For SB19, global success has never meant leaving their roots behind. The group’s new EP, Simula at Wakas, carries their signature boundary-pushing pop, but also small, deliberate touches of home – inside jokes only Filipinos will catch, the voices of their own dance crew woven into the mix, and visual nods to “bayanihan” culture. It’s a record that speaks fluently in pop’s universal language while keeping its heart firmly in the Philippines. And after a whirlwind few years that’s taken them from Manila to massive international stages, SB19 are crystal clear on what they want: for the world to know exactly where they come from.

Culturally, the EP is a snapshot of how SB19 see themselves right now – more confident, more experimental, and more comfortable letting vulnerability seep into their work. Pablo describes the sound as “cinematic, epic, and big,” a deliberate shift towards richer textures and bolder arrangements. But it’s not all about scale. Between the swelling choruses and polished production, the songs are stitched with personal flourishes – the kind of details you only hear when artists are writing for themselves first, and the industry second.

That mix of scale and intimacy is what’s pushed SB19 far beyond the boundaries of P-pop. In the past two years alone, they’ve watched “GENTO” explode into a viral dance challenge embraced by celebrities and fans worldwide, turning the group into accidental cultural diplomats. Yet, they’re quick to point out that their rise isn’t built on novelty – it’s the result of relentless work, a refusal to mimic trends, and a team culture that feels more like family than business. “Freedom isn’t freedom without responsibility,” Pablo says, and you get the sense that SB19 thrives in that tension.

On the global stage, they’re still evolving. Touring internationally has taught them to adapt without diluting – adding local touches to their sets, throwing in off-the-cuff jokes, or tweaking their language to connect with each crowd. But the mission stays the same: make music that hits hard, carries meaning, and opens a door to Filipino culture: “We want Filipinos everywhere to feel proud,” Pablo says.

Read on for our in-depth interview with the band about their culture, being loud on the global stage, and where they’re going next. 

Sonically, what were you intentionally trying to do differently on this EP compared to your last projects, and where do you feel that evolution is most obvious?

Pablo: For the longest time, our group SB19 has been pushing boundaries in terms of making music. We don’t like to abide by the mainstream sound and try to incorporate the sounds of each other. For this album, I think we went through a more cinematic, mature, vulnerable route and so it’s very evident in the music itself. The production sounds cinematic, epic, and big. We’ve experimented with different textures and other sounds to make it more interesting. Of course, since we’re a pop group, we tried to blend different genres into the conventional sound of pop and I think that’s where we excel because we always try to incorporate each style or vibes of each member.

How does your Filipino identity show up in this EP – not just lyrically or sonically, but in how you approached the process as a group?

Pablo: I think it’s a bit hard because most of the things we do are universal but apart from the lyrics, everything is Filipino. But, I think in terms of the creative process of our EP, we’re very chaotic. First and foremost, when we recorded in the studio, it took a long time because we were fooling around a lot. We also included our dancers, W3, and you can hear their voices in the production of the music because whenever we perform, they’re always there. We try to incorporate them in the official audio as well and I think that’s one thing we could say is very Filipino.

Stell: Also one thing, whenever we create music we always put something that is always relatable when it comes to Filipino humor. We also put [out] something that is very current right now in our country. So every time we film music videos or release music, we make sure that it includes Filipino humor so that our audiences here can really relate and understand every detail of it. Even the smallest things they can really understand why we are doing it intentionally. So I think that part was very Filipino as it is and most importantly, I think the clear messaging of the song is very Filipino itself, but I know it’s very universal but I guess it’s more into touching the Filipino roots instead of being more universal.

Justin: Yes, and if I may add, Filipinos, we have this term called “bayanihan”, where we help each other, and in terms of that, for our team once we were beyond our limit. We didn’t just work for money or as workers for the business, but we really do our best. The team behind us, did not just work for the money or because we hired them, but because they wanted to help us. We consider ourselves a whole family.

Stell: And also to build a connection.

Pablo: I just thought of something, if the question was about not being sonically or lyrically related. I think one of the things we could front is without the lyrics and the sound, you could envision what the lyrics are trying to say and that’s very relatable already. For example, there’s this part in our music lyric that says “PALO! PALO!” It’s like, I think in most Asian countries, if you see someone holding a hand, it already tells you a memory of your childhood. I think that’s one Filipino culture we could all agree on.

Ken: You can actually see it in our music video, “Dunka!” Our Filipinos are known for unity, and we have this word called “bayanihan” and you can actually see it in the music video; it’s just like a lot of people, they’re in there doing things like showing the culture, the Filipino culture. Everything is in there, and if you’re a Filipino and you’re watching the music video, you can immediately understand what we’re trying to convey through our music video or through the lyrics of our song.

Are there any sounds or genres you experimented with here that felt risky or unexpected, even for you?

Josh: We’ve always been experimenting.

Pablo: I don’t think it’s risky.

Josh: I think we just, ever since we were like trying out things that we are not used to or that the usual listeners are not used to, if it feels authentic to us then we’re gonna do it. If we felt something about that music while making it, or it really resonates with how our personalities are. You know we’re such a very diverse group and we just stopped overthinking and just tried incorporating new things.

