MANILA - The five-member Filipino male idol group "SB19" is gaining popularity across borders, holding tours in Asia and North America and entertaining fans with their vocal skills and dynamic dance moves.
SB19, which debuted in 2018, consists of 31-year-old leader Pablo, Stell, also 31, Ken aged 29, Justin, 28, and Josh, 32.
The group gained recognition with songs blending Tagalog and English, such as the up-tempo "GENTO," which expresses a desire for success, and the ballad-style "MAPA," which is about family love.
"DAM," released in 2025, topped the U.S. Billboard's weekly World Digital Song Sales chart. They went on a world tour that took them to various countries in Asia, including Japan, and North America the same year.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines, hoping to boost their export of content, has appointed the group as ambassadors for cultural promotion.
Their popularity in Japan is on the rise, with multiple appearances on "The First Take," a popular Japanese YouTube music channel of one-take live performances.
They have shown a strong desire to expand their fan base in Japan, performing at an event celebrating bilateral friendship hosted by the Japan Foundation in Manila in June, and being slated to appear at Summer Sonic, one of the biggest music festivals in Japan, in August following their performance at Lollapalooza in late July in Chicago.
