Music
From breakout singles like “GENTO” and “DAM” to new collaborations with top Asian talent, the Filipino boy group’s LP is a musical marker of their last five years.
SB19
Louis Anthony Duran
There is a specific sense of accomplishment and freedom that comes from an artist owning their work. For SB19, that liberation came through their self-established, self-managed company. When Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin established 1Z Entertainment in the years following their international breakout, it was clear the group wanted to ensure they were in control of their destiny and telling their own story.
Wakas At Simula — which translates to “End and Beginning” in Filipino — is the fullest expression of what that independence actually sounds like. Across 24 tracks, the quintet weave together their trilogy of six-song EPs — 2021’s Pagsibol, 2023’s PAGTATAG! and Simula at Wakas from last year — alongside six newly recorded tracks, creating a comprehensive documentation for one of the most remarkable stories in modern Asian pop.
In particular, the Pagsibol material returns in re-recorded forms, with those six songs labeled as new “Wakas At Simula” versions — an official statement noting that the songs’ changes reflect “personal experiences.” But perhaps most importantly, these defining songs are now official releases under SB19’s own label.
While SB19 made major strides throughout these three EPs, the six new tracks including the politically charged single “VISA,” plus cross-cultural collaborations with the likes of Japan Hot 100 chart-toppers BE:FIRST and one of Asia’s top pop divas JOLIN, mark some of the group’s best work yet and indicate a boldness for where they can go in the future.
With SB19’s upcoming festival debut at Lollapalooza (the first P-pop group to earn a spot at the massive Chicago fest) and a slot at Japan’s Summer Sonic (joining a lineup including the Strokes, FKA Twigs and BLACKPINK’s JENNIE), the five stars are actively pushing the Philippines’ pop music to the global stage with this LP acting as an important history marker. Yes, it’s the end of a long-running musical series, but it’s also the beginning of inevitably bigger things.
To celebrate the momentous chapter, here’s Billboard‘s ranking of all 24 tracks from Wakas At Simula.
Music “SLMT (Wakas At Simula)”
Image Credit: 1Z Entertainment / Sony Music Philippines “SLMT” is a phonetic rendering of “salamat,” the Filipino word for “thank you.” It’s the final track to have a “Wakas At Simula” version on this full-length LP — and it feels fully appropriate as the warm, fan-dedicated track doubles as a way to thank their A’TIN for trusting them as the guys navigated setting up their own independently run company in 1Z Entertainment.
Music “Ikako (Wakas At Simula)”
Loose, joyful and unguarded, this cut sounds like SB19 caught at their most playful — best heard in the song’s outro, where you hear the members jamming and ad-libbing freely. Undoubtedly, one of the set’s most endearing tracks.
Music “ILAW”
Stripped back to acoustic guitar and subtle instrumentation, “ILAW” is a showcase of what SB19’s voices can do when the production steps aside and lets them breathe. They carry it entirely, marking some of the album’s quietest moments and a special gem among the 24 tracks of Wakas At Simula.
Music “FREEDOM”
An undeniable rush of energy, “FREEDOM” doesn’t overcomplicate things with a fun house-inspired beat that goes off because it’s kept simple and clean.
The closing track to PAGTATAG!, SB19’s first album as independent artists under 1Z Entertainment, “FREEDOM,” feels like it doubles as a statement of joy and accomplishment, delivering a weightless atmosphere hard to manufacture artificially.
Music “LIHAM”
A literal love letter written by SB19 leader Pablo — “liham” is Filipino for “letter” — this track carries an intimacy despite the classic, power-pop production and powerhouse vocals. While much of Wakas at Simula has messages aimed at the world, “LIHAM” turns more inward with a vulnerability that still beautifully suits the SB19 guys.
Music “Bazinga (Wakas At Simula)”
Image Credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images Boasting the kind of aggressive, high-energy flex that exists to be performed in the biggest venues possible, “Bazinga!” flips from an emotional opening (“Every day, I think the load gets heavy / Throw it away, the world unloads hostility”) before a “psyche!” flip and the guys go into boast mode: “Yeah, I’m fire, I linger/ Dare you to turn up the heat.”
Fierce, fun, built to command the growing crowds SB19 is continuously commanding at festivals like their upcoming Lollapalooza 2026 slot and more to certainly come.
Music “Time”
Arguably one of SB19’s most personal tracks, the start-stop production gives each chorus an extra emotional weight with every belt hitting harder thanks to the arrangement.
Lyrically, “Time” grapples with the cost of chasing one’s dreams, sentiments that have an added gravity when you consider SB19’s own timeline. The group has been candid about the fact that they weren’t particularly young when their careers finally began to gain real momentum — with nearly all five members now in their thirties, a song about running out of time stops being metaphor and starts feeling all the more confessional. Stell delivers the first chorus with clear impact, sounding both urgent and forgiving as he sings, “Many things we can’t control, I hope you know, it’s better to try.”
