Let BGYO be your leading men
Taking the stage at the D.U.N.K. Showcase in Japan last March has been one of the most memorable experiences BGYO has had in their career—if only for the realization that a crowd of tens of thousands meeting them for the first time could actually vibe with their music.
That moment, like every other performance abroad, is “always inspiring” and gives members Gelo, Akira, JL, Nate, and Mikki a glimpse of what going global could look like. But while that remains one of the boy band’s ultimate dreams, they also know that for it to happen, they must first build a stronghold on local shores.
“Importante sa ‘min na bago kami mag-global, mahalin din kami ng buong Pilipinas,” Gelo says at a press conference. “We want to leave a mark as a group that’s not afraid to grow, take risks, and share our genuine selves through our music.”
Converting casuals
With their new EP “On Demand,” BGYO has another vehicle to do just that. And if its debut live performance at a recent mall show was any indication, the group has been steadily pulling in casual listeners beyond the core fandom, or the “Aces.”
“We saw a lot of familiar faces, fans who have been there with us since day one. But still, kahit ‘yong mga napadaan lang, they stayed until the end,” Gelo says. “We also saw comments from our Aces, saying na maraming casuals ang na-convert because of the EP launch.”
It’s not hard to see how the group ended up turning passersby into a rapt audience. “On Demand” features seven songs that play to BGYO’s signature toolbox: bops that meld hip-hop and dance, suave R&B jams, and soulful midtempo ballads.
Seven stories, seven emotions
Written in English, Tagalog, and Taglish, the tracklist is designed to mimic a TV episode or the emotional turns of a teleserye—from a swaggering entrance, to the desire to suspend time, to chasing someone hard to get, and yearning for someone hard to forget.
“This EP is about seven different stories with seven different emotions,” Nate says. “You, the listeners, are our main characters, and we’re your leading men.”
If some songs sound similarly wired to their previous releases, it’s because they were born from the same songwriting camp Mikki and Nate took part in two years ago. “We composed a bunch of songs, kept them in our archives, and spread them across different EPs,” Mikki explains.
That doesn’t mean that listening to “On Demand” feels like a mere extension of their previous EP “Headlines.” While they exude a familiar vibe, there’s enough sonic differentiation between the two to keep them distinct.
The focus track, “Forever Tonight”—a bouncy number that may have been inspired by Justin Bieber’s brand of pop-R&B—vacillates between catchy chants and come-hither head tones. The funky “Mean Girl,” which subtly echoes mid-2010s EDM, gives way to a vocal breakdown that showcases the band’s knack for harmonizing. There’s the affirming, beat-heavy love anthem “Trono,” while “Fresh” simmers in a brooding electro-hop groove.
Of the newer songs, there’s the pleading serenade “Raindrop” and “Life’s Too Short,” which comes closest to straight-up pop. The biggest surprise, however, is the closing song, “Sinta,” whose opening vocal hook becomes a haunting musical motif throughout the Spanish-guitar-flecked, Latin-inspired pop ballad.
Beyond music
To complete the package, every song has also been meticulously choreographed. “We went through so many versions. Sometimes we would spend a whole day just on the chorus. We want to make sure that the choreography really fits the song,” JL says.
But beyond music, BGYO has also been exploring other paths to consolidate their local following. After all, the members say, being “On Demand” also means connecting with people through different forms of media, whether individually or as a group.
They appeared in the drama series “Born to Shine,” portraying themselves and sharing the screen with the fictional girl group Yumi. Each member has his own lane: Gelo played the lead in the vertical series “The Chambermaid’s Daughter,” JL is a judge on the singing contest “The Clash Teens,” and Akira competed in the fourth season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”
Keep on grinding
These side quests will only help bring them closer to the general public and, in turn, channel them back into their own music.
“These avenues allow us to share our different personalities, and at the same time, promote our music,” Akira says. And in fact, Nate adds, people have been coming up to them, saying they discovered BGYO because of their recent stint in “Born to Shine.” “Uy, part ‘yan ng boy band!”
Such projects are sometimes seen as a distraction in pop groups, but BGYO approaches them strategically. “We’re happy we have these opportunities and we don’t need to go on hiatus just to pursue those,” Gelo points out. “Na-e-expose kami sa iba’t ibang tao at audience while still retaining our core as BGYO.”
And while there’s still a long way to go—and the pressure to deliver will always be there—they believe there’s nothing patience and hard work can’t achieve. “We want to reach a high level, so we’ll just have to keep grinding no matter what,” Nate says.
