Visayan pop

Visayan pop, better known as Vispop, usually refers to popular music in the Cebuano language. The genre has many listeners in the Visayas and parts of Mindanao in which Cebuano is spoken. It is characterized by simple melodies and lyrics that reflect Visayan culture. A November 2022 study by Mesiona et al. identified the influence of traditional Cebuano literary forms such as the balak (spoken poetry, often used in courtship) upon Vispop songs.

In the early 20th century, the popularity of zarzuelas in Cebu led to the increased production of Cebuano music. Modern Cebuano music flourished until the 1970s to 1980s. From the 1980s to 1990s, Cebuano interest in local music waned. BisRock bands briefly revived Cebuano-language music in the 2000s. In the 2010s, the launch of the Visayan Pop Songwriting Campaign steered modern Cebuano music towards a contemporary pop sound, influenced by reggae and rock. Various Vispop songs written partially in Cebuano and partially in other languages, primarily English and Tagalog, achieved mainstream success in the 2020s.