Josh Cullen proves there's no one like him in solo showcase

For centuries, philosophers and thinkers have grappled with a deceptively simple question: What makes us, us?

Josh Cullen answered this question with his solo showcase, "Like Me," held on September 26 at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura. His latest single of the same title, a collaboration with Korean-American rapper Jay Park, is an aggressive clapback to his haters and naysayers, but the showcase delved deeper into what makes SB19's lead rapper who he is as a person and as an artist.

Josh kicked off the evening with "Get Right" and "Like Me," two tracks that perfectly showcase his spunk and swagger. Right at the get-go, he made a bold claim: "Pag-uwi n'yo galing sa show na 'to, wala na kayong makikitang katulad ko mag-show."

But beneath the confidence that could be misconstrued as cockiness lies the real essence of who Josh Cullen is: his versatility and vulnerability.

Josh dug deep into his discography to tell the story of what makes him, him. As the night progressed, he peeled off a different layer each time, showing his versatility as an artist. Beyond his hip-hop pen game, he explored love and relationships through "Yoko Na," "Re: Thinkin' About You," and "Sofa," his collaborations with Al James, H1-KEY, and Ocho the Bullet and Carrot Mayor. He invited fans onstage to dance and sing a verse of "Sofa."

Beneath Josh's tough exterior is an introspective artist who is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. What began with an air of spunk and swagger gradually turned into something far more intimate.

He then performed tracks from his 2024 solo debut album "Lost and Found," including "Sumaya," "Silent Cries," "Honest," and "See Me." During "Honest," Josh opened up about the anxiety he has been experiencing in recent weeks and his struggles to speak about what he has been feeling, despite constantly showing people his strong side.

As he struggled to gather himself, the audience began chanting, "We love you." Josh bowed his head over the microphone stand, seemingly taking in the words before apologizing to the crowd and transitioning into "See Me."

Still visibly emotional, he admitted that he has struggled to see himself and understand his own importance. Then comes the simplest expression of what he seemed to have been asking all night: "Thank you for seeing me."

The show eventually found its way back to hope. "No Control" began in a mellowed-down arrangement before it gradually returned to its original version. He then performed "1999," a song born from the wounds Josh carries. As he spoke about songwriting reopening old wounds and trauma, the audience later sang "1999" at full volume, turning the performance into a collective catharsis.

He ended the main set with "Wild Tonight," his solo debut single, a callback to where his journey as a solo artist began and a reaffirmation of the artist he has become.

For the encore, he performed "Lawless" and "Crimzone," two SB19 songs on which he shares writing credits and normally performs alongside his fellow members.

He punctuated the night with another performance of "Like Me," seemingly adding a period to an answer that had been unfolding throughout the evening.

At the beginning of the show, Josh promised the audience that they would never see another show like his. Perhaps the point was not simply to prove that he was unlike anyone else; it was to show them exactly what makes him himself.

—MGP, GMA News