Newbie P-pop group Bilib not out to compete, but to inspire

Through its comeback single, “Say Whatcha Wanna Say,” the newbie P-pop group Bilib hopes to encourage listeners to have faith in themselves and their capabilities amid adversities.

“I think it’s a problem we have all over the world. There will always be people pulling you down. When I was writing the rap parts, I thought of making a strong statement that will motivate people. Whatever people say, don’t let it affect you. We keep going. Otherwise, nothing will happen,” member and rapper Zio told the Inquirer at a press conference.

The boy band—also composed of Yukito (leader), Jmac (lead dancer), Clyde (main dancer), Carlo (lead vocalist), Rafael (main vocalist) and RC (visual)—worked with composers Hazel Faith and Caleb Santos, who helped them put their own twist on the song.

“It’s a collaborative process among the members and their songwriter-producers. We thought the song would make a really good comeback single because the message is already there. We just had to develop the story as we went along and then think of ways to approach it,” Yukito said.

The hip-hop-inflected dance anthem was described by Rafael as “hard pop,” which, as the name suggests, features thumping beats and in-your-face production. “The attack is stronger and punchier, from the beats to the structure,” he noted.

Will it be the group’s signature sound? “Maybe for now. But of course, we don’t want to get stuck in just one genre. That can and will change as time goes by. We’re open to doing ballads and other genres we can be confident about and shine in,” Rafael said.

Blank canvas

In a way, the song reflects the ups and downs of Bilib’s first year in the industry.

“At first, I thought that after you debut, tuluy-tuloy na; you’re there. But no, it’s actually just where the ladder starts, the first step. I realized that there are things that we thought we’re already good at. But we have had so much growth the past year. We’re all determined to hone our talents and personalities,” Carlo said.

While each member had backgrounds in singing and dancing before the group’s formation, they had to unlearn what they knew and start anew, so they could complement each other’s styles.

“We had to go out of our comfort zone. We can already sing and dance, so we thought it was going to be easy, but we all have different styles and levels of experience. It was a challenge performing as a group. We worked with coaches to help us go back to basics and correct the bad habits we had in singing and dancing. We had to be a blank canvas,” Yukito said.

Through communication, they started to become more comfortable with each other which helped them move as a unit.

“We have different personalities, so we have to adjust to each other. We have to communicate and understand each other. We have to be open. I think that strengthened our bond. We can share our problems with each other. The more we know each other, the more we’re able to overcome our problems,” Rafael said.

Now they’re starting to see the fruits of their labor. In 2023, Bilib was named new boy group of the year at the 8th P-pop Awards. The group’s well-received debut single also received nominations for song of the year and music video of the year from the same award-giving body.

Common goal

Formed by AQ Prime Music, Bilib’s main goal is personal growth, not competition.

“We just want to inspire fans and people who may be interested in listening to our music. We want to show them that we put a lot of effort into our craft, so we can inspire them through our music,” Clyde said. After all, Bilib and other P-pop groups shared a common goal and battle cry: “P-pop rise!”

“What we think about is how we can contribute to the industry, not competing. P-pop is still quite young in the country, so we want to also exist as a support system for other dreamers who want to be part of idol groups in the future,” Yukito said.

“P-pop rise! That’s our aim. We want to spread our music, not only here, but outside the Philippines as well. To do that, we have to love and promote our own,” Carlo said. INQ