All five members wrote the lyrics alongside legendary rapper Gloc-9
“‘Lam mo ‘yan, ‘pag kami laging iba,” SB19 chants on their latest single “Kalakal.” And true enough, this hip-hop collab they created with Philippine rap legend Gloc-9 is a new flavor in the five-member P-pop group’s discography.
In a recent event where the group performed the song with Gloc-9, SB19 leader Pablo shared that fans have been wanting to hear a hip-hop track from the group, hence the decision to pursue the collaboration.
Featuring lyrics penned by all members of SB19 with Gloc-9, the dynamic hip-hop track boasts sharp and fiery lyrics in a mix of Tagalog, English, and Bisaya. Talk about Filipino!
“What sets this collaboration apart from anything that we’ve done before is that we took it upon ourselves to be as involved as possible from the beginning of the creative process,” the group shares in a statement.
Aside from its earworm-worthy beats (especially the signature flow in Gloc-9’s bars!), the highlight of the song is truly its lyrics, which, as fans have been quick to point out, come with layers of meaning. Being written by the members themselves, each verse is evidently injected with their personality and voice.
While referencing consumer culture, the lyrics also touch on their journey as artists. In a press release, “Kalakal” is described as a song that “chronicles their story of building their legacy as artists through years of hard work, perseverance, humility, and pure talent.”
Meanwhile on a YouTube livestream leading up to the song’s release, SB19’s Stell talked about their vision for the song. “‘Yong ‘Kalakal’ is all about… normally kasi ‘yong mga bagay na ginagawa namin as an artist, hindi namin siya ni-re-release dahil pinipilit namin sa tao na magustuhan niyo ‘yong mga ginagawa namin,” he said.
“Hindi namin pinipilit na lahat ng tao magustuhan kami. Gusto lang namin ma-share ang craft namin, gusto namin ‘yong ginagawa namin. Nasa inyo na kung magugustuhan niyo or bibilhin niyo ‘yong binebenta namin, which is our skills.”
This is the third collab track SB19 has dropped so far this year. The “Gento” hitmakers are set to celebrate their sixth anniversary later this October with a concert at the Araneta Coliseum. A documentary on their recently concluded “Pagtatag!” world tour will also screen in cinemas starting Aug. 28.