P-POP boy group AJAA, also known as “The New Generation of P-pop,” recently celebrated a milestone: their first anniversary in the music industry, proof of how far they have come in their journey as young artists.

However, they still have a long way to go and many goals to achieve, which include performing on a bigger stage and promoting the P-pop industry internationally.

AJAA—composed of Ash, JC, Axl, and Alex—told this to republicasia following their successful first-anniversary mini-concert at Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City on Saturday, September 28.

When asked about their goals, Ash said, “Syempre po makapag-perform sa big stage soon, sa overseas, sa ibang bansa.”

The group’s leader added that they also hope to release “more music” for their fans, collectively known as Hanies, to enjoy.

Axl, on the other hand, said, “Tsaka syempre po para malabas po yung P-pop sa iba’t ibang sulok ng mundo.”

Managed by Cornerstone Entertainment, AJAA debuted on September 7, 2023, with the release of their first extended play (EP) called “4Ü.” It contained four tracks namely: “Hany,” “Best Day Ever,” “Cuppy Cake,” and “Torpe.”

They made their 2024 comeback in July, dropping their latest single “BES I LUV U.”

As young P-pop artists, the quartet also advocates for accessible and free education for Filipino students.

Looking back on their journey, AJAA said being together since their pre-debut era allowed them to be closer to one another.

“Dati po hindi pa po kami ganon ka-close. Ngayon naman po, close na kami. Nabuo po ‘yung band siguro two years na since one year yung debut, one year din po yung training namin,” shared Axl.

JC agreed with his co-member and said not only did they get to know more about each other, but they also discovered more about themselves in those two years.

“Nung nabuo na po kami, doon po namin nakilala yung isa’t isa po, yung own self po namin, mga ugali po namin sa isa’t isa, nag-improve po kami lahat doon,” AJAA’s main dancer stressed.

Dream collaborations

Aiming to release more songs for Hanies, AJAA also shared several names of Filipino artists they hope to collaborate with, and among them is R&B singer-songwriter Maki and the “Nation’s Girl Group” BINI.

Ash said he wants to team up with Maki, the “Saan?” and “Dilaw” hitmaker, saying that they share the same music concept.

“Parang same po yung ano namin, concept na parang loser, torpe-torpe,” he said.

Meanwhile, Axl hopes to join forces with BINI since they both have the same song genre.

“Ang ganda po kasi bubblegum pop po sila tapos ganon din po yung ano namin genre ng song kasi parang ang saya po kung magko-collab kasi po parehas makulay,” AJAA’s main vocalist explained.

JC, on the other hand, did not name a specific artist but said he wants to collaborate with other P-pop groups since the goal is to promote the industry.

“Goal po namin ma-present po namin yung P-pop, masuportahan po namin ibang P-pop groups, so, I think kahit sino naman po pwede naming maka-collab. Magiging happy din po kami kung ano po yung mangyayari,” he said.

Mini concert highlights

AJAA kicked off their first-anniversary concert with bop performances of “Torpe” and “Hany,” which elicited screams from the crowd.

Fans also had the opportunity to interact with AJAA, as they participated in a game called “ABCD.” 

In the game questions were asked about general knowledge and how well they know their favorite artists. Fans had to pick the right answer by lining up behind the letters the quartet held, with each letter corresponding to the choices given by the host.

The members then showcased their individual talents through their solo stages, with Alex covering One Direction’s “One Way or Another,” Ash with mrld’s “Sandali,” Axl with TJ Monterde’s “Palagi,” and JC with Kamikazee’s “Huling Sayaw.”

They also had collaboration performances, with Alex and Ash teaming up to perform XG’s “Woke Up” and Axl and JC with John Roa’s “Byahe.”

The event also included a fan video project where Hanies sent their heartfelt messages to AJAA.

“Una sa lahat gusto kong mag-thank you sa mga nag-stay, tapos yung mga nanjan una pa lang, tapos yung mga nandito na rin na bago, thank you kasi grabe yung support niyo sa amin,” Ash said.

“Ang dami na naming pinagdaanan—ang dami natin lahat, kasama kayo doon sa mga pinagdadaanan namin. Sana mag-grow pa yung family ng Hanies,” he added.

AJAA capped off the event with their energetic performance of their latest song “BES I LUV U.”