There is no other way, but UP for an idol group like SB19, as the exploding P-Pop genre seems to only surge forth this year, following the recent rise of a number of similar groups formed practically in its mold.
On the heels of SB19’s massive success, their fervid fans are calling them ‘P-Pop Kings’.
There are overwhelming merits to it. Last week, their breakout single Go Up sealed its place as the number one entry to Billboard’s LyricFind Global Chart. It marked the seventh time for the group to occupy the top spot of the said chart.
An incredible feat no other Filipino group has ever achieved. It comes after the streak of phenomenal breakthroughs the group pulled off last year, including its no.6 debut on the Billboard Year-End Charts Social 50 Artists, making them the first-ever group from Southeast Asia to enter the chart’s Top 10.
Comprised of highly-skilled members–Justin, Stell, Sejun, Josh, and Ken, SB19 has the makings of future global superstars and it isn’t difficult to believe, given their incredibly blazing pace in their foray into the international music scene.
Interestingly, and [I guess], amusingly, SB19 isn’t alone in P-Pop’s charge to conquering the global market, as more local idol groups follow their lead, which kind of suggests, that a revolutionary new era of OPM is currently unfolding.
Just last week, the new P-Pop group, BGYO, was officially launched, and while the new group is yet to create its own milestones as an emerging Filipino act, the possibility of them contending with SB19, popularity-wise, seems to be out-of-the-question. Of course, with a number of similar groups that will inevitably emerge in the coming months—or years—P-Pop’s chance of penetrating the world market gets much easier.
When that happens, SB19 will be distinctly credited as pioneers of Pinoy Pop music’s emergence as developing world music, and who knows, a new pop music craze that would finally put OPM on the global music stage.
There is already a number of Filipino acts to occupy spots on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 Chart—namely, Jaya, Lea Salonga, and Charice—but they’ve pulled off such feat, one at a time, and not together.
Now with the explosion of P-Pop as yet another subgenre of OPM, the possibility of finally pulling-off such a titanic milestone becomes an inevitability.
It is vital to pay attention to the other factors—aside from their ‘acts’ themselves in making this dream a reality, take A’TIN, SB19’s zealous army of fans, for instance. One of the biggest reasons why SB19 got into the charts without any difficulty is due to the active efforts of A’TIN’ to push their idols forward. This group consciously monitors SB19’s pace and development via online.
They launches organized campaigns to keep the views of SB19’s videos and clips of their television appearances and their streams on various music streaming platforms. A’TIN aggressively works together to put SB19 and other related topics on social media’s trending lists, and retweets articles about the group, religiously (like it is a mandate strictly enforced by some government). I’m saying any act would aspire to have them as fans, but as I said, A’TIN are religious fans, and they seemingly intend to worship SB19 only.
Should BGYO, BINI, MNL48, P-Pop Generation—or any other idol group, for that matter be able to gather their army of followers, whose dedication is as fervid as SB19’s A’TIN, then P-Pop will also be poised to usher a new age of fandom wars—although, honestly, we rather hope for competitions to be healthy, and there is always no need to fight over two or more groups when you can support to as many as you want. I mean, right?
The future of P-Pop remains exciting. Its international breakthrough of local idol groups is one thrilling exercise.
