The evolution of pop rock royalty, Yeng Constantino
It has been 19 years and despite her long stay in the industry, Yeng Constantino remains to be the country’s “Pop Rock Princess.” Offering music from the genres pop and rock, Yeng’s evolution is evident with her first song “Hawak Kamay” to her most recent song “Gusto Ko Lang Sumaya.”
What started as a dream at 17 is now a huge mark in the music industry. Yeng was merely an airwave sensation with “Hawak Kamay” in 2006—now, she is a highly-respected musician. It is crystal clear, Yeng’s prominence has lasted for almost two decades now.
But before she could be who she is now, how did it all begin?
Yeng’s dream becoming a reality
Before she could be a known singer, songwriter, musician, host, and actress, Yeng Constantino was first a teenager with a song and a composition. She brought “Hawak Kamay” to Pinoy Dream Academy in 2006, which instantly touched people’s hearts, therefore becoming a hit.
In an article by Mark Angelo Ching, he wrote that the song touched Filipinos because it is a song focusing on countless hardships, yet never giving hope up. When it was released, “Hawak-Kamay” was used in different TV show and movie soundtracks. A foreign artist even translated the song to English.
To this day, the radio still plays both the Filipino and English version, proving Yeng’s lasting relevance in the industry.
Yeng, then, wrote “Salamat” in the same show when she was declared as the winner. The song proved her songwriting excellence as it also became a hit to Filipinos. It was a song of gratitude, and Yeng dedicated the song to her supporters, hence the public’s positive reaction.
What was a hit song is now an OPM classic. Aside from being used in TV shows and movies, commemoration events like graduation rites also use the song. It is more than a classic, it is also, somehow, a Filipino tradition.
How Yeng made her mark
After Pinoy Dream Academy, everyone kept their eyes on Yeng Constantino. She instantly became royalty in the pop rock genre. In January 2007, she released an album containing 10 songs that was just as successful as her first two songs.
Her debut album easily landed at number two on the Odyssey album charts. By April of the same year, the album climbed up the charts and ranked first. The album also produced four hit singles: “If We Fall In Love,” “Pangarap Lang,” “Cool Off,” and “Time In.”
Yeng also reached international heights. In the same year, the album won the Hitmaker of the Year trophy in the first Megamixx Radio Music Awards in Guam. All because she released seven hit songs in one year, and no typical musician does that as quickly as she did it.
Consequently, she continued to win titles and trophies in different music awards the following year. She, then, released another one of her hit songs, “Jeepney Love Story” in 2009.
Filipinos, as the biggest fans of cutesy romance, enjoyed the song with its music video featuring the cameo of Filipino heartthrob Piolo Pascual.
In 2013, Yeng released another hit, “Chinito,” a song dedicated to the chinito Enchong Dee. Hit after hit, Yeng continued to succeed in the music industry, and it showed that she was meant for the title “Pop Rock Princess.”
Straying away from her niche, Yeng released a romantic ballad for her then-fiancé now-spouse, Victor Christian “Yan” Asuncion. She wrote “Ikaw” as a prelude to her wedding with Yan, and like all of her hit songs, it touched Filipinos’ hearts.
“Ikaw” became a song for many Filipino lovers, and like “Salamat,” it is also used in an important Filipino event—weddings. To this date, “Ikaw” remains to be her most viewed music video, with a whopping 155M views as of November 26, 2025.
Her continual evolution
The following years since her debut, Yeng Constantino became more prominent as ever. As of 2025, it can be said that she is indeed royalty in the music industry. Even after entering the acting industry in 2013, Yeng still continues to produce music—now, independently. This shows her deep passion for music.
As of late, she released her second single as an independent artist entitled “Gusto Ko Lang Sumaya.” Yeng composed the song herself, and it is now available on all digital streaming platforms since its release on November 14, 2025.
Audiences can also find the music video, directed by John Prats, on Yeng’s official YouTube channel.
In her Instagram post, she said that she dedicates the song to anyone who’s going through something.
Although known for her massive pop rock hits, Yeng’s recent music shows that she has found a new sound, leaning more towards the rock genre. This proves her continual evolution, even after 19 years in the industry.
From what only started as a teenage dream, Yeng Constantino continues to live her dream as a professional musician. Her mark, albeit impeccable, shows that she is more than royalty in the music industry. She also promotes Filipino pride and she elicits Filipino tradition.
PHOTO: @yeng on IG
Author
