You've heard of K-pop, but what about P-pop? P-pop stands for Pinoy pop music, and unlike it's Korean counterpart, P-Pop is still developing. Thankfully, we have groups like SB19 that have paved the way for Southeast Asian artists to enter the music scene and reach international success, which was previously unheard of.

SB19 is a five-member Filipino boy band that debuted back in 2018 and has been making waves in the music industry ever since.

Sony Music Philippines

The quintet — composed of Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken, and Justin — got their big break with their 2019 release "Go Up," which went viral on social media and expanded their reach to a previously untapped audience. They've gained international recognition and have broken barriers throughout their career. Notably, they were the first Filipino act to be nominated for a Billboard Music Award in 2021, and their 2023 PAGTATAG! World Tour included sold-out shows across the Philippines, United States, and Canada.

BuzzFeed sat down with the boys to chat about their latest music, disrupting the music industry, and what's to come.

Congratulations on your latest release, “DUNGKA”! What is the main concept and meaning behind this song?

Justin: Actually, "Dungka" is like a play of words in the Philippines — in Filipino, it means 'move out' or 'get out of our way.' It's 'daon ka.' So we just squeezed the words  together. The message of the song is that we wanted to say 'get out of our way' to our haters or bashers, and that if you don't want our music or agree on our goals as artists, then move out of the way. You're not our audience, don't bother us and just... go away.  And in the music video, you can see that it's really cultural. So there's a lot of Filipino-specific things that you can see in the music video that we're excited to share.

You also released “DAM” not too long ago — can you share more about the track and its significance?

Sony Music Philippines

Pablo: "DAM" is the title track of our EP, Simula at Wakas. Basically, when we were making the EP, we had this question in our minds of 'how are we going to be able to exceed what we've done before?' And so we tried to answer all of that in the track "DAM." What made our journey really interesting is that we've faced a lot of tragedies and challenges, but we were able to overcome all of it. And through the years, we've accepted that there will be lots of challenges and sacrifices in order to achieve greatness. We try to incorporate all of that in our music and try to [keep] a diary, explain in our music what we have been through during our seven years within the industry.

And so talking about obstacles and hardships, you definitely have come a long way since your debut. How have you grown as a group and individually?

Pablo: So all in all, we have released four albums already, and Simula at Wakas is the last installment of our trilogy. In the first two albums, we were still trying to learn a lot of things. Specifically, in our first album Pagsibol, or germination in English, was when we started experimenting with producing our own music and choreography, and we're really proud of that. And then in our second album Pagtatag!, we were strengthened by the things that we had experienced. We faced a lot of problems during that era, and now we are at Simula at Wakas.

BuzzFeed: That's such a crazy journey! It seems that the group has been through so much, and it's like you're closing a chapter with this EP release, right?

Pablo: Yes, exactly! So, "simula" means beginning, and "wakas" means ending. So just like that, we try to think that this is our beginning, but also this is the ending. And so our thoughts when approaching this was: "What are we going to do? We have to give it our all." Before we released this EP, we already had the opportunity to explore our individualities through releasing our own albums as solo artists. And we've worked to incorporate all those lessons we learned into this EP, and that's why we call this the biggest comeback ever. Also, we worked with a couple of great producers — great minds — in producing the music, writing the lyrics, and making the music video. We've collaborated with really passionate and talented people to try to raise the bar high for Filipino creative output here in the Philippines.

Talking about raising the bar, you’ve made big waves in the music industry since your debut, pushing P-pop into global recognition through your music. Essentially, you've disrupted the industry by pushing Filipino talent into the global scene. So, how do you guys feel about the fact that you've reached such heights?

SB19: Of course, we're really overwhelmed and grateful. You know what? We're really just kids trying to enjoy what we are doing right now. We really love what we're doing so much; that's why whenever we think about something, we try to execute it, even though it feels impossible. To be recognized and be acknowledged by people from all over the world is just a dream for us. In 2023, when we were on a world tour and stopped in the United States, we learned that our song "GENTO" was going viral, and people from all over the world — China, Korea, Thailand, and so many other places — were doing the dance challenge. And so it's just really a dream as an artist for people to learn your songs, your music, and for other people who don't know the language to speak it or even sing it. So we're just grateful and thankful to everyone who's supporting our group and hope we get to have more audience in the future.

