MANILA, Philippines – BGYO, short for “Becoming The Change, Going Further, You and I, Originally Filipino,” comprised of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate, has been on an impressive journey since their debut in 2021.
In an exclusive interview with Rappler, the group shared their plans to make P-pop a global phenomenon, the significance of providing a global stage for local artists, and their commitment to inspiring others.
In only two years, the group has received multiple international recognitions, such as debuting on Billboard’s Next Big Sound chart, and being featured as one of the acts to watch out for in the Grammys’ The Many Sounds of Asian Pop list.
The group was also featured in MsMojo’s Top 10 International Bands You Should Know About, sharing the spotlight with other P-pop powerhouses like SB19 and ALAMAT.
Despite their success, however, they know there is great pressure to maintain their position as one of the top P-pop groups.
Akira shared, “Meron pressure po, pero syempre very thankful kami kasi unti-unti nanonotice kami ng tao, na nagkakaroon ng marami pang Aces. Pero hindi namin nakakalimutan na malayo pa ang kailangan naming lakbayin para maabot namin yung kaya namin as BGYO. Tinatahak pa namin ang journey namin para maabot namin ‘yun.”
(There is pressure, but we’re very thankful because little by little, people are noticing us, and more Aces are emerging. But we never forget that we still have a long way to go to reach our full potential. We’re still on our journey to achieving that.)
The group also shared that they felt closer than ever after deciding, ironically, to live apart starting January 2023. The group had been housed together since their trainee days in 2019.
When asked what had changed since their new home setups, Gelo said, “Mas alert kami sa social media at messaging app. Kasi kailangan talaga alam na, kasi walang magreremind.”
(Now, we’re more alert on social media and messaging apps. Because we really need to be updated now; no one will remind us of things anymore.)
“Parang mas mabilis magreply sa groupchat, kasi nung magkakasama kami parang andiyan lang naman. Sigawan, ang hirap macontact nung bawat isa,” Akira added.
(It seems that we reply faster on the group chat now, because when we were together, we had taken each others’ presence for granted. We would just shout for somebody at our house if we needed them; it’s now so difficult to get a hold of each other.)
With the rise of P-pop locally, the group stressed the importance of supporting fellow artists and fans in order to make the genre a global phenomenon.
“I think mas maachieve natin ‘yun [making P-pop a global phenomenon], lalo na maraming groups na lumalabas, syempre by supporting the new ones, and syempre yung mga nauna na rin. Support lang talaga isa’t isa. Kasi mas makikilala tayo sa ibang bansa at sa buong bansa, kung sariling atin natin ang minamahal natin,” Gelo said.
(I think we have a better shot at making P-pop a global phenomenon now – especially now that there are more groups popping up – by supporting both new and earlier acts. Just support one another. We’ll be better known internationally if we love our own to begin with.)
Mikki also offered advice to young and budding artists: “Just do your own thing. Nasa tamang timing lang yan (It’s all in the timing), as long as you give your best and you trust God. God will do the rest.”
JL stressed the importance of patience and perseverance in the industry: “Hindi naman yan instant, kumbaga gawin mo lang lahat ng kayang mong gawin, yung skills mo, kaya mong ipakita kasi pagdating ng araw may makakita din nyan.”
(It’s not instant; you just have to do everything you can to show off your skills, because when the time comes, someone will notice.)
Each member also shared the concepts for their dream projects. Gelo wants to get into more emo imagery and dance pop music, while Akira wants to explore ballads and R&B. Also up for more ballads, JL sees himself embracing a softer, “cute” image. Mikki dreams of incorporating punk rock into his songs and making a full rap song. Meanwhile, Nate would like to take on a Kingsman concept, and for the group to have a rock era.
Speaking of new directions, following their performance of “Paraiso” in the Pista ng Pag-asa, fans have actually been wanting a ballad for their next release.
Mikki teased, “For sure, maybe in our upcoming releases. We’re gonna release more music. Abangan niyo na lang (Watch out for it). We can’t say much but there’s a huge possibility.”
“Basta excited kami, kakaibabe po siya. Marami po kaming nilulutong ulam. Marami kaming pinaghahandaan,” Gelo added.
(We’re also excited [for the upcoming releases]. It will be really something different. We’re preparing for quite a lot.)
In the meantime, the boys are preparing to perform at the 1MX Music Festival in Toronto this September together with Ben&Ben. – Rappler.com
Jacob Maquiling is a Rappler intern.