As they kicked off the world tour of their chart-topping album Pagtatag, premier Filipino boy band SB19 showcased yet again their talent when they performed their infectious hit Gento on Los Angeles-based KTLA 5 Morning News on Wednesday, August 2 (US time).

In the interview, they discussed the group’s latest performance at The City National Grove of Anaheim, expressing their amazement upon realizing that the place was fully packed. 

“It was a full house. We were really, really amazed with all the support that we received last time, and we definitely would like to come back here in LA,” Pablo said.

They then discussed the meaning behind their album Pagtatag, saying that it represents the journey of SB19, how they’ve grown as artists, and how they managed to face the challenges that were thrown their way throughout their journey. 

“Pagtatag directly translates to strengthening. It’s our second EP (extended play). It’s like the journey of SB19 on how we grew as an artist and how we managed to overcome all the obstacles that we’ve been through, and now this is who we are, we are SB19, and we’re stronger and we’re bolder,” said Pablo, formerly known as Sejun. 

They followed their interview with a performance of their song Gento, with vocals mirroring what you hear on Spotify and with each step done perfectly in sync. 

Whether it be Stell’s stunning riffs or Josh’s growls as he raps, each member of the group is unique in their own way, all of them adding different levels of depth to the performance. 

This level of professionalism, of course, is to be expected of a group of SB19’s caliber.

The Billboard Fan Army Face-Off

Meanwhile, SB19 is included in this year’s Billboard Fan Army Face-Off. 

With what started out as 64 groups of artists’ fans back in July, the battle has been rigorous thus far, with fans of the likes of EXO, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Seventeen, and of course, SB19, all battling for the top spot. 

After the second round of voting on July 19, 48 groups were eliminated, and only 16 remained. And then on July 31, we were left with only four: Cardi B, Shakira, Seventeen, and our very own SB19.

The semifinals will be held on August 4. While there’s no confirmation yet if our boys have made it to the final round, it’s safe to say that Filipinos everywhere are just proud that they’ve managed to make it this far.

(BTW: it’s not too late to vote! Each one counts.) 

Hard work pays off

SB19 debuted in 2018 after being formed as a group on ShowBT Philippines in 2016. It took them three years of grueling practice and hard work, but eventually, it paid off as they released their first song, Tilaluha. 

Now, six years later, they’re making their mark as one of the few Filipinos in history to be an international hit. Last May, they announced that they were going to be going on a world tour, visiting countries like Chicago, New York, Toronto, and Vancouver.

No one could have expected this much success from a boy band in the Philippines, but with over 700,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram and almost two million on their Facebook page, as well as their recent stints with Billboard and the KTLA 5 Morning News, it’s obvious that the group’s only going to continue to go up from here.

In a previous interview, member Josh Cullen recounted their grueling practices back in their training days. 

They would be performing for nine hours each day and would only ever get one day off to rest. They would perform their routines 30 times each day.

And when they first debuted, their success wasn’t instant, either. It took quite some time, and it wasn’t until they released their single Go Up that they put their names on the map. 

No matter the greatness of the success the group has now, their story is one of humble beginnings. The road to success for this group may have been treacherously long and perilous, but it’s proved to have been extremely fruitful thus far.

Both fans and Filipinos are all praying for the success of the boy band, both in the Philippines and in the rest of the world. After all, what are Filipinos without their famed concept of Pinoy pride?