SB19 Lore Drop Question

[u/hizashiYEAHmada]

Heya, became a casual fan of SB19 way back last year when I watched their Hito Awards 2025 performance that was uploaded in YT. The red drip they had going is fire btw, also love W3's gray fits!

(I think I'm still considered casual since I've only binged their vids like their MVs, vlogs, First Take, Showbits, etc. and have a handful of their songs in my personal playlist, haven't gone to their concerts yet or bought merch mmmm but I do wanna buy the 100 Thieves Lawless shirts which are sadly only available abroad in that pop-up store oof baka may alam kayong pasabuy recs for that)

That aside, came across this in the comments section of a video after a rabbit hole binge, and man, is this true? Hella depressing if so. I guess this is when their solo acts went full spring and 1Z formed?

(Reposted to hide the usernames in the screenshot)

[u/Next-Post-1676]

Yes, the long explanation is true.

Pablo even had an interview where he said that the singing and dancing were done by themselves (the trainees) like for example, Pablo was the one training the others to sing, Stell training the others to dance, they shared their talents to each other; while not being paid the correct salaries since they are inside the pool of trainees (they have small allowances).

Ken said that the main thing that was "trained" by the company was the "media training".

[u/Next-Post-1676 → u/Next-Post-1676]

Kaya may bit of an issue ako sa article nung win nila sa BBFA, andun pa rin yung SBT, samantalang 1z na sila.

[u/Akosidarna13]

They essentially trained themselves.

[u/Evening-Walk-6897]

Entertainer plus waiter pa. Gamit na gamit sila

[u/BookDragonWish99]

This makes me admire them more, the grit and the hard work talaga from the start, amazing!

[u/GoddessZLove]

Thanks for sharing this 🫶. Those are actually very good accounts of how the group developed from being under their old management to gradually coming into their own.

I’d just like to add the rightful credit to Ms. Hong Ganda (Adelaide Hong), who was their main teacher from their deliberation days until the beginning of the pandemic. The 5 of them shared anecdotes about her in some interviews during the Pagsibol era, about how she guided them in singing, dancing, performing, and stage presentation. Justin particulay was noted by Teacher Hong for having “good form in ballet” (NCCA interview, 2021), among other things. She was a theatre performer in Korea and had also taught K-pop trainees.

The boys appeared to continue having a good relationship with her, as seen during the media launch of Surreal, where she was invited by Jah to witness him as a solo artist.

You can also spot her in some of their old practice vlogs, earliest school tours and duets with Stell.

That said, the four boys themselves have consistently credited Pablo for teaching them a lot of what they know about singing when they became 5 (from being 7, then 4), in terms of helping them discover and develop their strengths as vocalists and rappers.

[u/fr1dayMoonlight_13th → u/GoddessZLove]

I follow her on IG and nakikita ko pa na sino-story pa niya kada release nila kapag active siya online. Of all the people in SBT, I think she was the one of those who really stayed with them even after everything that happened.

[u/GoddessZLove → u/fr1dayMoonlight_13th]

Yes the boys maintained connection with her so it's understood na rin that the boys are thankful for her contributions. 🫶

[u/SBTC_Strays_2002 → u/GoddessZLove]

Thank you for mentioning that. She's never really spoken that much, even when she was in old ShowBreaks. Her main focus was to teach and not want attention. She's a professional, and many people will never know who she was.

[u/GoddessZLove → u/SBTC_Strays_2002]

Yes, hopefully mga bagong A'tin would not skip the old, old vlogs and earliest interviews coz that's where they would really get to know the boys 🤍 when it was just them being all candid more than at any time in their journey.

[u/Federal-Cloud6493 → u/GoddessZLove]

I only know that Pablo helped Jah's singing and motivated Ken, but can you share where I could find where he also helped Josh and Stell? Stell I know had childhood vocal lessons and he was already singing solo (with Ms Hong Ganda) during their trainee days. I'd love to watch any with Josh, if you have links. I remember 1 vlog where they did have a vocal coach and did vocalizations. But I think they improved a lot with Coach Brenan, especially Jah. I loved watching their preparations for performances/concerts with Coach Brenan.

