Pop-rock band Agsunta started the year 2019 with a sad news for their fans. Amidst the harsh criticisms from both colleagues and netizens, Agsunta decided to “sign-off” from the music scene. Part of their time off was taking down all their covers and other materials posted on their YouTube page.
While the band chose not to disclose the real reason behind their move, there were speculations saying that Agsunta had a conflict with another OPM band December Avenue. In a tweet posted by Zel Bautista, vocalist of December Avenue, he mentioned about using other people’s artistry for personal benefit and fame. Since Agsunta is known for sharing their own rendition of December Avenue songs, with some covers even gaining more hits than the original version, netizens were quick to assume that Zel’s rant was meant to attack the Agsunta band.
In the TWBA October 22 episode, Agsunta broke their silence about the issue. According to the band vocalist, Jai Singson, their group has decided to take a pause in order to stop the bashing. While Zel did not mention any name in his controversial tweet, the netizens made assumptions and this, according to Jai, has hurt their feelings.
In doing covers, Agsunta always makes sure to get the original singer or composer’s permission. There are rules to follow as well, especially in terms of YouTube’s policies on revenue compensation.
Putting the controversies aside, Agsunta is back in the music scene with an original song, “Kung ‘Di Na Ako” now available on all streaming services.