Which track was the hardest to finish, and did that struggle change its meaning for you?

Pablo: One of the hardest tracks to record in the EP was “Shooting for the Stars.” During the recording of that song, most of the members had colds. So when we recorded it, it felt like I couldn’t feel what they were singing. But we went through it anyway, but after a few days, when everyone got better, we re-recorded the members. Then, when I listened to it again, it was really touching. Listening to the whole track, it really touched my soul to the point that I was humbled. I was reminded of my “Go Up” era days. I think that’s one song that really made me think about what we’re doing right now.  

What’s one moment in your international journey so far that made you feel like the world was finally ‘getting’ what SB19 is about?

Josh: When we released “GENTO”!

Pablo: I think “GENTO” took us to different places without even going there. So when we were on tour, and in the United States, we didn’t expect for “GENTO” to blow up. But suddenly, famous people, people we look up to, were taking part in the “GENTO” dance challenge. In the Philippines, too, everyone was doing it, and even now in 2025. I think “GENTO” is really “GOAT.” (Greatest Of All Time)

What misconceptions do you think people still have about Filipino artists on a global stage?

Josh: I think one of it is that we’re just here to show off or to just put our talents out there, but not without a purpose. 

Justin: Maybe one misconception about Filipinos is that in the international scene, I think most of them think that, when they see a Filipino they think that, “he or she is a good singer” or like “they are very talented” but, what they don’t know behind is that we are just really hard-working and like very passionate about what we want and what makes us happy. So the hard work behind that, I think they kind of forget or they don’t really understand that everyone can be a good singer or can be a great dancer, a performer with hard work. So, I think that’s one thing that they don’t see, like how hard-working Filipinos are. 

Pablo: Maybe one misconception is that we only follow trends, we only follow trends because if you’re going to look at the whole music industry scene all over the world. But like, pinning the Filipino culture. 

Now that you’re performing more on international stages, how do you tailor your performances or messaging – if at all – for different cultures and crowds?

Josh:  We are always excited to see or to perform in different countries and on different stages. We always try to localize something, maybe a script or try to connect with their culture, and how we really love the country. We just try our best to know where we are going to perform. And of course, we believe that what will happen, will happen. Like, we really don’t try to plan everything in script, but we try to really make it authentic as much as we can and have fun so we can really be authentic in having fun and connecting with our fans.

Pablo: We always try to be authentic. When it comes to performing, always try to be authentic and present our concert, we always try to be authentic. But, of course, we always listen. So like, just like what [Josh] said, whatever’s special in the place we’re going to perform in, we try to research, 

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Stell: Try to incorporate something

Pablo: We try to learn or incorporate those special things, maybe in the performance, the script, and try to change the language. 

Stell: Or jokes.

Pablo: Jokes about it. I guess that’s how we try to give importance to the people who have been supporting us in different places.

When people outside the Philippines discover your music for the first time, what do you hope their first impression is, not just of you, but of P-pop as a whole?

Pablo: Personally, I don’t think in one song, they could be able to see the whole Filipino culture. I think if they’re going to be able to listen to our music and like it, I just want them to think that these artists mean business, and then when they get to listen to us, hopefully, they explore what we do here in the Philippines such as how Filipinos are as artists, our culture, our food, everything. Hopefully, through our music, a door opens for them to experience Filipino culture.

You’ve consistently broken barriers for P-pop. Do you feel more responsibility now or more freedom?

Josh: I guess, both. More freedom I say we think that in the future or the future of this industry is already secured, but at the same time, pressured, because, of course, we are still artists who represent or who is one of the representatives for P-pop and we take pride in it. We have always been saying in interviews and all the countries that we’ve been to, how good P-Pop is, and of course, OPM (Original Pilipino Music) itself.

Pablo: Ah, personally, I believe that freedom is not freedom if there’s no responsibility and boundaries. So, like of course we feel the pressure of having all eyes on us performing and being role models, but at the same time, since we have the freedom, we always try new risks, we always try to find things that we haven’t tried before, to learn and to grow and to evolve. So, I guess, if you’re going to ask me that question, we feel both pressure and the freedom.

Stell: And responsibilities.

As ambassadors of a growing global scene, what do you want your legacy to be, not just as SB19, but as Filipino artists on the world stage?

Pablo: So, earlier I was answering that, of course we want our ultimate goal is to pin down the Filipino music and the whole culture of Filipinos in the global scene. Because there are a lot of Filipinos all over the world, I’d like for the Filipinos to feel proud that they’re Filipinos. That’s how I want all of the people to remember SB19 or our music,

Ken: And, of course, aside from a boyband that makes inspirational songs, personally, we want to be remembered as someone who saves people through our music. Like, people will just say, “Oh, SB19 saved me with their music.” So we want to be remembered for music that saves people in their dark times. Yeah, I think it’s the greatest achievement that we could get as artists.

Stell: I’ll add something. As a Filipino artist, I want to be remembered as someone who’s trying to see the beauty in this path, because here in the Philippines, it’s very hard to raise your voice, it’s very hard to please everyone, though you don’t need to please everyone.