It’s been a long eight years but gosh was it worth the wait! 4th Impact released their debut self-titled mini-album this week and we have not stopped listening to it. These four Cercado sisters have completely outdone themselves, releasing an epic five-track mini-album where every song shows their depth, range, and flawless vocals. This is the official follow-up to their second single from the mini-album, “All At Once“.
It’s been a journey and a half to get to where they are today, but 4th Impact has proven that their decision to go independent has allowed them to make their dreams come true. All that grafting over the years, in various countries, including their home country of the Philippines, as well as South Korea, the UK, and the US, has accumulated into the understanding that the music industry had the chance to turn these four Cercado sisters—Almira, Celina, Mylene, and Irene—into superstars, but those people failed to do right by the girl group, and so, now 4th Impact owns themselves, their brand, and their music.
With the beliefs of their fans (known as dreamers), this girl group decided to go independent. There’s no denying that being an independent artist in the music industry is one of the most laborious things to do, especially when you’re doing everything by yourself, but if anyone can do it, it’s 4th Impact. There’s no denying that over the past eight years and more so, these four women have just got stronger, better, wiser, more stunning, and more sensational. Their flawless vocals and incredible choreography have just expanded as time has gone on.
This mini-album is more than just a WOW moment, it’s mind-blowingly phenomenal.
Table of Contents
The Journey to 4th Impact’s Debut Mini-Album
Five Faultless Tracks That Show Pop Versatility
This mini-album saw the group fly out to the US and start their independent music careers. They started to work on their self-titled mini-album over there, laying down vocals and connecting with the songs while working with top songwriters and producers in the country including NicoTheOwl (Nicolas Farmakalidis) and Rachel West, as well as with a producer in Dubai—Miklos Malek.
These people are Grammy Award-nominated artists who have worked with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Armin Van Buuren, Aloe Blacc, Anastacia, Pixie Lott, Cher Lloyd, The Weeknd, Julia Michaels, Machine Gun Kelly, XG, Twice, and Maggie Lindemann, amongst many others. Also credited as songwriters are Gary Lee White on the track “Distorted” and Anika Phyllis Wilmore on the tracks “February” and “Hate That Girl”.
Every single one of these tracks is absolutely faultless, not only did 4th Impact bring it for the vocals, but the songwriters absolutely smashed it out of the park with their incredible combination of words that will resonate with every single listener. Crafted gorgeously, these wordsmiths not only know how to write a song, but they know how to write a hit song—and 4th Impact delivers the tracks astronomically impeccably.
Distorted
Kickstarting this new era for them, “Distorted” was the group’s official US debut single, and it was epically powerful upon release, with an absolutely fierce music video that is a total must-watch. This track is a progressive song that leads the listener into an unforgettable mini-album and allows 4th Impact to make a statement from the get-go.
Stunning in every single way, this song introduces the world to who 4th Impact is. Their incredible vocals are faultless in every way and this addicting song is full of heart, soul, and passion. Add their gorgeous voices to the beautifully-crafted lyrics and it’s no surprise it was chosen as their first single. All four sisters get a chance to shine bringing their vigour and drive to the table, delivering one powerful track that we can’t get enough of.
With incredible energy, flawless choreography with a dance break, and undeniable radiance, 4th Impact have landed and made their biggest mark, to date, in the music industry. They’re here, they’ve arrived, and they’ve proven their worth on US soil – we always knew they had it in them. This is just the first step in their soon-to-be astonishing and successful career.
Good Star Vibes critique of “Distorted”, upon release. Click here to read the full article.
Pure versatility in their sound, vocal range, and genre, “Distorted” is one of those instant-love tracks that is a total earworm that is catchy beyond words. This is the perfect song to start this mini-album off.
Round And Round
“Round And Round” starts with a guitar rhythm and some vocalise, hinting towards a ’00s-inspired pop-R&B vibe, before the chorus kicks the track off with dance choreography instructions—this is the song that is bound to light up the stage at any 4th Impact gig as they follow-through with their flawless dance ability. The song’s chorus is somewhat reminiscent of Jax Jones’ “Instruction” featuring Demi Lovato and Stefflon Don, only these lyrics take it even further while the sisters slay with superb harmonies and varied vocal ranges to give it a dynamic sound that is beyond infectious.
Lyrically, “Round And Round” continues the story that “Distorted” started by taking us right through those club doors as we get lost in the music with these four female powerhouse vocalists. The addicting hook leads into the dance-stepping chorus. At the same time, the verses show off the girls’ versatility, adding slight rap flows between the R&B beats, before the rapping verse flies in.
This brings flashbacks to 4th Impact’s audition on The X Factor where they performed Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj’s track “Bang Bang”. Managing to surprise, not just the judges. but the viewers at home too, by nailing Nicki Minaj’s rap. Eight years may have passed but their rapping skills have only soared, with this track a clear testament to that. Once again, they blow us away with the impressive rap verse bringing power and strength to the overall vibe of the song.
If anything, this song makes us want to hit the club with these four “little ladies” just so we can, “Take two steps left, then shimmy it right”. We imagine on any dancefloor they’re not just “little ladies” but powerful formidable women.
All At Once
The third track on the mini-album is “All At Once” which was the second single released from the mini-album. It’s a pop ballad that absolutely strikes a chord or two and pulls at the heartstrings. It’s evidence of their vocal ability as it’s one tough song to sing, and it stands out for all the right reasons in the middle of these five tracks.
The track switches up the energy of the mini-album, taking it down from its vibrant dance tracks to a slow pop song. Emotional from start to finish, 4th Impact manages to touch our hearts and soul with this one. They’ve effortlessly connected with the song on a whole other level allowing the listeners to resonate with every single word.
