A K-pop-style practice video gained traction in the local online community for having non-Korean members despite its heavy K-pop elements.
The video is performed by a five-member Filipino idol group SB19 composed of members Sejun, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin.
It is a dance practice of their latest song “Go Up” that was released in July 2019.
The practice video was shared on Facebook and Twitter, where it immediately gained the attention of Filipinos, particularly K-pop fans.
So there is this Filipino Boy Group called SB19. They are under a Philippine branch of a Korean Company called ShowBT. The producers are korean but the lyrics are in tagalog (written by the members) but i didn't feel any cringe at all! Their dance is also great 💯©BAE_Sodu 💪💪
Posted by Arang Dyo on Monday, September 2, 2019
So there is this Filipino Boy Group called SB19. They are under a Philippine branch of a Korean Company called ShowBT.
The producers are korean but the lyrics are in tagalog (written by the members) but i didn't feel any cringe at all! Their dance is also great 💯 pic.twitter.com/6bDtGxBnQ3
— LYRA♡ | C I X 🌱 (@BAE_Sodu) September 2, 2019
Some users even claimed that SB19 should be given more exposure by local networks instead of groups that perform in supposed unsynchronized “elephant stomps,” referencing GirlTrends of “It’s Showtime.”
Another user openly mentioned that SB19 should have more airtime instead of Hashtags, an all-boy dance group of the noontime show.
SB19 is a K-pop inspired group that markets itself as a P-pop or “Pinoy pop” boy group.
It debuted in October 2018 and its members underwent intensive three-year training under the K-pop idol training system.
SB19 is managed by ShowBT Philippines, a Korean entertainment company that branched out in the Philippines.
The group may have a K-pop-like vibe but they perform songs in Filipino.
Justin, one of its members, explained that they still want to represent the Philippines and create their own style despite being influenced by the Korean entertainment industry.
“Although we are under a Korean company, hindi namin siyempre nakakalimutan ‘yung pagiging Filipino namin and we are doing this because our success is also for the Filipinos,” he said.
“We are creating our own (style) so ‘yun po ‘yung uniqueness namin in representing the Philippines while we learn from other cultures,” Justin added.
Non-Korean K-pop artists
SB19 is not the first of its kind in the music industry which an artist or a group of artists are heavily influenced by K-pop but are not Korean in nature.
Z-Boys and Z-Girls are two music groups who perform songs and dances in the style of K-pop but are actually composed of multi-national members.
The members come from different Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, India and the Philippines.
Z-Boys are composed of Josh (Joshuel Bautista) from the Philippines, Mavin from Indonesia, Sid from India, Roy from Vietnam, Blink from Thailand, Perry from Taiwan and Gai from Japan.
Z-Girls members, meanwhile, are Carlyn Ocampo from the Philippines, Mahiro from Japan, Vanya from Indonesia, Priyanka from India, Bell from Thailand, Joanne from Taiwan and Queen from Vietnam.
The group is being managed by Zenith Media Contents and has debuted in February 2019.
EXP Edition is another K-pop-influenced music group with members from Croatia and the United States, with some of them having mixed ethnicities.
It is composed of Croatian Sime Kosta, Portuguese-American Frankie DaPonte from Rhode Island, half Japanese-German Koki Tomlinson who grew up in Texas, New Yorkers Hunter Kohl and David Wallace and Tarion Anderson from Texas.
Dubbed “the world’s first non-Korean K-pop group,” EXP Edition was initially created as a form of thesis experiment by South Korean Columbian University student Bora Kim.