And on the note of feeling prideful and grateful of your success, as a Filipino myself, I know just how proud Filipinos are and how excited they are to showcase how amazing the Philippines is. And so, can you share more about your pride in being Filipino, and how that pride is reflected within your music?

Pablo: Ever since we started, it was our goal to add Filipino culture to a global scale, and I feel like slowly, we're getting there. To be recognized by our fellow Filipinos really makes us proud. Our song "MAPA" is about giving thanks or gratitude to our parents who raised us, and we've had people — like, third-generation Filipinos — say that the song really tells their story and embodies what they want to say to their parents. Hearing responses like that make us really happy that we're doing this career, and we're just really grateful for all the support we've been getting. Hopefully, we make all the Filipinos around the world proud.

Southeast Asians are often met with prejudice, both in the music industry and in society. How have you been affected by these prejudices, and how have you overcome them?

SB19: Our group doesn't really focus on the negatives because when we focus on the negatives, we tend to overthink. Instead, we come together as a group and plan what we can control. And when something bad happens, we maneuver our way out of it. We just don't want to have these hurdles bring us down. So in terms of prejudice, we don't dwell on it too much. But then, you can't please everyone, right? That's why we created our song "DUNGKA" — you won't be able to please everyone, but in doing what you love and following your dreams, you'll be able to invite people to come inside your house. Those people are who will support you [to] the very end, and those are the people that you should be treasuring and giving your attention to. We live for those people who support us, and we will keep doing music for them until we're old. That's our mission as a group.

What inspired you to pursue music?

LOUIS ANTHONY DURAN

Josh: It's very different for each of the members. Maybe some of them really love music from the get-go, and some of us love music, but at the same time, want to inspire people. I didn't really know how to do it, but then I met these talented guys, and so I took the opportunity. And I really can't speak for everyone, but I think ultimately, we really want to inspire people, share our love, and showcase the talent of Filipinos and put it in the global scene. We take pride in everything that we do.

Pablo: For me, if I'm going to be honest with you, at first I started doing this because I think I have a talent in singing and performing. But as people got to know us, it felt like there's something more to what I was doing — that there is a purpose. It felt like I was not just singing for myself, but for the people who are being affected by my music.

Justin: Personally, when I was a kid, my dream was to become an actor, but I also enjoyed performing back then in school activities. It just happened that I got this opportunity to perform, and I was able to meet these guys and loved working with them, and that was what made me pursue music. It's because of them.

Ken: Personally, I grew up in a church, and I've been exposed to music ever since I was a child. And that's why I thought that I could do it. It's not because I was like, full of myself or overconfident, but I just believed in myself that I could do it. And fortunately, I'm here now.

Stell: So, growing up in a very typical Filipino family, I was extremely exposed [to] music because my family used to do the usual karaoke in the house. My parents usually set up the microphones and the DVD player, and then tried to perform and sing the whole day. When they saw me dancing on the side, they always pushed me to sing with them. But to be honest, I was into dancing more than singing. When I was in high school and college, my friends kept on saying that I need to go to an audition in Korea or somewhere here in the Philippines because they saw the potential in me. But I was focused on my studies [at] that time. And finally, there came a time where I really needed to step up and [do] what I can to earn money to help my family. And of course, with the influence of other artists that I look up to, that's the time I decided to pursue music. 

What are your goals for your music career? How have you stayed motivated?

Josh: Previously, I was group mates with Stell in a dance troupe, and I really loved dancing. And then I had the thought of: 'Can I use this to inspire the people around me, or maybe the entire Philippines or maybe the world?' It was just an ambitious idea before, but I was aiming for it and looking forward to doing it. I just didn't know how. Then, I realized that I could do so much if I really focus my attention, and of course, all of my energy into it. And one of my biggest dreams was to help the economy of the Philippines. I believe that it's the same as studying. I think art and inspiring everyone's heart is something really powerful.

