SB19’s “DAM” and upcoming EP Simula at Wakas may appear to be the end to their trilogy with past works Pagsibol and PAGTATAG!, but for the Kings of P-pop themselves, this is just the beginning.

Last February 28, the group ushered in this new era with a rousing battle anthem, “DAM.” The lyrics themselves show a determination that captivates each listener, with a lush and booming production to boot.

The release of the single was followed by the premiere of an accompanying music video made by 1032 LAB – a creative team and frequent collaborators of the SB19 members. The music video showcases the members’ individual colors in a new light, with grand medieval and fantasy-like motifs. Directed by Alanshiii, with creative direction by Iana Forbes and co-creative direction by Louis Anthony Duran, the visualizer keeps audience members on the edges of their seat with its strong narrative that displays the group’s exponential growth – an exciting preview of the new era that’s to come with their new EP and accompanying World Tour.

On this note, Billboard Philippines caught up with the members of SB19 in an exclusive interview, before the continuation of their roll-out for this fresh and exciting era.

Billboard Philippines: Congratulations! This is your first release together this year, how do you feel now that it’s finally out?

Pablo: Ako, I’ll be honest, sobrang excited ako for this year, kasi sobrang daming naka-plano this year. At the same time, there are so many things na actions, so many things na-incorporate namin for this roll-out na hindi pa namin nagawa before. Lahat ina-anticipate na kung anong posibleng mangyari through those ways na i-incorporate namin.

(For me, I’ll be honest, I’m really excited for this year, because we have so much planned. At the same time, there are so many actions, so many things that we incorporated for this roll-out that we’ve never done before. We’re really anticipating whatever can possibly happen through those was that we incorporated in this coming year.)

Justin: Bukod sa excited may halong kaba din because of the new things we’re planning sa roll-out, ang mangyayari for this song.

(More than excited, there’s also a bit of fear mixed in because of the new things we’re planning for the roll-out, and what will happen for this song.)

“DAM” is such a strong hip-hop anthem, what inspired the sound and the message behind the track?

Pablo: Siguro sa message, ang daming kamalasan eh, kumbaga, pero we’ve learned to accept it. So, regardless kung anong mangyari sa paligid, regardless kung anong ibato ng — very poetic — tadhana, hindi naman magbabago kung ang mga dreams namin, aspirations namin, goals namin. Even more, mag-ffuel pa siya o mas titindi pa siya, and with what we have sa lyrics, kasalanan naman namin ito kung wala naman kaming humpay sa pag-gusto, wala kaming humpay sa desires namin. And gagawa namin ang lahat ‘yon kasi gusto namin magkaroon ng change talaga.

(Maybe in the message, there’s been a lot of misfortune, so to speak — but we’ve learned to accept it. So, regardless of what happens around us, regardless of what fate — very poetic — throws our way, our dreams, aspirations, and goals won’t change. If anything, they’ll only be fueled even more, growing even stronger. As the lyrics say, it’s our fault anyway if we never stop wanting, if we never stop chasing our desires. And we’ll do everything we can because we truly want to create change.)

Stell: Siguro kaya rin siya pagdating sa others, it’s very dark, it’s very powerful. I think ‘yun ‘yung mga naging reason din kung bakit naging ganun si SB19, because we were honed to be like that because of the past experiences we’ve had before. Nabasa ko rin kanina sa X, just to share, we’re living here in the Philippines where we really need to fight for everything.

(Maybe that’s also why, to others, it feels very dark and powerful. I think those are some of the reasons why SB19 became the way we are —because we were shaped by our past experiences. I also read something earlier on X [formerly Twitter], just to share: we’re living here in the Philippines where we really have to fight for everything.)

If we have goals in life, we need to double our efforts, parang maabot namin. This “DAM,” for others, it’s like their fight song, this is their anthem. Just to release kung ano ‘yung feeling nila na hindi nila malabas, at least they have this portal which is this song para malabas nila yung energy.

(If we have goals in life, we need to double our efforts just to reach them. For others, “DAM” is like their fight song, their anthem. It’s a way to release feelings they can’t express, and at the very least, they have this song as a portal to let out their energy.)

In your point of view, is this more of a fight anthem or a victory anthem?

Pablo: Ako, personally, it’s a victory anthem for me. Because learning or realizing that these things happen, kumbaga parang mas kampante ka na mas confident ka na.

