The Sexbomb Girls have always been an integral part of Philippine popular culture.
Credited as the best-selling girl group in Asia in the 2000s, Rochelle Pangilinan, Jopay Paguia, Sunshine Garcia, Che Che, Sandy Tolentino, Louise Bolton, Weng, Monica, and Aira Bermudez of the Sexbomb Girls have been cemented as one of the most iconic acts in Filipino music. Their influence can be observed in the way their dances continue to be staples in family gatherings, their unique birthday greeting song has nearly become a tradition, and in many more indicators.
Even without considering the numbers to denote their success, we can witness their cultural impact in the way songs like “The Spagheti Song,” “Di Ko Na Mapipigilan,” “Bakit Papa?” and many more are considered staples in the Philippine soundscape. Even today, “Pretty Little Baby” from their debut album Unang Putok, which was released in 2002, has been given another life thanks to its virality on social media platforms.
Before dance challenges became popularized through social media, everyone learned how to move their bodies thanks to music videos that circulated on CDs or due to their appearances on popular TV shows. Even songs as iconic as Mayonnaise’s “Jopay” cemented their reputation as more than celebrities, but muses of fellow musicians. With all this in mind, the girl group has been hailed as the initial pioneers of Philippine pop (stylized as P-pop), even before the frills of idol culture.
Admittedly, it had been a while since we’d heard from the Sexbomb Girls since the early 2000s. The group had undergone rotations in members before ultimately going into hiatus, but their impact on Philippine pop culture was still in full effect. And if anything, their recent sold-out reunion concerts last December 4 and December 10 (and an upcoming third ‘RaWNd’) proved exactly that.
In a statement to Billboard Philippines, an excited concert-goer shared, “People could relate to the concert because everyone grew up hearing their songs, especially those who were in their early 20s by the ’90s. You could see people dressing up like the Sexbomb Girls, it was like a big Christmas party for those who were born in the ’70s and ’80s — there were even seniors everywhere. Everyone was just happy; it was just really a joyful moment.”
There’s a special place that we hold for the Sexbomb Girls in our musical landscape, one that brings joy to their listeners – and pop groups still hold that space with esteem.
P-pop today has grown into a full-blown phenomenon, with new idol groups popping up and representing all kinds of sound pockets and genres. Still, the novelty sound of Philippine pop continues to be a staple for groups seeking to establish their name among this growing roster. We see this in the way GAT broke into the scene with their rendition of MMJ’s 2012 “Daleng Dale,” and how VVINK partnered with DJ Love and Pio Balbuena in their unique and addictive latest single “Baduy.”
When P-pop used to be looked down upon as a trend imitating K-pop, we can proudly proclaim that the Philippines has crafted our own spin on the pop group genre – and we have pioneers like the Sexbomb Girls, to thank for that. As we continue to develop and innovate the sound of P-pop, the Sexbomb Girls will also be recognized as a key pioneer of the movement’s campy, melodic, and choreography-focused aspects, thanks to their timeless novelty pop hits. Regardless of where the iconic girl group will be taking us in this next era of Philippine pop, we can rest assured that the sound will be that of our own.