EXCLUSIVE: Justin shares what SB19 ultimately hopes their music brings to people
SB19 may have reached major milestones both in the Philippines and abroad, but for member Justin De Dios, the group’s biggest hope remains rooted in the power of their music to connect with people.
The group recently brought that very spirit to Sony Philippines’ Beyond The Beat: The Next-Level ULT POWER SOUND Experience, held on September 19 at COVE Manila, Okada Manila.
The event marked the launch of Sony’s ULT POWER SOUND lineup and SB19’s first appearance as the newest members of the Sony ULT Squad. The partnership reflects a shared belief in experiencing music beyond simply hearing it, with SB19 continuing to explore ways to make their Filipino identity resonate with audiences outside the country.
Speaking exclusively to PUSH ABS-CBN, Justin shared what SB19 ultimately wants listeners to take away from their songs as they continue to bring Filipino music to a wider audience.
“Syempre, like what we always say po, we want to introduce Filipino music across the globe. We want to tell our story,” he maintained.
“But other than that, syempre po, [since] we’re going international, we want people around the world to really feel ‘yung music namin other than just understanding it.”
For Justin, connecting with an audience does not always require them to understand every word in a song. Instead, SB19 hopes their music can communicate emotions and messages beyond language.
“Kasi we’re using Filipino language sa songs namin. Like sa Sony, gusto nila nafe-feel. And that’s what music is [about]. Minsan hindi mo naiintindihan ‘yung lyrics but you can feel it and understand ‘yung message purpose nung song. That’s what we want to do sa music namin.”
Over the past few years, the group has also used music to create connections across cultures.
In 2025, SB19 teamed up with pop and folk artist Aruma for an Indonesian version of their emotional hit “MAPA.” The members made an effort to learn the Indonesian language as part of the collaboration.
This year, the group took another step forward with their sophomore album Wakas at Simula, released in March. The record explored themes of duality and transformation while opening the door to collaborations with artists from different parts of Asia.
Among its highlights is “Emoji,” featuring Queen of C-Pop JOLIN, while “Toyfriend” saw SB19 team up with Japanese boyband BE:FIRST for a dance-pop track collaboration.
The group also brought Filipino music to one of the world’s biggest music festivals in July when they became the first homegrown Filipino act to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
By August, SB19 continued their international run with a performance at Summer Sonic Festival 2026 in Japan, further expanding their reach among global audiences.
For SB19, however, the goal goes beyond simply being heard in different parts of the world. As Justin explained, they want their story and their music to be understood on a deeper level, going beyond any obstacle or language barrier.