SB19 wraps up WYAT world tour with homecoming concert

After performances in Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Singapore, P-pop kings SB19 is coming back to The Big Dome on December 18, where they kicked off their first-ever world tour last September.

In an interview for GMA Digital Specials, Pablo, Stell, Justin, Josh, and Ken share some of the highlights from their travels, along with lessons they've brought home with them.

For Stell, the main choreographer of the group, having the same lineup for every show meant they had to keep things fresh.

"For example, if we're in San Francisco, what is it about the place and the people there that we can connect our performance to? I realized that as artists, we need to be able to think on our feet, adapt, and work to improve our craft as we go along," he said.

"It may be the same songs, but the audience is different, so we have to make each show different and leave them with this core memory."

Justin, who usually co-directs their concerts and music videos, realized the importance of connection, which is also the message of their song "Where You At?" (WYAT).

"After our ['Go Up' dance rehearsal ]video went viral, we only had a short window of time where we got to perform in front of people [before the pandemic started], and then it was all online for for a time," he said.

"But now, we even got to meet people in other countries. It's really a different feeling."

While on tour, SB19 was interviewed by foreign media outlets, and invited to the Philippine Consulate in New York and San Francisco as ambassadors of the NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts).

Josh hopes this is just the beginning: "Our group, we won't stop, we want more, now that we've reached our momentum."

"Now that we can see other cultures on other parts of the world, we're more curious what's ahead of us, what else we can do. We're on the verge of showing more," he added.

On a similar note, Ken believes this is the only way forward.

"I realized that we're just small fish in a small pond. We need to venture out from this small pond to really grow, and to test our limits," he said.

"In the US, we encountered so many artists who are really talented and passionate, but are barely making it. That's how big the music industry is, and it's really hard to penetrate. In order for us to penetrate that as SB19, we really need to go out of our box."

As for Pablo, the leader of the group and composer-producer of all their songs, the WYAT Tour has provided them with countless inspirations for their next chapter.

"There are times while we were traveling that I would come up with ideas for songs that we could incorporate into upcoming albums," he said. "We're very eager to promote Filipino heritage in the world. We want to get to that point that Filipino music will be known worldwide."

In time for their homecoming concert, SB19 has also released the somber winter track, "Nyebe." They've been performing this song in concerts for a year, and the official release was welcomed by avid A'TIN and casual fans alike. The hashtag #SB19Nyebe also became the top trending topic on Twitter during the release.

Rehearsal time ???????? See you A'TIN on the 18th!

Experience the fun virtually, livestreaming tickets available here: https://t.co/hwOaM4IeRQ#WYAT #WYATTour#WhereYouAtSB19 pic.twitter.com/vZY8F6mBEe

— SB19 Official ???????? (@SB19Official) December 17, 2022

Fans who can't make it to Araneta Coliseum on the 18th can watch the livestream, to be made available worldwide.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News