(Personally, for me, it’s a victory anthem. Because learning and realizing that these things happen makes you feel more at ease, more confident.)

Your teasers for Simula at Wakas hint at a whole new world within your music. In a previous interview, Justin, you’ve mentioned you tend to create universes within songs for music videos. How did you get to practice that this time around?

Justin: Since we want something different, we want to learn din, we got people we can trust to give us something, to teach us, kumbaga makapagbigay ‘yung mapapa-wow kami. So, we have 1032 Lab din to help us execute yung naisip namin, and not just execute but to make it bigger.

(Since we wanted to do something different and continue learning, we brought in people we trust—people who could give us something new, something that would make us go “wow.” That’s where 1032 Lab came in — not just to help us execute our ideas but to take them to an even bigger scale.)

Since you mentioned the scale of this is a lot bigger, what’s something that really pushed you out of your comfort zone for this project?

Stell: What we feel like, it’s really the demand of the song. Nung narining namin ang “DAM,” hindi niya deserve ‘yung other concept pa. There’s no other concept but this one for this specific song. Kasi, tulad nga ng sabi ni Justin at ni Josh, parang nagkaroon talaga kami ng planning before and we really love ‘yung mga gods, ‘yung ganoong concept, yung mga medieval. Sobrang epic din ‘yung sound din ni “DAM,” so, to give it justice, we really needed a big and epic production for the music video para lang full ‘yung experience. And kitang kita namin ‘yung vastness and everything dun sa music video, which is super effective dun sa nakikita at naririnig.

(We really felt like this was what the song demanded. When we heard “DAM,” it didn’t deserve any other concept — this was the only one that truly fit. Like Justin and Josh mentioned, we went through a planning process beforehand, and we’ve always loved gods, those kinds of concepts, and medieval themes. The sound of “DAM” is so epic that to give it justice, we knew we needed a grand and epic production for the music video to create a full experience. You can really see the vastness and everything in the video, which makes it even more effective when paired with the song.)

Kaya feeling namin, talagang umabot kami sa ganung concept, para ma-feel din namin na parang nag-step up kami with everything na nilalabas namin. Kasi, if we were to stay within our comfort zone, parang ganun lang din, eh sayang ‘yung track. ‘Yung track, dapat i-pair din with a super powerful music video and full concept.

(That’s why we felt that we had to go with this concept — to really feel like we were stepping up with everything we put out. If we just stayed in our comfort zone, it would feel the same as before, and that would be a waste of the track. The song itself needed to be paired with a super powerful music video and a fully realized concept to do it justice.)

Pablo: This time gusto kami ng change talaga, so this time, nag-incorporate talaga kami ng new things, even though it’s uncharted territory for us – wala eh, kahit pahamak siya, baka may matutunan pa tayo.

(This time, we really wanted change, so we made sure to incorporate new elements, even though it’s uncharted territory for us. But that’s just how it is — even if it feels risky, we might still learn something from it.)

Josh: If what we have been doing from the very beginning was a movement, ito (this), it’s a revolution.

There’s a lot of fantasy elements incorporated in your music video and teasers. Where did you draw inspiration for this?

Pablo: Childhood!

Josh: To be honest din eh, lahat kami iba-iba ng mga pinapanood, ‘yung mga gusto.

(To be honest, we all watched different things and like different things.)

Justin: ‘Yung team na naka-work din namin, they consulted and brainstormed with us kung ano gusto naming iparating. Kasi, they wanted to show din the individuality namin, dito sa music video. So, for example, ‘yung kay Stell na kung bakit dalawa siya, marami din nagsabing, because he’s a Gemini. Kasi iba ‘yung initial na plan na theme for Stell, pero nag-suggest siya na parang, “Gusto ko maging ganito, baka we can play around.” So, yung individuality din namin, ‘yun ‘yung inilabas sa mga characters namin.

(The team we worked with also consulted and brainstormed with us about what we wanted to convey. They really wanted to showcase our individuality in the music video. For example, with Stell — many people pointed out that there are two of him in the video, saying it’s because he’s a Gemini. His initial theme was actually different, but he suggested, “I want to do something like this — maybe we can play around with it.” So, our individuality really came through in the characters we portrayed.)

