Get in the zone and revisit the growth of P-pop sensation SB19.
A new wave of Philippine pop music has inspired a new level of Filipino talent, and pop boy band SB19 has cemented themselves as one of the trailblazers in this era of Original Pinoy Music (OPM).
With synchronized choreographies and fierce vocals, the Pinoy supergroup continues to champion the Filipino identity in both local and global stages. But SB19's story is more than what meets the eye.
In January 2022, the phenomenal Pinoy boy band unlocked another milestone in their music career as their hit track “Bazinga” remained in the number one spot in the Billboard Hot Trending Songs for seven weeks.
On January 28, the group's lead vocalist, Pablo, marked his debut solo through the release of his highly-anticipated track titled “La Luna,” which he himself wrote and produced.
In September 2022, SB19 announced their first ever world tour, "WYAT Tour" after their single "WYAT (Where You At)."
Unfortunately, in the midst of their success, SB19 faced a challenge in 2023 when Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin parted ways with their former talent agency, ShowBT Philippines, and formed their own company called 1Z Entertainment. This resulted in an issue about their group's name, which later on was resolved amicably by both parties.
Trace their humble beginnings and praise-worthy breakthroughs in this gallery.
The five-piece P-pop band consists of Pablo, Stell, Ken, Josh, and Justin.
Pablo is the leader, main rapper, and lead vocalist. He debuted with the stage name Sejun but later changed it to Pablo which is closer to his real name Paulo. He explained this in one of his tweets, saying, “Nakilala niyo siguro ako na Sejun, pero I feel like I'm more Pablo than Sejun.”
The eldest SB19 member Josh plays the part of the lead rapper, lead dancer, and sub-vocalist. Stell is known as the group's main vocalist and lead dancer while Ken is the main dancer, lead vocalist, and lead rapper. Finally, their bunso Justin is the group's visual and sub-vocalist.
ShowBT was expanding to the Philippines, and they were looking for Filipinos who had a passion for performing. After passing the auditions, the group powered through three years of rigorous training which was closely patterned to how K-pop groups conduct theirs.
With a message centered on heartbreak and unrequited love, the song was intended to introduce the band and their powerful vocals.
Fast forward to December 2020, "Tilaluha" rose to number one on the Billboard LyricFind Global chart. Other SB19 hits that ranked first in the said chart include "Alab (Burning)," "ikako," "Love Goes," "Go Up," among others.
Following their rising fame in 2019, the P-pop group unveiled their official logo and also explained the meaning behind their group's name.
They said, “'SB' in SB19 initially stands for ShowBT, because we are the first Pinoy idol group in our company, while '19' [is] derived from the Philippines' (+63) and South Korea's (+82) country codes. When each number [is summed up] (6+3+8+2), we get 19. This signifies the collaboration between South Korea and [the] Philippines.”
Later on, SB19 added to the story behind their name, sharing that "SB" also means “sound break.” With this in their identity, the group commits to their goal of pushing OPM to the world stage.
While a part of their history and influence is tied with South Korean culture, SB19 is relentless in representing the Filipino identity through the language and stories packaged in their music.
SB19 leader Pablo also shared that their Filipino roots are highlighted in their songs, actions, and interactions with others.
During a Facebook live stream, the P-pop superstars introduced their fandom name A'TIN, pronounced as “eighteen.”
“Kapag walang 18 (A'TIN), hindi makakarating sa 19,” the group shared.
Another meaning to their fandom name lies in the Filipino word “atin” which means “ours.” They revealed that they share all their career milestones and breakthroughs with their loyal and supportive fans.
The P-Pop stars believe that their fans A'TIN are their “light.”
“[A] diamond shines even in the tiniest of light - Our fans are our light. Even if we only receive a little support, we will keep shining. We cannot express how thankful we are, [for] the continued support all our fans have been giving us,” they posted on Twitter.
With the overflowing love and support from their fans, the "Go Up" hitmakers made history as the first Filipino act to be nominated for the Top Social Artist category in the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.
SB19 has championed Filipino music in both the local and international music scene, and their many accomplishments stand witness to their well-deserved fame.
During the pandemic, their discography welcomed two albums: 'Get in the Zone' and 'Pagsibol,' even adding a few music collaborations with folk-pop band Ben&Ben under their belt.
On top of this, the superstars bagged a slew of awards like Artist of the Year, and Song and Music Video of the Year for "Alab (Burning)" at the 2021 Myx Music Awards.
In their latest mini-album, 'Pagsibol,' SB19 immortalized a thank-you for those who believed in them in the standout track titled "SLMT."
It starts off with, “Ako'y nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng sumabay sa paglalakbay ko patungo sa 'king pangarap.” But more than showing appreciation for their fans and loved ones, “SLMT” was also a heartfelt promise that they will continue holding on to this gratitude as they conquer greater heights.
The Pinoy popstars continued to challenge their limits when they performed with a full orchestra band in 'The Forte: A Pop Orchestra Concert.'
