SB19 Are Ready For Their Next Chapter With Netflix Documentary

Forbes

3 days ago

SB19 in "Pagtatag! The Documentary" on Netflix
Nearly two years ago, I interviewed the Filipino Pop group, SB19, for a magazine feature. They were about to celebrate their fifth anniversary, and the success of their EP, Pagtatag!, which had their single, 'Gento,' go viral. The quintet – Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin – were on top of the world, touring, giving press interviews, and receiving love globally. They truly seemed unstoppable.
Little did we know, the talented group was going through their own internal and legal struggles with their former company, while simultaneously starting their own management company and continuing to work on music. What began as a documentary focusing on their album trilogy – comprised of their three EPs: Pagsibol, Pagtatag!, and their most recent release, Simula at Wakas – evolved into a story of following the group's highest and lowest points in their careers and how they managed to survive that time in their lives. Their story, Pagtatag! The Documentary is out now on Netflix.
Directed by Jed Regala, who has directed several of SB19's music videos, Pagtatag! The Documentary chronicles the group's journey during their Pagtatag! era explores the themes of mental health and representation, as well as how the group has navigated the pressures of the industry.
'We originally wanted to document the [EPs] trilogy from the beginning,' Justin explains. 'We took the opportunity to actually release it, maybe learn from it, and test if we could really produce a good documentary.'
They wanted to make something for A'TINs – the name for their fandom – because they love behind-the-scenes footage and details about the group. It was also a time when they faced a legal battle over the ownership of the group's name. Justin says they wanted the fans to understand all the things that happened, and why several meetings and concerts were canceled. He says, 'We just got the opportunity to put it all out there and put it in one documentary, so that it will be all explained.'
SB19 in "Pagtatag! The Documentary" on Netflix
It was about the time when the group formed their own management company, 1Z Entertainment, to manage their activities – and one day create more P-pop groups to represent the Philippines.
'In the earlier days, we were trying to establish our own company,' says Pablo. 'We do have our own company now, and we are trying to build a team and establish our company. We want the documentary to show that we have a capable team now and then. Also, what happened during this fallout in the former company is a vibrant story and challenge we faced.'
I met up with the group at Lasita, a local Filipino restaurant in Los Angeles, the evening after their concert at the City National Grove of Anaheim. The guys have been craving Filipino food since they began the North American leg of their Simula at Wakas World Tour. They had just arrived from their long day of press since 5 am. Although most of the members didn't get much sleep, they felt 'pretty good.' They are still adjusting to the time zone. They've just been so busy.
Josh laughs, 'I'm always jetlagged.'
'I'm the only member who doesn't feel jetlag,' Stell says proudly.
As food is brought to the table, the guys tell me about each dish, including the flavor details ('This one is sour.' 'It's a bit salty.') Ken suggests I try Calamansi Juice, a refreshing Filipino lemonade made with fresh calamansi fruit, sugar, and cold water. He says they all drink it to help with their throat for the concerts. He asks if I like cilantro. I tell him I don't really, which the drink does add a bit of. The conversation somehow shifts towards pineapple on pizza. SB19 all enjoy pineapple on pizza, which they could tell from my face; I did not. Ken laughs, 'I'm sorry.'
SB19 in "Pagtatag! The Documentary" on Netflix
There is a lighter tone in the air when chatting with SB19 that evening, compared to two years ago, when they felt a bit distant and uneasy. Though the group was all smiles and excited over their tour and the success of 'Gento' and Pagtatag!, it felt like they were holding back throughout the conversation. Ken would barely answer a question with one sentence, but during dinner, he became an open book.
Following the events of their documentary, they were able to retain their group's name, 'SB19,' and control their music careers as they wished. Pablo and the others noticed the change in Ken too.
'Before [all of this happened], Ken wouldn't talk – even during our concerts,' says Pablo.
Ken wants to improve at being more open and talking, saying he's never been good at it. But, interviews like these have been helping him exercise that skill.
