Mundane: Genre-Bending Music and Style From the DMV to Manila

Born in the Philippines, raised in the DMV, and now navigating stages and studios from New York to Manila, Mundane is paving his way through a blend of sonic range and a devotion to style as intentional as instinctive. He’s not just creating for the sake of it. He’s building a story, one rooted in identity and evolution.

Mundane’s introduction to music started early, not through instruments or formal training, but through beatboxing. “I was a big beatboxer in the Philippines … on the radio and shit at like 11 years old,” he remembers. That love of rhythm grew into songwriting, and eventually, a full-fledged artistry that matured with each release. From his debut project, New Women, Same Mistakes, to the raw collaboration Identity Crisis, to his most polished work yet, Virginia’s Boy.

“Virginia’s Boy felt like a more serious, polished version of my earlier work. There’s no cap in my shit,” he says. “Everything I talk about has been a situation or a feeling I’ve really had.”

Mundane doesn’t shy away from discussing what it means to be an Asian-American artist in a scene that often underrepresents his identity. But he’s clear: his goal is to earn respect through his craft. He’s not chasing fame. He’s chasing longevity. “I just want respect. Respect for the culture, the history, and the passion I bring to this.”

Part of that passion is fashion. “Fashion’s always been everything to me. Since high school,” he says. His aesthetic is central to how he moves through the world, online and off. He sees it not as a costume, but a conversation. “I try not to let the clothes wear me, but sometimes, it’s the piece that speaks first.”

Though raised in the DMV, Mundane isn’t rushing to be its spokesperson. Instead, he spreads his culture city by city, letting people see where he’s from through his sounds, looks, and words.

In 2025, he’s taking a dual path: keeping R&B at the core while experimenting with what he calls “drag music,” confident, experimental, and meant to lift listeners out of their routine. “I want people to feel cool. Like, really feel themselves.”

At the heart of it all is a simple message: find yourself. “Don’t rush to be something before you know who you are,” Mundane says. “Even when you think you’ve found yourself, keep looking.”

And that’s exactly what he’s doing. One song, one outfit, and one city at a time.