Sunday, May 4, 2025

History Makers: Then, Now, Always

History is not made in a day. It takes process that includes taking chances, making decisions, and facing risks without certainties. Nobody makes history by doing nothing, but it is also true that history is written by the victors. The story that will be told is the story of winners, but how do you know you've won? In the entertainment industry, winning is not getting big quick and fading fast. Being a one-hit wonder in an industry that constantly finds new faces to front, winning means having a steady career with consistent presence. One of the truly successful artists in the Philippines is Gary Valenciano. He's been in the industry for decades. Many faces have come and gone, yet he still remained. His health had caused him problems, especially recently, but he had always been a constant in an ever changing industry. Gary V. has something that every celebrity wants: career longevity.

When SB19 debuted on 2018, uncertainty is the only thing they were sure of. They trained tirelessly without truly knowing what will happen in the future. All they had were their dreams and each other. They were just five young men who were enticed by the idea of pursuing something bigger than they could've imagined. They all took risks, sacrificed something important to them, and believed that all of it would be worth it. If not for one Twitter user who got curious and tweeted the group's Go Up Dance Practice, they might not have existed today, but before that, they already had their debut song, a beautiful ballad that was supposed to put them in front of the Filipino people. It should've been their ticket to stardom given the fact that the country is a huge love song fan, but nothing happened

The dance practice showed their dedication and undeniable talent, but if not for that one Twitter user, they probably would never had the push they needed to be recognized. That was the true start of a bumpy yet beautiful journey of five amazingly talented people and their advocacy to promote OPM. After their dance practice gone viral, people started to recognize, both in a good way and bad. All they wanted was to succeed and maybe have enough to support themselves and their families, yet some people saw them as a target to direct their frustrations and disappointments in life. They were called names like "mukhang tatay", mukhang kargador", "pangit", "kpop wannabe", "kpopangit", and so much more. Someone even threatened to shoot Pablo if the person ever saw him. How can people be cruel and violent towards others? What did Pablo or any other members of SB19 did to them? Sadly, being the center of bitter people's attention is one of the prices to pay for fame and success. If you don't have haters, you haven't made it. 

From 2018-2019, they worked hard to put themselves out there. They swallowed the hate and worked through all the negativities thrown at them. Many betted against them, but these five powered through every obstacle even when the pandemic hit. By 2021, they became the first Southeast Asian group to be nominated in the Billboards Music Awards. This was just one of the many firsts under their belts, and they just kept on going. The term PPOP may have already existed before, but it wasn't recognized, not until SB19. It was Pinoy Pop since the late 1970s. It has been that way until SB19. The term may have been used once before, in some unknown time, but in the known history of the PPOP community, PPOP gained recognition when Mahalima mentioned it in an interview. Since then, it sparked a fire within the hearts of their first fans.

 The group started with busking, school performances, performing at small events, and free concerts. There was nothing much to gain other than trying to showcase their talents and get the attention of the masses. It was never easy. They had to purchase their outfits from Divisoria and paint their shoes with markers so those would look good and themed. They used to share one shade of foundation, even when it doesn't suit their skin color. Back then, they would share outfits because they had no choice. They've been mocked, ridiculed, and insulted, their abilities questioned, but as the years passed by, they kept their feet on the ground and remained steadfast in their pursuit for success.


As their career continued to flourish, improvements became evident. Not just with their wardrobe, makeups, looks, but even with their performances. Continuous skill development is something SB19 is known for. They love to push their limits and break boundaries, but what stuck with me the most was their character development. Some of them had done or said something in the past that they most probably regret, that's is absolutely true, but here's another truth. They chose to grow up and mature. A person's past doesn't define his present, and SB19 is a living proof of that. Being able to witness their continuous growth as talented individuals and as human beings is an experience many fans certainly treasure. Take Pablo as an example. He admitted that he made a lot of adjustments in terms of his attitude, and he did all that because he care for the people he's working with. Josh used to be young and stupid but over the years, he proved that a man can learn from his experiences. He continuously advocates for many important issues, especially about harassments and the music industry. 


2021 was marked as the year when the first Filipino and Southeast Asian act was nominated for the Top Social Artist Award, but that's not the end of it. Their song Bazinga dethroned BTS's Butter in Billboard's Hot Trending Songs. They've been bagging awards after awards, being recognized by different award-giving bodies, both locally and abroad. But things was never always smooth for them, especially before. Fans had been aware of the not-so-good situation under the group's previous management, how Pablo's works were named under the management, which means he didn't get royalties for them until the A'tin called the management out. When their Pagtatag! EP came out, no one knew that they were going through something that many celebrities could consider as the worst that could happen to them. The possibility of losing their name.


SB19 is not just a name or branding. It's their identity and their DNA, so the possibility of losing it may very well be like losing their own birth names. They worked hard for the name SB19 to mean something, so they fought for it in silence and prevailed. No one knows what they had to sacrifice or how much they had to lose, but what matters is they kept their name. Admittedly, their momentum was halted because of their hiatus due to the trademark issue. Many of their world tour stop had to be canceled and the Finale concert only happened last May of 2024. Strategically, they worked on their solo careers for the rest of 2024 to attract solo fans and to earn more. That was the only way they could've gotten what they lost due to that legal battle. Even then, the title track of Pagtatag! which is Gento gained so much traction since its release. Until today, many are still doing the dance challenge, especially from online Asian celebrities and idols. It's 2025 now, but people in different parts of the world, especially in Asia are still dancing to it.


Some thought SB19's career as a group had come to an end last year because of their solo works. Bashers and trolls even celebrated a bit. They thought that the reign of the kings was done. They couldn't have been more wrong. It started when SB19 changed their profile picture across social media platforms. Fans quickly theorized that 2025 would be a new era, and they were right. Shortly after, MAHALIMA dropped the teaser video for their upcoming era, Simula At Wakas. Fans and casuals alike where blown away by the brilliance and artistry they witnessed. Instrumentals from their most iconic songs from their previous eras where reworked and given a classical touch. It was an excellent first step in introducing the new journey of SB19.

 As a welcome to the new era, SB19 changed their profile picture once again on the same day they dropped the teaser, followed by the styled map the day after. From February 2 to February 11, they dropped stylistic portraits and themed photos of themselves that absolutely added more to the anticipation. Fans posted their own theories and interpretation, and made noise in social media, which in turn helped promote the upcoming song and their kickoff concert itself.  Their constant presence in social media since the year started helped boost them in many ways. When they said this is their biggest comeback, they weren't playing around. Everything in this era was intentional, well-planned, and has meaning. The medieval theme of the music video and their costumes, the portrait painting, them sitting on their thrones, all of it were important to the whole story of this EP. 

The song sent a powerful message felt by millions of people that the music video garnered 4 million views in just 24 hours, placing it at the top 2 of music videos that got million views in the first 24 hours after release. It broken through 41 countries while charting in different ranks. In just six days after its release, DAM's music video hit another massive milestone of having 10 million views. In the entertainment industry, celebrities commonly go viral or make it to the news for either having a new boyfriend, a scandalous relationship, or some other wrong reasons. Only some of them becomes a talk of the town because of something they did good, but SB19 has never been in the spotlight for something bad. There may be one or two instances when one or some members got involved in a minor issue or two, but nothing that would speak about their characters as men and people, and it's one of the many reasons I support them.


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