Stunning with exceptional professionalism, these four singers bring their all for this track and we guarantee that this is going to be a must-listen at any of their shows – we’re totally calling it, this is our favourite song that they’ve released to date. It’s giving us Mariah Carey meet JoJo vibes but more so, in fact, we reckon Mariah Carey and JoJo would struggle to pull off this pure perfection of a track.
Good Star Vibes critique of “All At Once”, upon single release. Click here to check out the full article.
Not many artists in the world could sing this song with the varied vocal notes and riffs, let alone put as much intense emotion as 4th Impact did with this song. Powerful and sublime, this is one powerhouse pop ballad that is beyond perfection!
February
Switching up the tempo back towards their pop-dance style, “February” comes in with a heightened beat that is a brilliant contrast to that previous flawless ballad. Symphonic chords lay the production style out before the first few lyrics begin, and the story they’re telling overall is set to continue. The words take us on a flashback journey to February, to a memory that they’ll never forget. We hear how they fell for this person, how they crushed badly on this person, only to find out that this person was going to leave them, and the one in question wasn’t all that to even begin with.
The stunning vocal delivery of these lyrics sends empowerment vibes to the listeners, encouraging us to get over those memories that are holding us back, the ones where we felt a certain way about someone who wasn’t actually worth our time. One thing that these Cercado sisters absolutely nail—apart from their superb vocals and astonishing choreography—is how they manage to lift us up and send out positivity to every single listener.
Their charismatic personalities are filled with so much integrity and heart that you just know they’d fight in your corner any day. So, how dare any person break their hearts, or even hurt them? Whoever they thought of as they unlocked their passion during this track, didn’t even deserve them in the first place.
Rhythmic with infectious melodic energy, “February” is an iconic track with a brilliantly rhyming chorus that is pure poetic genius. Add that to 4th Impact’s awesome harmonies, that only a group of sisters could pull off, and we really have one treasured hit blazing through our speakers. Then the ending chorus hits and it’s completely out of this world, with various engaging vocal runs, impressive falsetto harmonies, and an ending whistle tone that is completely off the chart!
Hate That Girl
How do you follow “February” up? Well, you do it with this high-energy, shady song, titled “Hate That Girl”. The beat starts with finger-clicks, hand claps, and a drum beat, taking us back to their iconic performance during the Six Chair Challenge during The X Factor where they sang Christina Aguilera’s “Show Me How You Burlesque”. Taking inspiration from that track and the vibe 4th Impact displayed during that performance, “Hate That Girl” is a fierce and captivating number that is perfect to end this mini-album on, allowing all four female vocalists to shine individually, as well as a group.
Slightly wrapping up the story that this mini-album has been conveying, the lyrics delve into a girl who has everything and anything, with the world wrapped around her finger. Full of jealousy and a grudge, this girl group aspires to be her, to become her, to actually do good in the world with all that money and success that this other girl has. It’s a slight shout-out to the music industry for not turning them into global successes, instead, they’ve had to work hard and go independent to just make their debut mini-album.
This irresistible ending track puts a lasting stamp on the mini-album, encouraging listeners to replay all five tracks again due to their pristine vocals, outstanding vocal ranges, mind-blowing emotional integrity, and superhuman vocal riffs.
The Impact of 4th Impact’s Debut Mini-Album
This debut mini-album from 4th Impact is completely next level and proves exactly why they deserve to be global superstars. The eight-year wait may have felt lengthy, but Almira, Celina, Mylene, and Irene, certainly don’t disappoint. All five tracks are impeccable, raising the standards of the music industry as a whole and showcasing the pure brilliance of 4th Impact.
It may have been a long ride, but this stunning collection of tracks was worth the wait. To think that it took this long for this girl group to release a debut mini-album which only happened because they became independent artists, shows the pure determination of these four sisters. Their graft and hard work led right up to this moment and we’re pretty sure that everyone involved in making this mini-album can officially stand back and be proud of what they’ve accomplished with these five tracks.
What’s more is that the Dreamers went all out upon this release, with the album conquering the iTunes charts in the Philippines, Singapore, and Brazil. In the Philippines, they soared to the top spot on the iTunes albums chart, remaining at the top for a number of days. In Singapore, their song “Round And Round” made waves on the iTunes Top Songs, climbing up to the number 43rd position. Then, in Brazil, the album climbed up the iTunes Albums Chart, peaking at Number 6. The fact that they managed to make such an impact bodes beyond-well for their future in the music industry, and with voices like theirs, it’s only a matter of time before they become hugely successful.
They Were on the Verge of Giving Up
Talking about the release of the mini-album on Instagram, 4th Impact revealed: “We are just so proud that we made this album as an independent artist. It’s a dream come true working with Grammy Award nominees who worked with ]the] biggest artists like JLO, Ariana G, XG, Twice, and more.”
“Last year we’re [on] the verge of giving up, BUT during our recording sessions, it made us realize that this dream is worth fighting for. Because we felt our NEW MUSIC is gonna be a HIT! *manifesting,” they continued. “We wouldn’t be able to do this also without the support of our Mom (Erlinda) and eldest sister (Ate Ivy). We hope that this ALBUM will again change our lives. This is the new era of 4th Impact.”
Stream 4th Impact’s Debut Mini-Album Right Now
4th Impact’s debut self-titled mini-album is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms. This has been released independently, with no huge record label or management team behind them—just think, they were able to create and release this masterpiece of a mini-album as an independent artist and on a budget, imagine the possibilities when they have a bigger budget.
We are so ready for the 2024 era of 4th Impact. They are set to absolutely soar this year!