Pablo: For me, apart from using my platform to inspire people — because I know that my voice can reach a little bit further than others — I want to have all the Filipinos around the world have many reasons to feel proud that they are Filipinos. That's one of my biggest goals — for Filipinos to have many reasons to proudly shout, 'I'm a Filipino. What's up?'

Justin: I think one goal for our group is to really introduce Filipino music culture and talent across the world, but personally, I just want to express my creativity through music. So because of SB19 and our career right now, I'm able to show my creative ideas and imagination through music.

Ken: My goal is simple — I just want our music to be acknowledged, not just in the Philippines, but outside the country. There's a lot of stages that we want to perform on, especially the big stages in the US. The US is the biggest consumer of music, and we want to be a part of it.

Stell: As a group, we have the same dream and goal as a group. But personally, I want to use my voice and influence positively and be an example to everyone — especially the youth — that loving yourself is the most important thing that you can give to yourself. As an artist, it's very hard for us to do the things that we love, especially if it's something different or unusual to other people, but for us, it's the things that really make us happy. But you only live once, and as long as you do the things that you like, and you do things based on your beliefs, that's the most important thing that you can do to yourself. And of course, I want to spread happiness to everyone, and it's free to be a good person.

SB19 is a trailblazer in P-pop reaching international recognition. What do you think is next for P-pop?

Sony Music Philippines

Pablo: Personally, from what I'm seeing right now, P-pop is growing really quickly. Doors are opening for everyone to have this platform and showcase their talents here in the Philippines and slowly in the global scene. I think in the next coming years, we will be exporting shows like P-pop conventions in other countries —promoting not just music, but also the food, TV shows, and whatnot — and creating this wave of Filipino culture being celebrated all over the world. That's what I'm seeing.

Josh: For sure. We're here to build and support it. We're not here to gatekeep anything, and we're here to really give our all and share the things that we learn to everyone who's still dreaming to be part of P-pop. We believe that in the near future, it's going to get maybe 100 times larger than what it has become right now, and it's going to multiply with those compounded efforts among all of these groups and shared dreams. I personally believe that maybe we're one of the instruments to really give a hand [to] other people's dreams in the future that would like to try this journey.

Talking about this wave of Filipino talent that you are supporting — do you have any Filipino artists you’d like to shout out?

Justin: We are very thankful to all of the artists, especially Cup of Joe, Ben&Ben, BINI, Miss Sarah Geronimo, Lea Salonga, and Sir Gary Valenciano. There's a lot of people that inspire us as a group, and we're just really thankful for all of you guys. We hope we were able to introduce Filipino music to the rest of the world and are so thankful to be supported by so many people. So, let's go. Let's keep on dreaming, and let's inspire more people.

What Filipino dishes do you think are S-tier?

Editor's note: The boys were super enthusiastic for this question and yelled in excitement about it.

Pablo: Adobo is famous in other countries, but for our group, we love sinigang.

Josh: We're acidic people!

Stell: You should try Laing — it's a very Filipino dish.

BuzzFeed: What kind of sinigang do you like — pork or fish?

Pablo: So the four of us (gestures to himself, Justin, Ken, and Josh) like pork sinigang, but Stell likes shrimp sinigang the best.

Share a message to your fans!

Sony Music Philippines

Stell: To our fans, to our beloved A'TIN, we are very, very thankful and forever grateful to all the support and love that we've been receiving from you guys. We can't ask for more because you guys are enough for us, and we can't imagine our career, our lives, without you guys supporting us. It's been almost seven years, but nothing has changed. It's still you guys, and we are forever growing, and we hope that until the end, we stay forever and stay true to each other. We are hoping to see you guys in our future shows, in our concerts, and we're very excited to share our new music in this new era. So please be ready and be happy, because we're very excited to see you, and always remember that SB19 loves you. Thank you.

Finally, what does music mean to you?

Stell: We can't live without music. Music is my getaway to my problems, to any of the situations that I'm not sure if I can cope up with. I can't live without music. That's for sure.

Thanks for sitting down with us SB19! For even more, be sure to follow SB19 on Instagram and YouTube, and stream Simula to Wakas — out now!

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