IN FEBRUARY 2022, the P-pop industry welcomed a set of artists formed by Cornerstone Entertainment: G22, the girl group named after the Glock 22 pistol.
Powered by their fans, collectively known as Bullets, the trio—composed of AJ, Alfea, and Jaz—is known to be the “Female Alphas of Philippine Pop,” a moniker they live up to through their top-tier vocals and dance skills.
Looking at their impeccable stage performances, one might ask: where is this power coming from that led them to become the “Female Alphas of Philippine Pop?”
The answer can be found in G22’s latest song “One Sided Love,” their comeback single which was released on April 19 and followed their 2023 single “Loka.” True to its title, “One Sided Love” mirrors the trio’s painful emotion of having an unrequited love for someone through the lo-fi R&B vibe that it gives to listeners.
However, the members shared that “One Sided Love” is not just about having romantic feelings with a certain individual.
“Para po kasi sa akin, maraming pwedeng meaning ang ‘One Sided Love’ eh. Like for example one-sided love sa friendship. In our daily lives, marami tayong feeling at experience na hindi ka napapakinggan, so ‘pag ganon, ang one-sided ng mindset ng kinakausap mo,” AJ told republicasia.
While one-sided love can make a person go through a painful experience, the G22’s leader said that this situation can also make someone strong. And that’s how the girl group rose to become the “Female Alphas” in the P-pop industry, said AJ.
“Bakit ba naging ‘Female Alphas’ ang G22? Dahil nasaktan sila. So for me, dahil nasaktan ako in a way na ako lang yung nagbibigay ng friendship [sa isang tao], nabuo ang one-sided love,” she shared.
She added, “Kaya ako naging ‘Female Alpha’ kasi sinaktan ako at ‘di nare-reciprocate yung friendship namin.”
AJ and Alfea agreed with AJ and said that their latest track tackles “any kind of love” one can have for another person.
‘Gyaru core’ concept
The trio shone in their concept photos in pink that served nostalgic and aesthetic Y2K vibes. AJ shared that she worked on the concept deck of their comeback song, which took inspiration from Gyaru fashion—a Japanese street fashion that became popular in the 1990s and early 2000s.
“Gyaru core po talaga yung vibe nung buong kanta. Very, very, very maximalist. Kasi ganon tayo magmahal eh? Very maximalist tayo magmahal, pero pagbalik sa atin minimalist lang pala,” the leader emphasized.
Jaz also revealed that the concept photos—which featured pink hearts, kiss marks, and sparkles—visualized what a person feels when they are in love.
“Kaya light siya pakinggan despite the lyrics [kasi] nakuha namin siya sa nararamdaman namin. Like what resonates in us when we love,” she said.
“Kaya yung sa photos kahit na it’s a heartbreak kind of song, it makes you feel pink, makes you feel cute, and [makes you] feel your maximalist self,” she added.
G22 dropped the music video of “One Sided Love” on their official YouTube account on Saturday, April 27. It features the trio expressing their love for “Mr. One-Sided,” played by Joao Constancia.
Future plans
AJ said the music video contains “hidden gems” that hint at G22’s future projects.
“Maraming possibilities ang mangyayari after the release of ‘One Sided Love,’” she said.
Alfea chimed in, “To be honest, maraming senior artists po namin yung nagme-message, nagre-reach out to send help sa pagbubuo and pagsusulat ng future songs namin.”
While a full-length album is not yet in the pipeline, AJ shared that Bullets can expect subsequent song releases from the girl group in the coming days.
“Ang mapa-promise lang po namin for now ay marami pang songs na mare-release. Not one, not two, but many!” she hinted.
G22 also appeared in “Show It All,” a Chinese reality show produced by EXO member and soloist Lay Zhang. They came to China to represent the Philippines on the international stage, along with the “Nation’s Girl Group” BINI.
The trio said that they are looking forward to having tons of performances for their fans and exploring more about their music. They also hope that the P-pop community will continue to flourish in the future as more music lovers discover P-pop.
They also thanked their fans who have been supportive of them and are their inspiration from the get-go.
“Alam naming hindi easy maging isang fan or supporter ng isang tao, lalo sa group, so maraming-maraming salamat at mahal namin kayo. You are our inspiration in every day. Like I said, kung saan kami pumupunta, dinadala namin kayo,” Jaz said.
