Photos Courtesy of Sony Music
From Billboard, MTV, and all the way to Rolling Stone, SB19 is in full force as torchbearers of Pinoy pop. But global recognition aside, the band continues to defy structure and push the boundaries of what they can achieve. And with the recent release of their six-track EP, "Pagsibol," the band continues to prove that the sky's the limit as the project allowed them full creative control for their visions.
A Filipino word that translates to germination, as to how seeds grow into plants, Pagsibol is a reference to the band's journey in the music industry. "We want our EP to symbolize our beginnings, origins, or simply our roots," SB19 shares in a statement. But mapping their growth has shown SB19 going all out as they sprinkle bits of the experimental without sacrificing accessibility — showing the group is unafraid to try new things while never forgetting where they came from.
Pagsibol contains the earlier released singles: the empowering anthem "What?" to celebrate individuality, the heartfelt ballad to their parents "MAPA," and the comforting dedication "Ikako" to frontliners. These singles pave the way for the rest of the tracks as the EP is filled with both emotions and empowerment. SB19 describes the tracks as interconnected as they show their varying yet meaningful journey”
The three new tracks include "Mana" which is short for the Filipino mythical creature manananggal, whose torso flies into the sky while the lower half sticks to the ground. This EDM-R&B fusion redefines the word and relates it to SB19's journey to soaring high but still keeping their feet on the ground.
While "Bazinga," a trap-pop song with reggaeton rhythms, reflects on the band's naysayers and the criticism artists face in their careers. And finally, "SLMT," short for salamat, meaning 'thank you,' is an insanely catchy bop with meaningful lyrics to honor A'TIN, which refers to fans of the band.
When asked about how they want their audience to perceive Pagsibol, leader Pablo says this: "Basically, ayaw namin iisa lang yung tunog na maririnig nila pag napakinggan nila yung whole EP. Gusto namin kapag nakinig sila, the next song will be a different sound from what they have heard dun sa nauna. Gusto namin makasakay sila sa rollercoaster na talagang maiiba-iba talaga yung mood nang, sa ganun, hindi nila mapepredict or mabibigla sila, kung ano yung mapapakinggan nila na susunod." [Basically, we don't want them to be limited to one sound when listening to the whole EP. We want that when they hear it, the next song will be a different sound from what they heard before. We want them to ride a rollercoaster that would drastically change their mood, and, in that way, they wouldn't be able to predict, or they'll be surprised, with what they listen to next.]
And indeed, he's right. There's no one word to describe SB19's musicality. And with the release of Pagsibol brings a multitude of genre-fluid music that defies structure and introduces new elements to their sound. And it seems this will only continue as the band can only go up from here.
Don't forget to stream SB19's EP, "Pagsibol," on Spotify. The boyband is set to perform the songs for the first time in their upcoming online concert, Back In The Zone, on August 1, 2021 (Sunday), 19:30 PHT. VIP and VVIP tickets are sold out, but you can still get general admission tickets here.