Stell: As you can see din, connected siya with our solos. Related ‘yung mga characters sa solo releases namin before, so I think naisip din siya ng 1032 Lab para ma-connect din siya dun sa stories. Pasok din kasi siya, eh — nawala kami last year, super tahimik kami, then this year, parang bumalik kami, and for what reason but umali. Natahi siya with the story na last year nagpalakas kami lahat and bumalik kami with something bigger — dun nakita ‘yung very diverse ‘yung individuality namin, napaka-amazing din ‘yung story.

(As you can see, it’s also connected to our solo releases. The characters in the music video are related to our previous solo projects, and I think 1032 Lab thought of that to tie the stories together. It just fits so well — we were quiet last year, almost completely gone, and then this year, we came back. And for what reason but to rise. The story naturally came together — last year, we were strengthening ourselves, and now we’re returning with something bigger. That’s where our individuality really shines, and the story itself is amazing.)

Last year, each of you worked on your solo careers and projects. What lessons did you learn from those experiences that you’re now bringing into this new album?

Pablo: Mahirap pala kumanta nang mag-isa. (The other members laugh) Hindi, sobrang realize ko ‘yun. Kasi, I went on tour, I’d perform six to seven songs. Nakakapagod pala na ikaw magkakanta ng lahat iyon. Kasi kami, pag mag-perform kami, kahit na sumasayaw, kakanta lang ‘yung isa, ta’s sasalo ng isa. Hindi siya ganon pag ikaw lahat ang kumakanta; nakakapagod agad siya and ‘yung pressure.

[Singing alone is actually really tough. I really realized that. When I went on tour, I had to perform six to seven songs, and I didn’t expect how exhausting it would be to sing everything by myself. When we perform as a group, even though we’re dancing, one person sings, then another takes over. It’s not the same when you’re the only one singing; it gets tiring so fast, and the pressure is intense.]

Though, kung nandun ka sa stage, kakabahan ka talaga — first few words, as in, manginginig ka pa. Pero, once na pumasok sa’ yo ‘yung parang soul ng performing at naririnig mo yung mga taong sumasabay sa’yo, sobrang nakaka-enjoy siya talaga. And siyempre, I was able to explore different types of music pagdating sa papagawa, so ayun na-incorporate din namin siya.

(Though, when you’re on stage, you really do get nervous — especially in the first few moments, you’ll even feel yourself shaking. But once you get into the soul of performing and hear the crowd singing along with you, it becomes such an enjoyable experience. And of course, I was also able to explore different types of music when working on my own projects, and we were able to incorporate that as well.)

Josh: For me, kasi, very independent person ako — to be honest, sa part na mag-perform, mag-present mag-isa, ‘di ako nahirapan. Pero na-miss ko yung may mga kasama. Siyempre, katulad nga nun na may kakulitan ka, meron kang kasama na kahit pagod ka, meron kang feeling mo na may mag-u-uplift sa ‘yo, like, “Kaya natin yan!”

(For me, I’m a very independent person — so to be honest, when it comes to performing or presenting alone, I didn’t really struggle. But I did miss having people with me. It’s different when you have someone to joke around with, someone who’s there even when you’re exhausted. There’s that feeling that someone will uplift you and say, “We got this!”)

Although hindi naman araw-araw masaya kami, hindi naman araw-araw okay kami, pero alam mo ‘yun, ‘yung parang may kasama ka sa journey, lalo na pag makipag-tour, meron kang ibang bagay na kailangan gawin. Mas masaya pag mas marami, in a way, siguro, na mas malakas. Overall, super enjoy ko siya, marami akong natutunan, siguro ‘yun ‘yung naibaon ko para mas makipag-contribute sa group — ‘yung mga realizations ko and ‘yung mga testing the waters sa sarili bago sa group.

(Although we’re not happy every single day, and not everything is always okay, there’s something about having people with you on the journey —especially when touring or handling different responsibilities. It’s just more enjoyable when there are more of us; in a way, it feels stronger. Overall, I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I think that’s what I brought back to the group — my realizations and the experience of testing the waters on my own before applying it within the group.)