'I'm just trying to help reach our goals,' Ken admits. 'We have the same dream. We have been together for seven years, and we've been through a lot of hardships together – and we overcame all of it. It's made me stronger. It's made us stronger. The burden that I felt that the group felt during that time kind of lifted something inside me.'
Ken isn't the only member who has undergone significant changes as a result of the aftermath of their legal battle to maintain their name and identity: all of them have. The entire group has felt more at ease, mature, and has become more passionate about their team goals.
'There were a lot of changes that have happened within us, because of the environment that we were in,' says Pablo. 'We see the responsibility that we have and have grown in maturity, holding onto [our passions and goals]. The team has been solid right now, and hopefully in the future, as we go further, maintain that grit and passion towards the certain goal we want to achieve and get more opportunities to show what we learned from the past and what we have established as a team.'
During their Pagtatag! promotions at the beginning of the documentary, Pablo and Justin had become executives in the new 1Z Entertainment company, with each member of SB19 playing a vital role within the organization. They all found themselves having to take on multiple roles beyond being an artist.
SB19 in "Pagtatag! The Documentary" on Netflix
Pablo, who serves as CEO, found it challenging to juggle his roles as the leader of the group and within the company. He wanted to protect the people working under him from burnout, especially since the company was a startup with new employees to trust and transition the entire company process. He recalls not getting enough rest during that time, as they were attending meetings with their lawyers to reclaim their name. As a small company, they had to work twice as hard during music gigs because the legal issues incurred significant costs. He shares, 'That's one thing that I learned the most in this journey: just listen to people try to explain their thoughts about their feedback and how they're feeling about their work environment.'
Ken recalls the struggle of striking a balance between music and management. He says it was a lot for their young age – one night they're performing at a concert, then they're immediately called into a meeting over business situations.
'It was too much really that happened to us,' Ken says. 'We're still young, but it came down like a meteor from the sky. It was so heavy. We were so shocked. We'd have a concert, and then we'd receive a message, and Pablo would call the four of us to discuss it. It was a burden that seemed impossible to overcome. We had a lot of meetings. Can you imagine doing a meeting for 13 hours almost every day? We couldn't use our name for months.'
The members would find themselves arguing over minuscule issues due to the stress they felt. It sometimes affected their music and performances, to the point of cancellation of several events. Though it was a challenging time for them, it ultimately brought them closer together as they bonded over fighting for the identity and name they worked so hard to create over the past few years.'What happened to us made us stronger,' says Stell. 'We're very happy as a team, and somehow we treat every problem as a stepping stone to achieving another achievement as a group. We treat all the past problems and issues as our stepping stone to be more solid as a team.'Josh credits their success as a group to them working together by voting democratically. He admits, 'The cognitive skills on how we solve our problems are getting better and better. It makes sense that we are also getting better at managing stress. We're not as rattled as before anymore. We try to come up with solutions as a group rather than before. We were not agreeing with each other. We just try to respect each other's perspectives, and then we come up with it. We learned how to take more risks, especially during this era in our lives.'
When pressed for what era SB19 is in now, Josh joked, 'We are in our Tito (uncles) era.'
Since their debut in their early twenties, the group has matured and grown wiser. Pablo says the group's dynamics are 'really good' as they've learned to handle their emotions through the last few years.
'If one of us is not in the mood or getting cranky, it really affects the dynamics in the room,' Pablo says. 'It will show in our performance with the bantering. If one of us is not in the mood, then it wouldn't be so connected. We've learned to manage our emotions and how we perform and handle these things professionally.'
The documentary was filmed between 2023 and 2024, but couldn't fully discuss the details of the lawsuits. They hope to continue sharing more stories of their experiences, managing their company, and creating new music for their fans. The guys admit that it was a bit difficult for them to reveal so much of themselves in the documentary, especially their thoughts, feelings, and lives.
'Even though we've been here for almost seven years already, we don't get to talk to each other about our personal feelings,' says Pablo. 'To share that with people around the world and have strangers documenting us, it was hard.'
