Is it just me but are the girls girling this year? Living in this Barbie, Taylor Swift Eras, 4th Gen K-Pop Girl Groups kind of world of 2023, the girlies are at their peak. And there’s no stopping it.
Everywhere in pop culture, women are having their moment. Whether it’s Sabrina Carpenter being the Pop Princess of our dreams, NewJeans taking over the airwaves and our closets, or basically anything Nadine Lustre, there’s no one “it girl” dictating one look, style, sound, or message. We’re all the “it girls” in this generation.
And, to add to this ever-thriving female pop culture movement, I present you: YGIG, a six-member P-Pop girl group that’s just debuted almost a year ago.
I know what you’re thinking, “Another P-Pop group?” But, I’m telling you now that YGIG isn’t just some P-Pop group. They represent the next generation of P-Pop artists debuting after groups like MNL48, SB19, and so on built the groundwork and popularized the movement. This new generation represents what’s really going on with P-Pop, and it’s that P-Pop is here to stay.
In this cover story, we talk with YGIG about what it means to come “next” and hold the line for P-Pop rise in the coming future.
Meet YGIG
YGIG, also known as “You Go, I Go,” is a P-Pop girl group under SBTown Philippines that debuted just last November 2022. Composed of members JM, Vien, Jewel, Hazelyn, Maeg, and Alexei, they’re the kind of group with no official positions or assigned roles—a rare sighting for idol groups.
Vien shares, “We were not given any specific roles by our company because, as a team, we were trained to be good at our vocal and dancing abilities so we can prove to everyone that we can perform well, whether it's a vocal or dance performance. Being an all-rounder group, we have this eagerness in ourselves that drives us to improve every day.”
And an all-rounder group they are! Each member may have their own flair of doing things but no one sticks to doing one thing.
Before they came onto the scene, most of the girls didn’t have much of an idea of P-Pop like so many of us a few years back. But, according to them, it wasn’t until SB19 that they dreamed bigger. As many P-Pop fans know, SB19 was formed through SBTown, and I’m sure for YGIG, they’ve crossed passed with their seniors one way or another.
Jewel talks a bit about that experience, “During my trainee days, I wasn't as much of a P-pop fan, but I really looked up to SB19. I trained with them back then, and I saw how they grew from their debut until who they are now, and they really inspired me.”
As for Hazelyn, she gives her most sincere words of praise and gratitude to her seniors. “I was inspired by them to take a step forward. They were the ones who gave me the strength to believe in my dream and make it a reality. And that made me where I am now today. I really look up to them, for their songs, art, stories, and the perseverance that they have kept them going until today, and I would always say to myself, ‘If they can do it, so will I.’”
As like many other P-Pop groups, the members of YGIG went through a grueling Korean training system akin to the K-Pop world. This included lessons from vocal and dance to even fitness, mannerisms, and good attitude. But, the kicker in all this? Their training went on for four years until they debuted back in 2022. This meant a long-time commitment for the girls.
To pour your everything into something without knowing you’d get even a sliver of a good result is scary for anyone but the girls persisted through the odds. Even in the moments they questioned themselves, the belief they had in themselves, each other, and from loved ones pushed them forward.
“I would question myself, ‘Is it really for me?’ I kept thinking about that. But, I had all these people cheering me up and who would always say, ‘It's okay, you can try it again tomorrow.’ Because of YGIG, my friends and family, our staff, Teacher, and Tatang, they became my greatest strength to keep me holding on,” shares Hazelyn.
The In’s and Out’s
There’s no bond like the bond in idol groups. Going through hellish training together, living together, and growing up together, the bond of idol groups is unlike any other in pop culture. And this goes the same for YGIG who’ve been through hell and back for each other.
Looking through behind-the-scenes clips and vlogs from the group, you can tell these girls are genuine best friends with all their antics, inside jokes, and the way they tease each other. As a rookie group, many are just getting to know the members, so it’s tough to pinpoint some traits from a few videos out there. But, something I can at least deduce from their interactions is they’re really just like any other friend group.
There’s a casual and comfortable feel to YGIG that I think comes from their almost 5-year bond.
When asked to describe the group dynamics and who they are in the group, Maeg—the bunso of the group—excitedly explains it all.
“We're really quite different, but in a way, we balance each other out. We have the ‘moms,’ Ate Vien and Ate Lyn, who really take care of the group. Next is the ‘cool’ ate, Ate JM! She's always super chill and ready to laugh at anything. Siyempre, di mawawala ang taong ‘adventurous,’ si Ate Jewel! I really like trying new things and exploring places, so it's nice to have someone who's always down. Of course, we have Alexei, ‘the energetic/makulit one.’ As someone who has a lot of energy, I appreciate someone who can also match it!
