When they said they’re “gonna go up,” they really meant it―from foreign music charts to international magazine features, the boys of SB19 are making P-pop history.

US business publication Forbes has noticed the band’s social media presence, featuring the fivesome on its online channel and highlighting their homegrown success with the way they localized (and embraced) the K-pop model.

https://twitter.com/TamarWrites/status/1277794325355732994

Forbes writer Tamar Herman touched down on the band’s identity. Though managed by the local arm of a Korean entertainment company and are influenced by K-pop culture, SB19 is undeniably still Filipino.

“We have a sense of universality and we take something and utilize it to make something better out of it,” leader Sejun told Forbes, attributing this kind of versatility to the intense training that K-pop idols undergo before debuting, which SB19’s company ShowBT implemented.

The K-pop industry is known for its brutal training system as well as the lengths (we’re talking years here) idols go through even after snagging a chance to debut.

SB19 also shared their struggles with Forbes, even bringing up the dreaded discussion of disbandment―a curse that haunts many K-pop groups. But, as they said, the group is determined to reach their dreams and push the boundaries of local music.

“That’s what I think is the most important thing, how we express our music into the P-pop industry,” Josh told Forbes. “Maybe we can be one of the stepping stones where we can present Filipino talent to the entire world.”

As of writing, Herman’s tweet with the article link has over 3,800 retweets and 5,700 likes. The feature gained a lot of traction from SB19’s loyal and dedicated fanbase A’TIN, which is always ready to root for the group’s success―from trending hashtags to cementing the group’s place among K-pop legends in the Billboard charts.

SB19 rose to popularity in 2018 with their hit song “Go Up,” propelling them to P-pop idol stardom and placing them in the front and center of the local pop music scene.

Photo from SB19’s Facebook page