Justin thinks back to being followed by the camera crew everywhere – inside their rooms, while preparing for a show, and even as they're waking up in the morning. He says, 'It was very uncomfortable at first, but since we were on tour, we adjusted quickly while doing that. For me, I'm used to talking to a lot of people. [There are moments I wanted to cry] during the documentary, but I didn't have any feeling of doing that because we were in a very serious situation at that time. So everyone was very focused and serious about it. I guess we were all very uncomfortable at first because [it was our first documentary]. It was very new for us.'
SB19 in "Pagtatag! The Documentary" on Netflix
The group has no regrets about making the documentary. They want everyone to know what happened to them during the entire process. Josh has cringed at himself while watching the documentary because he realized he couldn't control his feelings or what he said.
'I wish I could time travel,' he admits. 'A lot of times, I don't watch my old self. I'm trying to establish more boundaries now. I wish I could take out some clips, but it has a reason to be there. I just remind myself that I'm growing so much.'
Stell said capturing this moment in time was crucial for their next chapter in their careers. 'We really faced a difficult situation. [Now we can move on.]'
Their latest EP album, Simula at Wakas (Tagalog for 'Beginning and End'), is the third and final installment of their trilogy, establishing a new era and chapter for the group.
Pablo says they're at their peak in their career, but also feels like they're just starting as they further establish their company.
'For more than six years, this is the only time we've become solid in our dynamics,' he explains. 'So right now, we're really eager to do more to maximize the time that we have to be able to do a lot of things and take more risks. Who knows what might happen if we don't take the risk now? Then when are we going to take the risk? Are we going to wait? We're not getting any younger. Those are the things that run through our minds. I think Simula at Wakas has awakened that passion again inside of us, even better than what we had during the days when we were starting.'
They've begun expanding the company beyond SB19 with auditions to form a new girl group, aiming to grow and expand Filipino music globally. That has always been what SB19 wanted to leave as a legacy in Filipino music and culture. Ken said in the documentary and, again, during the interview, that he would love to bring SB19's name into the global scene and help introduce Filipino culture to the world.
'We're planning for an expansion,' Justin shares. 'We are currently performing and doing some songs, but we're planning to expand and use SB19 to maximize the brand. Soon, they will know the meaning behind [who we are.]'
Josh adds, 'We are more than being artists. We are entrepreneurs trying to close the gap in the entertainment industry, especially in the Philippines. We want to be among the first to integrate all these [potential future developments] that can happen in P-Pop [and beyond]. We want to set the standards that we want of the talented artists, creatives, and performers.'
SB19 has expanded beyond music and is establishing itself as a movement, venturing into other platforms to introduce new styles and promote the Philippines internationally. Pablo says, 'The standard will go even higher for us to be able to introduce Filipino culture to the world, starting with music videos. We want to have the Filipino standard be on par with the global scale.'
The members have a new refreshed stance towards what they want for themselves and their groups. Stell says they're more confident than ever before because 'we have everything that we need with our team.'
'Our dynamics have been very amazing,' he shares. 'We can face our fans very confidently and with energy.'
SB19 in "Pagtatag! The Documentary" on Netflix
With the documentary, SB19 hopes viewers will see how much they love their fans and the music. Their fanbase may not be the biggest in the world, but 'they're powerful, supportive, very passionate, and loyal.' Justin wants audiences to see the beauty of A'TINs and why those fans have supported them throughout their careers. He explains, 'We're not just performers and singers. We have a bigger goal and dream for Filipino music and entertainment. So through that, I hope fans could help us and support us to carry on these dreams.'
Josh also wants those who see the documentary to know that SB19 is also human, just like them, and that they don't have everything figured out. And, despite the troubles they went through, the group kept moving forward.
'[We want fans] to see how normal we are,' Josh says. 'We feel sad. We feel happy. We cry. We laugh. We don't figure it all out at once. The documentary isn't perfect, but it's authentic. We want to put out there that this is the authentic SB19. We're gonna be more mature. We're going to get better and better.'
SB19 's Pagtatag! The Documentary is now streaming on Netflix.