SB19 shares “secret weapon” as “What?” reaches 9M views

SB19 continues to dominate the scene as the music video for their phenomenal single “What?” has reached 9 million YouTube views as of Sunday morning.

This comes on the heels of their historic Billboard Music Awards nomination, as the first Southeast Asian music act to do so.

In an interview with Nelson Canlas on “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, SB19’s Justin shares that they didn’t expect to be nominated for Top Social Artist, let alone be alongside global acts BTS, Blackpink, Ariana Grande and Seventeen.

The category is based on major fan interactions with the artist’s music including streaming and global engagement, together with the global online voting results.

“We were only hoping,” says Justin. “But of course, we weren’t expecting because international artists have millions and millions of followers on social media.”

He adds that they are overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages they received, including one from the US Embassy.

Congratulations to Filipino music act @SB19Official for being nominated in the @BBMAs Top Social Artist category!#BBMAs #BBMAs2021 #SB19forBBMAs https://t.co/fAVMGqBFFv

— U.S. Embassy in the Philippines (@USEmbassyPH) April 30, 2021

Stell reveals that aside from their hard work and having “Ama” (Father) as their “agimat” (lucky charm), the P-pop group owes a huge part of their success to their fans, called A’TIN. The community consists of fans from the Philippines and abroad who are so supportive and dedicated, they can be considered SB19’s secret weapon.

The hashtag #ATINMayHandaan trended on Sunday afternoon — in addition to the BBMA nomination, fans celebrated their “18th monthsary” by ordering takeout from food brands that tapped SB19 as endorsers.

The pandemic may have kept us apart, but it won't stop us from celebrating together! ????

Order your favorite treats among @SB19Official's growing list of endorsements and let's celebrate their historic BBMA nomination through a virtual #ATINMayHandaan this Sunday at 3PM. See you! pic.twitter.com/vddk25Dg5X

— SB19 - A'TIN Philippines (@SB19_ATINph) May 1, 2021

“Without a doubt, we wouldn’t be here if not for them,” says Stell. “Knowing A’TIN, they’re very hands-on, working hard to spread the word about us.”

“We’re already used to seeing A’TIN make noise for us on Twitter. They talk about us and introduce us and our music to others,” Justin adds. “Now, it’s not just them congratulating us. There are other artists and personalities. We’re happy to be appreciated.” — LA, GMA News