And, I think, as the bunso, I just try to keep the energy up! I love seeing people laugh and have a good time, especially the members. Things do get quite hard sometimes, so it's best to just take everything in sincerely and do things genuinely! ”
YGIG’s bond is unlike any other. But, that isn’t their only strength. The girls are all involved in the lyrics and choreography of their releases—this gives a whole new personal touch to their songs. “It is essential for an artist to feel and connect with their art or work. And it is easier to do when they, themselves, are the ones creating. So, yes, we are all involved in our process, with one or two leading.
When we create, we consider everything. From the flow, balance, and quality of our lyrics and choreography. Our goal is to always, as much as possible, complete our song. We do not settle for ‘okay’ pieces, we will take our time if we have to. It is our goal and gift to ourselves, our friends, our family, our company, and, of course, to our fans,” shares Alexei.
From “Shaba Shaba,” “Doob Doob,” to even “IDKY,” YGIG shows a multitude of images through every release. Just like their all-rounder status, it extends to showing different sides of themselves each and every time. I mean, even listening to their mini-album “YLGOIVGE,” it’s more about showcasing who they are from different angles.
When talking about YGIG’s music and the “feel” for it, Jewel explains it like this. “Honestly, we think of our songs like we're on an emotional rollercoaster, haha! Example, some of our songs like BB, and SHABA-SHABA, they're more like songs you would listen to if you want to hype yourself up. While IDKY is a song that is very cute, but the lyrics are quite sad—giving it a bittersweet feeling! YGIG aims to release songs that give the listeners a variety of feelings, especially songs that anyone can relate to!”
Generation Next
A few years ago, when P-Pop came onto the scene, there was always that slight chance it’d end as a fad or trend. There was always the possibility that maybe only a few groups could prosper in the industry. Maybe some songs here and there could be a cool TikTok trend we’d forget about in a week's time. Maybe it was just a pop culture thing for that specific moment in time.
But, going back to the present, it’s clear the P-Pop scene is ever-thriving and building up a new generation of artists who’re about to push the envelope even further.
“As the new generation of P-Pop Groups, we, as YGIG, will show our different genres or ranges in terms of music, and we will show our different charms in terms of skills. We hope that we can bring our piece, not just only in our country, but also around the world,” says JM.
And while it may seem like a huge pressure to keep that P-Pop banner waving and to carry that mantle of the “next-gen,” there’s so much genuine support for the P-Pop rise that it drowns out any of those would-be fears. And with so much support and love around, it’ll just keep growing into something we might not have imagined was possible at all for our local music.
Maeg talks about this. “P-Pop is getting bigger and bigger each day. We truly respect our seniors, who have been showing their best efforts to raise the bar and proudly wave our flag. As a group, we really have big aspirations, not only for ourselves but for this industry as well.
Being part of this culture is already such a huge honor for us, so we truly feel grateful to be on this journey with everyone. Of course, there is still pressure, but at the end of the day, we just do things sincerely with the future in mind. We have really high hopes for P-Pop, so I hope you can continue to support it!”
YGIG, at this point in time, is still one of the lesser-known P-Pop groups out there as a rookie group. But, I don’t see this as anything negative at all. In fact, this just means the girls have so much opportunity with how much talent, personality, and heart they have. Yet to scratch the surface, YGIG is the “next” in line for our local scene, the P-Pop rise, and stan lists everywhere. Just you wait!
Vien shares, “To all our WeGo and to our future WeGo, thank you for coming to us. We are always grateful knowing that there are people looking forward to us. We will remember you, WeGo. Let's all move forward with a happy heart!”
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Photography by Rxandy Capinpin
Art Direction by Joe Andy
Production Coordination by Chardy Baldoza
Cover story by Marielle Filoteo
Media Associate Arkeen Perez
Makeup by Janica Cleto, Aldrin Jalandoni, and Jhai Castillo
Hair by Jonnel Derilo and Jaaron Go
Styling by Paris Roxas
with Style Associate Christopher Alerta
Fashion film by Ian Francisco with
Video Associate Anghel Millar
Official Resort Partner Casobe by Millennial Resorts Corporation
Shot on location at Calatagan, Batangas
Special thanks to SBTown Philippines, Universal Records Philippines, and Millenial Resorts