation of dozens of music videos for “Pangako” started when singer-composer Dungca’s record label Insight Music launched a film competition in partnership with UFC, a local food brand, to crown the official music video for the song. By July 8, 2021, a total of 64 people have submitted official entries, and all may now be viewed for free on the Insight 360 YouTube channel.
While YouTube provides proof of the song’s record-breaking achievement, Dungca and Insight Music still need to get official verification from Guinness World Records.
Insight Music President and Chief Creative Director Chris Cahilig disclosed that the label is currently in the process of applying for the record, but he is confident that they’ve broken the 23-year-old feat.
“It’s clear that we beat the current record by a landslide. Obviously, 64 is decidedly greater than 5,” says Cahilig. “Every single one of these entries is also officially published on our YouTube channel. And they’re all unique, so the proof is right there.”
The process of world record validation can take up to 12 weeks, shortened by the organization’s Priority Application scheme that may take only five days.
“We hope to get this verified as soon as possible,” adds Cahilig, “because as far as we’re concerned, Seth and Pangako have earned it.”
As for Dungca himself, he believes earning a Guinness World Record is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement that he earnestly hopes will push through.
“I would never say no to having something as prestigious as a Guinness World Record,” says Dungca, “and to receive it because of all these uniquely beautiful music videos for my song fills me with an infinite amount of gratitude.”
Dungca says more than just the bragging rights of being a world record owner, seeing all the creativity from the 64 videos has made Pangako his proudest work yet.
“It’s crazy how much effort people put into making these videos. It shows that something about my song compelled them to direct these personal, moving, sometimes wacky music videos,” says Dungca. “The world record is really just a bonus. It’s already a huge win for me just seeing how music and film can come together to express real human beauty. I’m happy we got to do that with Pangako.”
Dungca believes that choosing from the submitted music videos posed a tough challenge for the selection team. “I’ve seen all 64,” says Dungca, “and let me tell you, the judges were in for a frustrating time. Each video struck a chord in the viewer’s heart in a uniquely artistic way.”
Insight Music recently announced the Top 20 music videos that will compete for the grand prize of P50,000 and the distinction of being Pangako’s official music video. The winning music video, along with the People’s Choice Award winner for most YouTube views, will be announced on July 30.