MANILA, Philippines—The year continues to be as big and storied as ever for Filipino pop royalty SB19 with the highly-anticipated drop of the music video for “Bazinga” today, off their latest EP, Pagsibol, released last July to fan and critical acclaim.
Set in an underground combat zone, the music video shows the multi-awarded quintet defeating their enemies in an arcade combat game. In true SB19 fashion, the visuals are, of course, topnotch. As the video doubles as an up-in-arms statement against the unwarranted criticisms hurled at the P-Pop group since the beginning of their music journey.
Production still courtesy of Sony Music PH
The song itself is written as a response to the hostility surrounding the Internet, serving as a wakeup call for the band to focus their energy on meaningful expressions of art and music, and the love that they’ve been getting from fans all over the world and from those who purposefully aim to bring them down and question their abilities.
“One way to lighten the load is by writing a song that proves that we won’t back down to the negative comments and we’ll persevere,” the chart-topping boyband shares in a statement. “As it says from the lyrics, ‘Hate niyo’y gasolina’ – we continue to flourish and emerge as better individuals, despite the hostility.”
The “Bazinga” MV is directed by Jonathan Tal Placido, and co-directed by Chapters, the production team behind their post-apocalyptic “What?” music video. SB19’s very own Justin de Dios also heavily contributed to the concept of the material, which blends themes of graffiti, gaming, and superhero noir against a chaotic but visually interesting anti-establishment backdrop.
The release of the music video comes off the heels of SB19’s nomination at the prestigious MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Southeast Asia act, alongside the region’s biggest names. This achievement, for the group, is fuel enough to put the Filipino music on the international map.
Image courtesy of Sony Music PH
“The BBMA nomination was a big, big thing for us already. Now being nominated for the EMAs, which is another prestigious and well-known award-giving body, has us so overjoyed,” SB19 says. “And being backed up by our loved ones, and A’TIN, further motivates us to keep pushing on. We hope to keep up the traction and to hit our goals of introducing Philippine music globally.”
Following these notable achievements, the envelope-pushing pop ensemble and their label, Sony Music Philippines, are also looking at releasing an exclusive line of merch slated to drop before Christmas.
Image courtesy of Sony Music PH
The music label behind the P-Pop powerhouse takes pride in the project’s unparalleled visuals, packaging, and presentation, very much aligned with the group’s global appeal and branding. “This line of merch is different from those previously available, and it went through a lot of revisions and quality checks to ensure that the products are top-notch. The look and feel is premium, plus fans can’t get these items anywhere else.”
Following this milestone, SB19 is also set to headline Our Zone 2021: Anniversary Concert, featuring performances, games, special guests, and surprises. The special event, which will stream live on 27 Nov 2021 (Sat) 5PM PHT and 28 Nov 2021 (Sun) 5PM PHT, marks the Pinoy boyband’s third anniversary celebration. Tickets are available at ktx.ph and www.sb19ozone.com.
Watch the music video here.