The Story of “Multo”: How Cup of Joe Made the Biggest OPM Song Ever
by Jonas
Five friends from Baguio wrote a song about a ghost and broke every OPM streaming record with it. The story of Cup of Joe, Multo and why it sounds so good on ukulele.
After the Janine Berdin wave, one question kept coming back: what should I play next from the Philippines? Easy answer. Meet the band that rewrote the OPM record books with a song about a ghost.
Who are Cup of Joe?
Cup of Joe are a pop band from Baguio, the mountain city with the cool air and the coffee-shop soul, and the name fits: warm, familiar, a little cosy. They formed in late 2018 as high school friends, signed with Viva Records within a year and spent the next half decade growing from campus gigs into the kind of act that sells out the Araneta Coliseum five times over.
The lineup: Gian Bernardino and Raphaell Ridao share vocals, Gabriel Fernandez plays lead guitar, CJ Fernandez rhythm guitar and Xen Gareza keys. Two singers trading lines is a big part of their sound, and, handily for us, it makes their songs perfect for duets.
Why is “Multo” such a big deal?
“Multo” means ghost in Filipino, and the song is exactly that feeling: someone who is gone but keeps haunting every quiet moment. Released in September 2024 as the lead single of their debut album Silakbo, it refused to leave the charts. Ten straight weeks at number one on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100. The first song by a Filipino act ever to enter the Billboard Global 200. And by 2026 it passed half a billion Spotify streams, overtaking Up Dharma Down’s “Tadhana” as the most-streamed OPM song of all time.
Not bad for five friends from Baguio.
What makes it work on ukulele?
The same thing that makes it work everywhere: the song is carried by its chords and its melody, not by production tricks. Strip it down to four strings and the ache is still all there. The UkuTabs sheet is a chords-only arrangement, so you strum, you sing and the song does the rest. Tap any chord for its diagram, and if the key sits wrong for your voice, the transposer moves the whole thing in one click.
Play it slow, leave space and do not rush the chorus. Like the original, it hits hardest when you hold back.
More Cup of Joe (and where to go next)
Two more Cup of Joe songs are on UkuTabs and both are worth your evening: “Tingin“, their duet with Janine Teñoso, and “Estranghero” from the film Breathe Again. You will find both on the Cup of Joe artist page.
And if OPM has its hooks in you now, keep going: all OPM songs on UkuTabs live on one page, from Eraserheads classics to the newest waves. Fair warning, it is a rabbit hole.
Frequently asked questions
Is Multo hard to play on ukulele?
It is very manageable. The sheet is chords-only with a relaxed tempo, so the challenge is feel rather than finger gymnastics. If a chord shape fights you, tap it on the song page for easier voicings or transpose the whole song.
What does “Multo” mean?
Ghost, in Filipino. The song uses it the way heartbreak does: the person is gone, but they keep appearing in every corner of your day.
What album is Multo from?
Silakbo, Cup of Joe’s debut album from 2025. Multo was released ahead of it in September 2024 as the lead single and outgrew everything around it.
Where can I find the chords for free?
On the Multo song page, free like every song on UkuTabs, with chord diagrams, a transposer and auto-scroll.
One band down. The Philippines has about a hundred more waiting for you, and the OPM page is where they all live. Enjoy the haunting.
