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After releasing a music video for “Emoji,” which features Queen of C-Pop JOLIN, SB19 introduces another track from their Wakas at Simula album.

Titled “Toyfriend,” the song is SB19's collaboration with another foreign artist, the Japanese boy group BE:FIRST.

In an interview with select entertainment media, the PPop Kings excitedly talked about this collaboration.

Pablo, SB19's “Pinuno,” said “Toyfriend” is a product of their music exploration.

“Nag-iisip po kami ng mga songs na isasama namin sa album. 'Toyfriend' is one of the songs na nagustuhan po namin.

“Firstly, because of the sound. Hindi pa po kasi kami nakapag-try ng ganung klase ng sound na very funky and, at the same time, very sexy. So, we wanted to try it.

He went on to describe the meaning of the song, “Yung 'Toyfriend' po kasi it's about like, wanting something real. So, parang yung kanta 'pag pinakinggan, nasa point of view po siya ng someone na nag-hahanap ng something genuine. Pero yung certain counterpart niya, parang kini-keep lang siya dahil convenient.

“So, parang kami, lahat naman tayo gusto lang natin na mahalin tayo for who we are. So, we thought na through this kind of sound ma-insert yung ganun kind of messaging na hindi pa namin na-try. Kaya po namin siya pinasok.”

Aside from trying a different music, SB19 was also challenged by working with another boy group.

Pablo explained, “Naisip din namin na since nagkaroon kami ng interaction or encounter with BE:FIRST…. Although, sabi nga ni Manato, first time yung boy group to boy group.

“It's so hard to collaborate boy group to boy group. Kasi po, sa limang member pa lang ang hirap nahatiin ang kanta. Paano magbibigyan ng parts? Pero for 'Toyfriend,' we were able to distribute the lyrics equally—as in, equally talaga. Parang lahat ng members nakakanta with two lines, three lines.

“Tapos, we were happy with the result because na-deliver ng BE:FIRST yung kanta with feelings talaga. Nararamdaman ko po talaga.

He also added in jest, “'Tapos, siyempre' SB19. Okay na yan. Okay naman. So-so. Walang… wow!

Pablo also gave credit to their music producer, “With the guide of Alawn, who produced the music, we produced several tracks for global artists as well. Sobrang nagandahan po kami sa kinalabasan ng track.”

Like SB19, BE:FIRST also found “Toyfriend” very interesting.

Manato explained in Nihongo, “When we first heard this song, we felt that its sound, its world, and the message it wanted to convey were something new for us.

“We hadn't really sung lyrics this personal before, so as a collaboration, it became very interesting.

“As Pablo mentioned, this song isn't just about the sound—the performance, the genre, and the style all make it perfect for a group of this size. We felt like we were able to find a really cool way to present it together.”

He also commended SB19's professionalism during their collaboration.

Manato related, “Honestly, collaborations between boy groups are rare. You don't really see them, probably because there are many challenges involved. But with SB19, even before this, we already felt that they value family and teamwork deeply.

“It's not just something you hear in their music—you can see it in their team, their production, and everyone around them. They're all amazing.”

Meanwhile, SB19 hopes to collaborate with more artists in the future.

Josh said, “Yun nga po, parang maraming pintuang nagbubukas for SB19… not just for us but also for other Filippino artists. I feel like nawawala na yung boundaries when it comes to music. Kasi, nandun na tayo sa point where everyone is becoming more open.

“I think we should really try to explore more, so we would be sharing more of our culture, more of our arts rather than just being boxed in the usual way.”

Check out SB19's explosive sold-out 'Wakas at Simula: The Trilogy Concert Finale'