SB19 Defines P-pop and Succeeds Internationally

The curious case of SB19 has been quite a revelation to me lately—especially knowing that many locals are either unfamiliar with them or are downright bashing them. I’ve always wondered why, despite receiving massive support abroad from both Pinoy & non-Pinoy fans, this talented group still seems to be working toward gaining full support at home. I can't speak for all Filipinos, but I think the main reason SB19 initially struggled to gain full local support wasn't because they lacked talent—it was because of how they were perceived.

Having lived away from the Philippines for almost half of my life, my main source of Philippine entertainment has been the internet. I came across the name SB19 several times through Waleska, who reacts to musical content from around the world. Her channel features a lot of K-pop content, so I assumed SB19 was just another K-pop group. As a result, I never really bothered checking any of their videos—at least until I learned they were actually Filipino.

However, if you already know they're talented Filipino group and still refuse to support them, then that's a different story. This is where we need to educate ourselves and keep an open mind. Just because SB19 was trained under a Korean company does not necessarily make the group Korean. SB19 has addressed this point despite facing criticism. Take the Toronto Raptors, for example. There are hardly any players on the team who are actually Canadian, yet when they won the NBA championship, it was still celebrated as a victory for Canada.

What’s interesting about Philippine music industry is that there’s an abundance of talent, yet very few artists truly succeed internationally. As Pablo himself said, "We're not the best, so why are we the ones who made it?" I do think there's something fundamentally wrong with the Philippine music industry and, more importantly, with how many Filipinos view our own aspiring artists. For reasons rooted in outdated or misguided beliefs, we often find it difficult to support our own artists and only recognize them after they've already made it on their own. We sometimes downplay the achievements of our local artists while quickly claiming Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo, and others as our own—even though, despite proudly acknowledging their Filipino heritage, they were neither born nor raised in the Philippines.

To those people who continue to hate on SB19—especially fellow Filipinos—it's perfectly fine if you prefer BTS or any other K-pop artists. But in case you haven't realized yet, you didn't discover K-Pop culture by accident. K-Pop content is everywhere because the Korean government has long invested in promoting its entertainment industry globally. In fact, cultural exports have become an important part of South Korea's global strategy. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not saying that any Korean won't 'make it' without the help of their own government. Can we at least appreciate that SB19 isn't simply a product of hype or promotion? They've earned their success through talent, perseverance, and hard work. As American radio host Zack Sang put it, SB19 is highly authentic!

Related Post: Why SB19 Made Me Watch Lollapalooza for the First Time