But more than this being a milestone-worthy performance in their career, the advocacy of the event also highlighted an honest side to SB19 that goes beyond their insane talent.
All proceeds from the show went to the scholars of Sr. Baptista Battig Music Foundation, Inc., and the group's participation in the cause proved that the group is big on helping the world through their music.
Already with a colorful three-year history, SB19 is going nowhere but up.
As one of the most accomplished OPM acts today, the Filipino pop boy band serves as a source of inspiration for many because they relentlessly pursue their dreams no matter how challenging the journey may be. And when they celebrated their third anniversary in November 2021, they achieved yet another dream of theirs: to perform at the Araneta Coliseum.
The P-pop superstars conquered the Big Dome for their live online two-day concert called 'Our Zone.' Aside from their thoughtfully prepared performances, the group also looked forward to reuniting with the A'TIN through the concert's virtual audience.
Already with a colorful three-year history, SB19 is going nowhere but up.
As one of the most accomplished OPM acts of today, the Filipino pop boy band also serves as an inspiration to a generation of dream chasers. Despite the bumpy roads that met their way, they continued to move uphill in their journey.
And when they celebrated their third anniversary in November 2021, they achieved yet another dream of theirs: to perform at the Araneta Coliseum.
The P-pop superstars conquered the Big Dome at their live virtual two-day concert called 'Our Zone.' Apart from their thoughtfully prepared performances, the group looked forward to connecting and reuniting with their fans through the concert's live virtual audience.
Before capping off the year, SB19 overtook South Korean supergroup BTS at the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart. Their phenomenal track "Bazinga" topped the weekly trendings songs on December 11, leaping from their previous place at no. 8.
The Pinoy pop group was also named as the newest youth and Sentro Rizal ambassadors of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in December 2021.
According to the organization, SB19 was awarded the honor because of their growing influence and "their willingness to support the NCCA's endeavors, as well as their genuine care for advocacies to uplift the Filipino spirit, music and culture to the global scene."
The P-pop superstars teamed up with South Korean producer Ohwon Lee for a track titled "Love Yours."
This marks their second collaboration since they've previously joined forces for SB19's 2019 breakout song "Go Up."
SB19 has also dominated the social media realm, especially since the A'TIN community continues to help expand the reach of their music to the rest of the world.
Breaking yet another record, SB19's "Bazinga" sat proudly at the top spot of the Billboard Hot Trending Songs for more than six weeks - officially dethroning BTS' "Butter" as the longest-staying track to reign at the said chart.
The phenomenal Pinoy boy band's lead vocalist, Pablo, marked his debut solo with the release of his track titled “La Luna.” As of writing, the official music video for the said song has reached over 200,000 views on YouTube.
One fun fact about the SB19 leader's first single “La Luna” is that he produced and composed the song himself.
On March 16, 2022, SB19 had their first international performance in two years when they performed live at the Dubai Expo 2022.
On April 10, 2022, SB19 headlined the first Pinoy Pop Convention (PPOPCON) held in Smart Araneta Coliseum, along with 4th Impact, BGYO, and BINI.
On September 2, 2022, SB19 released their single "WYAT" (Where You At) along with the music video. The disco-pop track is written by SB19 member Pablo, who also produced the song along with his brother Joshua Daniel Nase.
SB19 kicked off their 'WYAT tour' on September 17, 2022 at the Araneta Coliseum, followed by a series of shows in Cebu, Clark, and Davao.
Your 'ber' months will be kept warm with SB19's stage presence.
Similarly, the group is booked for shows the whole 'ber' season.
After the local leg of the 'WYAT Tour,' SB19 headed to Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Singapore.
After the local leg of the 'WYAT Tour,' SB19 will head to the United States, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and more.
As of September 2022, countries included in the WYAT Tour lineup are Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, and Singapore.
They never stop staying connected to their fans all over the world.
They can't wait to meet their international fans!
No matter where they go, SB19 stays true and humble.
October 26, 2022, SB19 celebrated the fourth anniversary of their debut. Pablo shared, "Ako sobrang happy ako kasi syempre parang hindi mo mamamalayan four years na pala kami... na ang dami na pala nating pinagdaanan. At syempre 'yung goal natin 'di ba, hindi naman tayo titigil hangga't hindi nagagawa ang goal natin. Gusto nating makilala ang OPM, P-pop all over the world."
On November 14, 2022, SB19 announced their homecoming concert for December 18 in Manila to celebrate the finale of 'WYAT Tour' and another year with A'TIN.
"WYAT" (Where You At) is the second single from SB19 to land in the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart.
In June 2023, SB19 announced their departure from talent management company ShowBT where they debuted in 2018. In October, they established their own company--1Z Entertainment, with Pablo as the chief executive officer.
Event organizers and A'TINs started referring to the group as MAHALIMA. The members also removed SB19 from their Instagram bios due to an issue with their former talent agency.
Several concert cancellations happened after SB19's departure from ShowBT Entertainment.
In December 2023, SB19 announced they will retain their group name after reaching an amicable agreement with ShowBT Philippines Corp.