Sarah Geronimo’s 2015 hit single “Tala” regained its popularity four years after it was first released following video clips of its dance performances made rounds on social media.
Filipinos, including celebrities, could not get enough of the catchy anthem, which was part of her best-selling album “The Great Unknown” in 2015.
Geronimo, also known as “Popstar Royalty,” received more than a hundred prestigious awards and nominations throughout her 15-year career such as in the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards or FAMAS and the PMPC Star Awards for Television or Star Awards.
This concert was eventually made into a documentary by Netflix Originals, making her the first Asian artist to have a movie concert film available.
She is now engaged to her long-time boyfriend, car racer turned entertainment personality Matteo Guidicelli.
Dance renditions
Early this December, a Facebook user shared video clips of a barangay volleyball team’s performance of “Tala” as a form of protest against a certain Aling Nelia who was complaining to authorities. Both videos gathered more than a million views.
The first video showed a three-minute dance number of Geronimo’s song performed by volleyball players on a basketball court.
Yung pinapaalis ni aling nellia ang Volley Ball! Hahahaha Hala ang mga Bakla nag perform talaga!!! Basag talaga 🤣💙#TALA #MagBolaHindiMagDroga #VolleyBallLangWalangSayawan 😂#BatangMaynila☝🏻
Posted by Christopher Raquel on Sunday, December 1, 2019
The second video showed a visibly uneasy “Aling Nena” with police officers who arrived to take things into their own hands—or they thought they could.
Ang pag totous ni aling Nellia at ng mga Bakla with Dance Tala Tala! Aling nelia sana May puso po kayo sa Para sa Sports 💙Ps. Natuloy parin ang laro niyan We win Us One!#PartTwo #KabataanLabanKayNellia#MagBolaAtHindiMagdroga #Tala #SarahG#SupportSports 💙🇵🇭❤️
Posted by Christopher Raquel on Monday, December 2, 2019
A Twitter user later considered this the anthem of the gay movement.
Tala by Sarah Geronimo
– Probably the greatest anthem of the gay liberation movement
– Sparked a bloodless neighborhood revolution against Aling Nelia's reign of tyranny
– A lyrical masterpiece, imbued with celestial elegance and astronomical beauty https://t.co/gjyrRTxmhx— Bryan Gonzales (@brygonzales_ph) December 4, 2019
Live performances also trended
Geronimo’s live performances of the hit anthem also resurfaced.
A two-minute video clip of Geronimo’s show of “Tala” back in 2016 had earned 1.3 million views last November.
Congratulations to SARAH GERONIMO for winning Best Dance Performance – Female at 2019 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards)pic.twitter.com/QcKxi0DuE9
— ビンス (@myeonsoon) December 4, 2019
It was shared by a fan account called @sarahgfancams last November 24. The full video which was posted in 2018 came from its YouTube channel SarahGeronimoFan.
The account also cited Geronimo’s previous recognition as one of the “Best Asian Artists” at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, an annual music video awards ceremony, in 2012.
She won alongside Chris Lee from China; AKB48 from Japan; My Tam from Vietnam; Taufik Batisah from Singapore; and Agnes Monica from Indonesia. The overall winner at that time was Taiwan’s Wang Lee Hom.
Geronimo also constantly performed “Tala” in various events such as at the ASEAN Japan Music Festival in 2018, her world tour “This 15 Me” and at her mini-concert during her makeup launch of Pop Cosmetics in May this year.
What fans say
Fans attributed the sudden rise of “Tala” when a local fast-food chain released a television ad called “Linamnam Ulam” to the tune of the song in 2018.
The adaptation catchy lyrics and easy choreography made it appealing to the public until today.
A Facebook user made a witty video that placed the visuals of “Tala” to that of “Linamnam Ulam” which soon gained 5 million views as of press time.
Yung gusto mong sumayaw pero gutom ka. 😂 #Tala
Posted by Ralfy Siosan on Wednesday, December 4, 2019
