SB19 takes on ‘biggest, riskiest’ concert yet, teases surprise with J-Pop act be:first
MANILA, Philippines — SB19 is going all out for what they describe as their biggest and most ambitious concert to date, one that comes with its own set of risks.
The P-pop Kings — Pablo, Ken, Stell, Josh and Justin — revealed that tonight’s “Wakas At Simula” concert at the SMDC Festival Grounds, which serves as the finale to their “Simula At Wakas” tour in support of the release of their three-part EP (“Pagsibol,” “Pagtatag” and “Simula at Wakas”), will mark their first time mounting an outdoor concert.
And it’s poised to top their last major shows at the Philippine Arena last year. To recall, SB19 became the first Filipino act to headline and sell out the venue with their “Simula at Wakas” World Tour kickoff, a two-day, high-production show attended by over 100,000 fans.
Admittedly, the members’ choice of venue this time around excites them as much as it challenges them.
“Scale-wise, production-wise, (in terms of) people involved, kung madami na yung before, this one is much more massive really,” Pablo said in response to a question from The Philippine STAR during a roundtable press interview.
“Gaya ng sabi ni Pablo, scale-wise, the production namin, we can say that it’s the biggest so far,” Ken said. “And I think this is the first time na magpo-produce kami ng concert outdoors, so this is very, very exciting. And it’s something that the fans haven’t experienced as well.”
Nevertheless, the scale comes with uncertainty.
“It’s very new to us, and although it’s very risky kasi outdoor nga siya,” Ken readily admitted, before quickly assuring fans, “We are 100 percent confident naman na ma-pull off namin ito smoothly.”
Aside from the venue and number of people involved, SB19 said that the leap in scale is evident across all aspects of the production, especially the overall creative vision.
According to Ken, the concert is being treated as a full-album-level production in line with the release of their 24-track album with the same title, which unifies all of the group’s EPs, plus six new songs.
The group stressed that the goal is to deliver a show that fans will truly feel is worth their time and money.
“Basta sigurado, kinabukasan wala silang boses,” joked Josh.
“Sinobrahan! I think the length of the show is worth it sa binayad nila,” noted Stell.
“Sa production pa lang, masasabi namin sobrang busog na. But with the performance na talagang ni-ready namin, I think doon pa lang masasabi naming it’s really worth it,” he added.
Preparing for the concert has already pushed them to their limits.
“Even for us, it’s ‘too much.’ Grabe. Kahit kami sa rehearsal, grabe. Andito pa lang tayo, hindi pa pala tapos — halfway pa lang pala,” Stell shared. “Parang medyo nasa ganoong stage kami ngayon.”
They look at it as a reflection of how much they and their team have invested in the show.
“It’s something that we really prepared for and talagang pinaghandaan namin ng team na ma-present sa inyo — na sobra, na sobrang deserve niyo yung ganitong klaseng show,” Stell said. “And with this big scale, talagang we will give more, and for sure mas more pa sa mga susunod.”
Apart from the production value, SB19 also hinted at surprises in store for fans, including their much-anticipated joint performance onstage with Japanese group BE:FIRST.
The J-pop boyband has released a song with SB19 titled Toyfriend.
For their part, BE:FIRST echoed the excitement during the presscon with select local media, noting that the concert could easily be one of their biggest live audiences yet.
“We are super duper excited,” the group said through an interpreter. “Even in Japan, we perform in a lot of live audience concerts, but I believe this concert that SB19 is cooking right now is going to be our biggest audience.”
They also underscored their shared goal with SB19 of delivering a fully realized performance.
“SB19 said they don’t want it to be half-baked, and they really want to make sure all the audience would be satisfied. In the same way, also for us, we want them to be satisfied,” BE:FIRST said.
Meanwhile, SB19 feels proud to have collaborated with the boyband from Japan on a song that combines P-pop and J-pop sounds and influences.
The collaboration came about after Ken represented the country as his music alter ego Felip for a music showcase at the K-Arena Yokohama in Kanagawa, Japan last year.
“The collaboration began when I previously performed for D.U.N.K. It was the fans who truly made it happen by engaging with one another, which the BMSG team (management of BE:FIRST) recognized as a valuable opportunity to collaborate with 1Z Entertainment. This led to the collaboration between BE:FIRST and SB19,” he said.
Explaining what the song is all about, Josh was quoted in a media release, “Toyfriend captures the uncertainty of having feelings for someone while feeling completely confused if those feelings will be reciprocated in the first place. In this puzzling situation, one person can end up being treated as a toyfriend, caught between friendship and something more. The track reflects the ambiguity that comes with blurred intentions.”
According to Justin, when the opportunity to work with BE:FIRST did materialize, Toyfriend was identified as the song that best suited both BE:FIRST and SB19 in terms of style and direction.
“SB19 recorded the song at our studio, 1Z, while BE:FIRST recorded their parts in Japan. We ensured that members of our team were present during BE:FIRST’s recording sessions to provide guidance and maintain cohesion in terms of vocal direction and overall sound.”
Besides BE:FIRST, SB19 also collaborated with Chinese pop (C-pop) queen JOLIN, although they wouldn’t confirm if she’s also performing tonight.
(For tickets to the concert later, check out www.livenation.ph.)
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