SB19’s Billboard Music Awards nomination is just a first of many for Pinoy Pop.
I’ve been a huge K-pop fan since 2009. Starting from groups like 2ne1, Wonder Girls, UKiss to the younger ones like EXO, iKON and Itzy. It is known that K-pop’s charm is in their catchy beat and polished-to-perfection choreographies. So when I saw SB19 for the first time with their song “Go Up,” I was amazed by how good their music and dance execution was. The Pinoy boy band is made up of members Justin, Sejun, Ken, Josh, and Stell.
Although the group draws heavily from K-pop influences, SB19 wants fans to embrace them as a Pinoy Boy Band. Josh told in an interview, “I think what’s more important is how we express our music into the P-pop industry. There are a lot of Filipino talents that are under the radar, not just us, but there are a lot of Filipinos who deserve recognition. Maybe we can be one of the stepping stones where we can present Filipino talent to the entire world.”
They surely did because recently they made waves due to their nomination for Top Social Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. According to Billboard, finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data.
SB19 was pitted against four other big names namely Ariana Grande, BTS, Blackpink, and Seventeen. This marks as a first not only for a Filipino music act, but to Southeast Asian artists as well. Thanks to SB19’s fans for their hard work, they must have been the proudest. Here are the many times SB19 made us proud even before their BBMA nomination.
Powerful Lyrics
SB19’s songs just get better and better as their song lyrics mature along with them. They always have showcased variety in their songs from upbeat ones like “Go Up” that tells about how they are relentless in pursuing their dreams to uplifting ballads like Ikako, a song that empowers people amidst pandemic.
Last March, they released “What?” and has already garnered 9.7 million views. The song title is a word play for watawat. Raising our flag is a recurrent theme throughout the song with personal but patriotic symbolisms.
The lyrics goes:
‘Di na bala para iangat ang bandera
SB19, What?
Bara na sa puso niyo na ang tatama (bang)
Ama, salamat at Ikaw ang agimat
Bawat banat, iwagayway mo’ng watawat
SB19 is not only making their voices heard loud and clear, but our collective stories as Filipinos as well.
Unmatched discipline
SB19 is the first Pinoy Boy Band that was signed under a Korean entertainment so they also trained for years like how all Kpop groups were made. The members have gone through a lot before debut.
They have known poverty, family problems, failing health, and mental health struggles while they juggle work and studies during their rigorous training. The group use these experiences as inspiration not only for their songs, but also as motivation to keep on pressing forward and rising up while maintaining humility.
They set a good example to other emerging P-pop groups with their discipline because it shows that hard work, quality music, and talent will never go unnoticed.
Something to celebrate
SB19’s nomination will open doors of opportunity to many Filipino and Southeast asian music acts. It’s encouraging enough to think that it’s actually possible for Filipino musicians to be globally recognized.
We live in a time where representation really matters since there are many prejudice towards people of color in the west. SB19 representing us on an international stage will show the world what Filipino artists are capable of.
Related:
In The Zone Of Their Own, These Live Performances Prove Why SB19 Deserves Your Full Attention
