Charlie Lim Returns to Manila, Teams Up With Young Cocoa on ‘One Day I’ll Learn’
Last Updated on October 5, 2026 by Over Here Toronto
Singaporean singer-songwriter Charlie Lim is returning to Manila this October, seven years after his last performance in the city. His visit includes a DAYDREAM vinyl listening and live session in Makati on October 11, plus a new version of “One Day I’ll Learn” featuring Filipino rapper Young Cocoa.
The updated track arrives on streaming platforms on October 7. Young Cocoa wrote and performed a new verse for the song, which first appeared on Lim’s third studio album, DAYDREAM.
Lim will then perform at ANALOG MNL in Rockwell Center, Makati, alongside Young Cocoa and Filipino singer-songwriter Clara Benin.
The October 11 event is invite-only and will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Charlie Lim Returns Seven Years After Wanderland
Lim last performed in Manila at Wanderland Music Festival in 2019.
This time, he is coming back with a smaller live session built around DAYDREAM, his third full-length album.
The record arrived in August 2026 and contains eight tracks. Its songs look at regret, relationships, change, and the process of moving forward without always finding clear answers.
Lim said returning to Manila after several years carries a different feeling.
“It feels really good to be back… it has been a while and so much has happened since.”
The October 11 session will give fans time to hear the album on vinyl before Lim performs selected songs live.
Unlike his previous Manila festival appearance, the Rockwell event will place the music in a smaller room with fewer distractions.
The DAYDREAM Manila Session Is a No-Phones Event
The Manila stop will take place at ANALOG MNL in Rockwell Center.
According to the event poster, the DAYDREAM Vinyl Listening & Live Session will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 11.
The event is also billed as a no-phones show.
Instead of opening regular ticket sales, organizers are asking fans to sign up for a chance to receive an invitation.
Those interested can sign up for the DAYDREAM Manila session here.
The release does not state how many invitations will be given out, so signing up does not guarantee entry.
Clara Benin and Young Cocoa Join Charlie Lim
Lim will not perform alone.
Filipino singer-songwriter Clara Benin and rapper Young Cocoa will also take part in the October 11 session.
Benin and Lim have crossed paths musically before. Lim’s career has included collaborations and shared stages with artists from across Asia, and the two singer-songwriters are part of the region’s independent music scene.
Young Cocoa brings a different sound to the Manila program.
Born in Iloilo and raised in Jakarta, Elyon “Young Cocoa” Barrera built his music around hip-hop while drawing from his life as a third-culture kid.
His catalog includes songs such as “Manila,” “Zesto,” and “Nova.” He has also worked with other Filipino artists while moving between hip-hop, R&B, and pop.
His latest collaboration with Lim adds another regional project to that list.
Young Cocoa Adds a New Verse to ‘One Day I’ll Learn’
Ahead of the Manila event, Lim will release a new version of “One Day I’ll Learn” featuring Young Cocoa.
The track comes out at midnight on October 7.
“One Day I’ll Learn” opens DAYDREAM. The original song centers on regret, self-reflection, and the hope of doing something useful with lessons learned from the past.
For the new version, Young Cocoa wrote an extra verse from his own point of view.
Lim said the collaboration worked because the Filipino rapper brought an idea to the track that he would not have reached on his own.
Young Cocoa approached the song in his own way as well. He first listened without reading the lyrics so he could respond to the music through his own memories and feelings.
Rather than copying Lim’s point of view, his verse gives the song another side.
Fans can pre-save the Young Cocoa version of “One Day I’ll Learn” here.
The Collaboration Was Made Remotely
Lim and Young Cocoa did not work on the song in the same room.
The two artists built the track remotely, sending material back and forth as the collaboration took shape.
Young Cocoa said Lim gave him room to try different ideas while writing his part.
That freedom mattered because Young Cocoa often moves between styles instead of keeping every release inside one type of hip-hop.
Lim was also pleased with the finished demo and praised Young Cocoa’s melodic choices.
Their October 11 Manila appearance will now put both artists in the same live program soon after the new version reaches streaming platforms.
DAYDREAM Marks Charlie Lim’s Third Studio Album
DAYDREAM was released on August 26, 2026.
The eight-track album was written over about three years between Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Its track list opens with “One Day I’ll Learn” and also includes songs such as “Nobody’s Home” and “The Hardest Thing,” Lim’s collaboration with Scottish singer-songwriter Tamzene.
Lim worked with UK producer sugi.wa, also known as Will Goldsmith, while several musicians contributed across the record.
The album follows TIME/SPACE from 2015 and CHECK-HOOK from 2018.
Lim has spent more than 15 years releasing music. His catalog has passed 20 million streams across digital platforms, according to his press materials.
His live history also includes Summer Sonic in Tokyo, Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Clockenflap in Hong Kong, and his 2019 Wanderland appearance in Manila.
Lim Is Also Joining a Regional Songwriting Camp in the Philippines
His Manila visit extends beyond the October 11 show.
Lim is also among the songwriters taking part in the FILSCAP Asia’s Songwriting Master Camp 2026, which runs from October 4 to 7 in the Philippines.
The program brings together established writers and music creators from 10 Asian markets.
Participants come from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
They will work in multinational groups to create new songs. The program ends with a Showcase Night on October 7.
For Lim, the camp adds another regional collaboration to a Manila trip already built around his work with Young Cocoa and Clara Benin.
What to Know About Charlie Lim’s Manila Event
Here are the confirmed details:
- Event: DAYDREAM by Charlie Lim – Vinyl Listening & Live Session
- Date: October 11, 2026
- Time: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Venue: ANALOG MNL
- Location: Rockwell Center, Makati
- Guests: Clara Benin and Young Cocoa
- Access: Invite-only
- Phone policy: No-phones show
- Registration: Sign up for a chance to receive an invitation
- “One Day I’ll Learn” feat. Young Cocoa release: October 7
For Filipino listeners who last saw Lim at Wanderland in 2019, the October session marks his first Manila performance in seven years.
Those hoping to attend should submit the invitation form ahead of October 11. Meanwhile, the new Young Cocoa version of “One Day I’ll Learn” arrives four days before the show.