(And don’t worry, guys — you still have lots of time to take over the world)
Music “Memories”
A lighter, feel-good hip-hop/pop cut that feels like it took inspiration from the K-pop scene — perhaps influenced by SB19’s Pablo creatively collaborating on the track with producer Alwan and songwriter Rasmus Palmgren, whose credits include SHINee, ITZY, aespa, IVE, CRAVITY and more.
While the album cut is not as instantly gripping as the singles, the track elevates itself by refusing to fall back on the easy EDM build-up and dance breakdown song structure, with the guys delivering one of their best and most uplifting choruses over the storm of surging synthesizers.
Music “I WANT YOU”
Written by Filipino-Canadian songwriter August Rigo (whose credits include Musiq Soulchild, Kehlani and BTS), “I WANT YOU” reveals SB19 at their most sensual. The quintet’s vocals take center stage for an unhurried, moving performance. Nearly three years after its release, the track remains one of the group’s standout and most mature releases, a lasting reminder of the polish they bring as vocalists.
Music “Emoji” With JOLIN
Image Credit: Sony Music Entertainment The album’s most conceptually unexpected output, “Emoji” sees JOLIN — a.k.a. Jolin Tsai, who has spent 25 years as one of Asia’s undisputed pop queens — stepping into SB19’s kinetic world in a fascinating collision of music universes. The results don’t fully cohere into either artist’s most definitive musical statement, but this special, cultural bridge between two of Asia’s representative superstars is an important moment on the record.
Music “Quit”
The kind of curveball track that pays off, “Quit” was crafted by Pablo and Ken (who’s officially credited under his solo artist name Felip) and finds SB19 leaning hard into grungy, punk-rock terrain. The group’s signature emotive and passionate styling remains intact with the racing rock production only amplifying the delivery. Even when the trap beat enters the second chorus, it’s a reminder that the group isn’t abandoning who they are, but is always able to expand their sound.
It’s not an obvious crossover or radio hit, but perhaps that’s exactly the point.
Music “8TonBall”
“8TonBall” is one of the rare SB19 tracks that doesn’t carry leader Pablo’s name in the credits with eldest member Josh Cullen stepping into the driver’s seat as the sole lyricist, teaming with Alwan and Benji Bae on the production. The result is one of the sharpest, most confident moments on Simula at Wakas.
Looking at the context of the group’s career, “8TonBall” also marks the larger creative partnership with Alwan, who crafted new tracks “Memories” and “Toyfriend” for this LP, making “8TonBall” an important marker for building a creative team they can grow and evolve alongside.
Music “DAM”
Image Credit: Shaira Luna The song that secured SB19’s chart history, “DAM,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s World Digital Song Sales chart in March 2025, and the guys became the first P-pop act ever to top the tally — an undeniable milestone marking SB19’s expanding global reach.
The track more than earned its moment: “DAM” is a hard-hitting anthem about resilience and staying true to one’s values, refining SB19’s signature tension by juxtaposing lighter pop polish with intense grit into one of their tightest singles yet. Justin’s battle-cry vocals across the bridge see the group’s youngest member sounding his most uninhibited, making for a particular sonic standout.
Music “Shooting for the Stars”
When SB19 chased a more international pop breakthrough with the English-language disco single “WYAT (Where You At),” the results were well-intentioned but ultimately inconclusive — the song never quite fit into any of their EPs and sits notably absent from Wakas At Simula.
Instead, “Shooting for the Stars” feels like the lessons learned from “WYAT” applied to new material. A second collaboration with August Rigo, the cut reaches for a similarly buoyant energy, but this time it sounds unmistakably like SB19. The guys move effortlessly through a chorus that shifts from big-time belts to airy falsetto with the lyrics carrying the kind of hard-won attitude the group has earned the right to sing: “Feeling like I can fly and I’m calling out to my spirit/ I saw the light in the distance, I found that one in a million/ I held on to my sanity ‘cos I really thought I might lose/ Got to hold of my destiny when I realized I could choose it.”
If “WYAT” felt like an experiment to reach mass appeal, “Shooting for the Stars” sounds like Rigo taking the sentiment and leaning more closely into who SB19 already are for a fully formed song.
Music “Mana (Wakas At Simula)”
Originally a B-side on 2021’s Pagsibol, the new version of “Mana” keeps its intriguing sense of restlessness but still sounds as if it’s searching for its final, full form. Still, the bones are strong enough — particularly as the chorus keeps building before the unexpectedly glitchy, electro-pop breakdown — for it to stand strong on this album.
Music “What? (Wakas At Simula)”
The marching, anthemic energy that made the original a standout on 2021’s Pagsibol is fully intact, and the extended outro gives it a newfound sense of ceremony and rite. Re-recorded with obvious purpose, it remains one of their most powerful statements — and bigger now in every sense.