Stell: I just realized, bukod sa magiging mahirap talagang mag-perform alone, especially pagka nasa bigger stage ka — siyempre, mas grabe ‘yung energy na ilabas mo. Na-challenge din ako sa idea na wala akong ka-banter sa stage. For me kasi, to be a very effective talker on stage, kailangan mo ng kabatuhan. Pero kasi, yes, may audience, pero kasi siyempre din not all the time mo maintindihan ang mga sinasabi ng audience. Ang hirap lang for me, nasanay kasi ako sa maraming kausap sa stage, pumapasok ‘yung maraming thoughts pag marami kang magkausap. Pero pag mag-isa ka, ang hirap mag-isip ng something to entertain your audience.

(I just realized that aside from the difficulty of performing alone—especially on a bigger stage, where you have to exert even more energy—I was also challenged by the idea of not having someone to banter with on stage. For me, to be an effective speaker on stage, you need someone to bounce off of. Yes, there’s the audience, but you can’t always understand everything they’re saying. It was tough for me because I’m so used to having multiple people to talk to on stage, which naturally brings in more thoughts and interactions. But when you’re alone, it’s hard to think of something on the spot to entertain the audience.)

So ayun ‘yung naging pinaka challenge for me, ‘tsaka ang hirap kasi wala akong malabasan ng energy masyado, especially backstage. Parang nandun lang ako, nagaantay. Eh, normally sa backstage, ang dami kong ginagawa, kinakausap ko sila, pero pag mag-isa ka lang sa backstage, nag-ready ka lang mag-perform.

(So that was the biggest challenge for me, and also not having an outlet for my energy, especially backstage. I was just there, waiting. Normally, when we’re backstage, I have so much to do — I talk to the others, we hype each other up. But when you’re alone, you’re just there, preparing to perform, and it feels so different.)

Ken: It was fun, ‘yung sa solo. Talagang mas buhat ko yung kakayanin ko, sa solo. But it really did teach me a lot of things, especially music-making, kasi mahilig talaga ako gumawa ng kanta. So, ‘yung writing skills, and improve in music-making. Baka nakatulong din siya dito sa EP, so I was happy that I was able to contribute to some of it.

(Doing solo work was fun. I really had to carry everything on my own, but it taught me a lot — especially when it comes to music-making, since I really love creating songs. It helped improve my writing skills and overall music production. That also contributed to this EP, so I’m happy that I was able to be part of it.)

Simula at Wakas is going to be the end to your EP trilogy, so how do you feel that this journey and this narrative is coming to an end?

Pablo: Ako, ayokong sabihin na tapos eh. Kasi every ending has a new beginning.

(For me, I don’t want to say it’s over. Because every ending brings a new beginning.)

Ken: The beginning after the end!

Pablo: Just like the trilogy, we tried to personify ‘yung tree, ginawa naming ‘yung whole story namin ihinahintulad namin siya sa isang tree. So, question mark is the growing stage, tapos PAGTATAG! is the exclamation mark, naging sturdy at established. Tapos lastly is the dot, which is the end of the era, but at the same time, it’s the seed after the tree. Technically, it’s a cycle. So, we couldn’t say na dito magtatapos ang trilogy – who knows? Marami pang symbols diyan.

[Just like the trilogy, we tried to personify the tree — we shaped our whole story around it. The question mark represents the growing stage, PAGTATAG! is the exclamation mark, symbolizing when it becomes sturdy and established. And finally, the dot represents the end of an era, but at the same time, it’s the seed that follows after the tree. Technically, it’s a cycle. So, we can’t say that the trilogy truly ends here — who knows? There are still many symbols out there.)

Justin: Mas excited kami kasi mas magiging interactive ‘yung experience para sa fans — parang mas marami silang facets to play on, mas may puwang para sa sarili nilang interpretasyon. Masaya lang isipin na mas buo na ‘yung istorya, kaya mas nae-explore nila, navi-visualize, at minsan nga, nag-iimbento pa sila ng sarili nilang theories — overthinking and all that. ‘Yun ‘yung nakaka-excite.

(We’re more excited because the experience will be more interactive for the fans — there will be more facets for them to play with and more room for their own interpretations. It’s exciting to think that the story feels more complete now, allowing them to explore and visualize it even more. Sometimes, they even come up with their own theories — overthinking and all that. That’s what makes it exciting.)

So, this isn’t the end, this is just the beginning?

Pablo: Yes.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Watch the music video for “DAM” here: