What is Pinoy pop? Is it simply a Filipino version of the turbocharged electro sounds of Korean-pop dominating arenas from Abu Dhabi and Riyadh to Australia? Or is there something deeper to the burgeoning genre, staking its claim as the next big sound coming from Asia?
Ask scene leaders SB19, and the reply is that the boy band define their craft by the emotional response to the songs rather than the way it sounds.
“I don't think there is any real difference between Pinoy Pop, K-pop and pop music in general,” Pablo (full name Pablo Nase) tells The National, ahead of the group's show at The Agenda on Wednesday. “But I think that it has a personal and emotional quality to it because we travel the world and play to many Filipinos.
“They know, even more than us, what it means to be away from home and missing your family. So when we perform these universal songs, some of them happy and others sad, they connect because they relate to us.”
Josh, full name Josh Cullen, remembers a particular exchange with a fan during the band's last visit to Dubai in 2022.
“Her name was Chantel and she told us why, at that time, she was in Dubai for seven months and hearing our music made her feel less lonely and more safe,” he says. “This kind of conversation leaves a big mark in my heart because you are inspiring fans and they inspire us with their words as well. So it is a win-win situation.”
It also means that every SB19 show has the cathartic quality of a family reunion. The Dubai concert is the beginning of the final leg of their Pagtatag! World Tour, which has visited the North America and Canada and is scheduled to conclude in the Philippines in May.
During that time some members worked on solo projects, with Justin (Justin De Dios) releasing debut solo single Surreal in February. Stell, real name Stellvester Ajero, was the winning coach on last year’s season of the Filipino version of television talent quest The Voice Generation.
He confirms he will be back to defend his title on the programme later this year. “The most important advice I gave my team on the show is to not be afraid of expressing yourself,” he says. “You need to know who you are and be confident in showing your true colours.”
It's a lesson the band has learnt after six years in the spotlight. Formed in 2018 after the members individually participated in a talent contest held by ShowBT Philippines, a subsidiary of the South Korean K-pop company ShowBT, the group grew from performing corporate gigs to become the first Filipino act nominated in the Billboard Music Awards for Top Social Artist. They were also the first South-East Asian act to enter the top 10 of Billboard’s Social 50 charts.
SB19 also halted BTS’s record-breaking number one reign on Billboard's Trending Songs chart after their 2022 single Bazinga replaced Butter in the top slot. The group capitalised on the global spotlight afforded to Asian pop artists on the back of K-pop’s success, but Stell recalls having to adapt quickly to the rigours of touring.
Where before Pinoy pop artists would organically build their fan base at home before performing abroad, he says SB19 had a global fan base almost from the beginning. “I am very grateful and love visiting new countries, but touring is also very tiring for me and it can be really suffocating,” Stell says.
It is during these challenging times that the group rely on each other, Pablo notes. “It helps that we confide in each other. We have had some times where we have had to control our emotions and learn how to react to certain situations,” he says. “We try not to waste our energy on things that ultimately don’t matter.”
Sometimes, a little bit of healthy distance from each other also helps keep the SB19 ship afloat. “Taking time out helps when you have arguments,” Justin says. “While we always talk to each other, I believe time also heals.
“Whatever emotions we feel is really because we love what we do and we basically grew up together. And sometimes what works for a specific member in the group doesn't work for another, so you just have to be the bigger person and let it go.”
With the group set to release new single Moonlight in May, their first song since 2023 hit Gento, there is much more to come from SB19.
“It is a really exciting time and this new song will be this summer's jam,” Pablo says. “After the tour we will rest and then plan for the next stage. We have our whole year planned already and we will be preparing for something big for our fans.”
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
More on animal trafficking
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE%20FIXTURES
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