Music “DUNGKA!”
While it wasn’t the lead single from the 2025 EP Simula at Wakas, “DUNGKA!” is one of SB19’s most galvanizing moments. A diss track aimed at detractors, “DUNGKA!” uses Filipino wordplay — “doon ka,” which translates to “go over there” — to deliver a catchy, clever dismissal. Bringing in elements of techno, hyperpop and rave, the unapologetic anthem reached No. 7 on World Digital Song Sales.
For a group that spent years absorbing criticism and skepticism about whether they — or the Philippines in general — could see its music break beyond its borders, there is a certain satisfaction embedded in “DUNGKA!” And the fact that it sounds this fun feels like the whole point.
Music “CRIMZONE”
Few tracks in SB19’s catalog hit with the same force as “CRIMZONE.” A showcase of what the quintet can do when they lean all the way into hard-hitting sonics, the track makes the case — loudly — that P-pop can go as heavy as any of its global-pop peers.
Music “Everblack”
An intoxicating blend of sleazed-up hip-hop and R&B, “Everblack” sees SB19 stepping into their Jay-Z and Usher bag — and the results are slick and sick. The track makes us wonder what a dark hip-hop and R&B cut where SB19 teams up with a producer like Polow da Don or Mustard would sound like. Probably not too far off from “Everblack.”
Music “Toyfriend” With BE:FIRST
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo Just like SB19, BE:FIRST is another promising and rising boy group aiming to break onto the global stage and represent their country, Japan, in the mainstream-music conversation. A collaboration of J-pop and P-pop, “Toyfriend” feels like it brings out the best of both boy bands, with a track that has a real sense of cool, ease, and warmth, making it a simple feel-good pop track.
Music “VISA”
A deceivingly simple dance track that tackles the political reality of the Philippines’ weak passport. While political bureaucracy is a topic many people around the world can relate to, it becomes all the more personal with SB19. This group aims to be artists and cultural ambassadors for their country, but can find themselves held back by arbitrary things like visas.
The lyrics also see the guys shout out other celebrities with Filipino backgrounds like Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo, Manny Jacinto, Dave Bautista, and more — a true declaration of how big SB19’s ambitions are and where they aim to land among Hollywood stars.
Music “GENTO”
The song that broke SB19 into a new tier of international recognition. Swaggering and uniquely theirs, “GENTO” was written solely by leader Pablo, the title combining the Filipino words “ginto” (gold) and “ganito” (which means “like this”) for a treasure all of their own making.
The production palette is daring, and one that few acts would dare attempt with a highlight in the unexpected flute-laced outro, but the “GENTO” dance challenge was attempted by some of Asia and Europe’s biggest names in pop including 2NE1, ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, &TEAM, Kep1er, WATWING, Archen Aydin, ZEROBASEONE, UNiFY, THE BOYZ, OCTPATH and more, while also getting co-signs by big-time choreographers like Aiki and America’s Best Dance Crew alum Chachi Gonzales.
It was the group’s first Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart entry, debuting and peaking at No. 8 in June 2023 — an important landmark that marked an upward trajectory that followed the group.
Music “MAPA (Wakas At Simula)”
Re-recorded with the lived-in confidence of a group that has since spent years proving every word of it, “MAPA” remains one of SB19’s most defining moments. Interestingly, the group opted to shorten the original track by nearly 30 seconds, yet if anything, the message is now tighter and clearer.
A tribute to parental sacrifice that became a genuine anthem for all listeners, it’s the rare pop song that only gets more resonant with time. Still and forever an SB19 essential, it still hits the same, almost five years later, and continues to feel like a song meant only to be sung by these five singers.
Music “Wakas”
Image Credit: Louis Anthony Duran The title track earns its place as the best song on the album, not just for its stunning production and structure, but also for its depth of emotion. A lush, unhurried ballad with Bruno Mars-adjacent warmth in its verses, “Wakas” reveals a deeper depth the moment the group’s harmonies arrive and the full weight of the song settles in with the listener.
Pablo’s tender songwriting is at its strongest here, with fans interpreting the song as a message from the group asking them to stay on SB19’s journey. Others have equated it with more universal experiences, such as a personal letdown, relationships, grief, or the weariness that comes from letting go of one’s dream. The lyrics ask big questions, resist fully answering them, and instead allow space for reflection. Even if one doesn’t speak the language, there is still something powerful and introspective that draws the listener in, with the song’s impact deepening as one looks into the lyrics.
The song to anchor an album called Wakas At Simula — or, End and Beginning — “Wakas” is SB19’s understanding and emphasis that the most honest thing you can say about an ending is recognizing all it contains as well as all the promise it holds. “Wakas” brings all of that together at once, and the group sings it like they mean every version, iteration, and interpretation one can consider. It’s the type of track that might mark the end of something, but indicates more promise and hope for the future.