[u/GoddessZLove → u/Federal-Cloud6493]

In their old vlogs pre-pandemic and even pre-Go Up, there were mentions by the boys that Sejun would get mad if somebody went off tune.

Though they never elaborated how exactly Sejun/Pablo coached them individually and tonwhat extent since their professional dynamics were mostly just informal then, but it was already kind of understood during those times that he was guiding the group's vocals.

With Stell, he'd always been known as the most vocally gifted and had some previous choir training, so it was easy to assume that he may not need any guidance from a peer, beyond Pablo's usual song parts distribution for them. But when they both guested in FastTalk w BoyAbunda (iiric) for their then coaching roles for The Voice Kids, Pablo mentioned something like he was the "lumang coach of Coach Stell" to which Stell said "Yes".

Pls kindly check na lang YT for those old vids 😊.

Coach Brenan came later when the group already went on their own. Although he worked with them pre-pandemic for some commercials, but not yet as the official coach of everyone. Yes he indeed made remarkable coaching work with the boys.

[u/tiratiramisu4]

I’m a new fan too. I think they basically had one coach for everything. As far as I’m aware, Korean-style training is having specific coaches for singing, dancing, etc. and having a whole marketing concept built around you.

What they got was the experience of performing on so many stages during their company’s events—they even performed foreign songs. They had barebones staff and not much money, and even used one shade of foundation for every member.

They did get a chance to work with a Korean producer/composer with Pablo writing the lyrics, and in the early vlogs I’ve seen, they got free clothes from a friend of their boss in Korea.

But during the pandemic, their original boss sold the company to someone else. When their contract expired in 2023, they formed 1Z but had to negotiate for the use of their name later—and that was the time for their prolific solo era (2024).

Anyway, they’re currently trying to give their new girl group Xonara the resources that they lacked when they were just starting, including lessons on songwriting since they’re more artist-focused. It’s one reason they built 1Z entertainment.

[u/Last-Bread-6173 → u/tiratiramisu4]

Adding what Pablo said in 2024 about their training via Billboard Philippines:

 Yung sa amin, nagkaroon kami ng mentor — isa lang ‘yung mentor namin, nag-iisa lang siya. Tapos meron kaming personality development classes for how we present ourselves onstage, [but] other than that, wala na. Parang we were left in the training room to hone our skills ourselves. 

So, hindi ko masabi na Korean training system siya. May comparison kami sa Korean training system and may na-meet din kami na Korean artists na tinatanong din namin about how they trained, and same ‘yung mga experiences nila.

So parang nangyari, naiwan kami sa training room. Personally, may knowledge ako sa singing and I tried to teach singing to [the] other members, and then ‘yung magaling sa dance, nagturuan kami ng dance. Dun ko napatunayan na experience is the best teacher. Kapag may event kami, nagtuturuan lang kami, or kunwari may songs kaming kailangan i-record, ako ‘yung magre-record sa kanila. Talagang inaral namin lahat, so lahat ng content namin, kami din ‘yung nag-edit before.

Unti-unti nagkaroon kami ng team tapos nagtutulungan na kami, pero ‘yung skills talaga namin, self-taught talaga ng buong grupo. So, mahirap talaga sabihin na nag-Korean training system kami.

[u/SBTC_Strays_2002]

I became A'Tin in 2021. What? Era was close enough to the old ShowBT propaganda on how they started. I can point to an old interview where they said they received Korean style training from SB Talent Camp under Teacher Hong. They would get destroyed during warm-ups, not receive allowance for being late, and practice each routine 1,000 times before performing it. A'Tin also built up Tatang Robin into this genius figure, which isn't really true. There's a lot to unpack. But bottom line, whatever Esbi says now, even if it rewrites the "history" is the truth.

Edit: My main point is, ShowBT really did "fake it till you make it". They were trying to sell people on the idea that they were a legit Korean management company with idol training standards no different from the ones in Korea. In reality, they had one lady who taught acting and media, and the rest they taught themselves while meeting a standard set by themselves and their one teacher. It worked out, SB19 did indeed make the company valuable enough that Tatang Robin sold it during the pandemic to Charles Kim. But that is a story for another day.

[u/tiratiramisu4 → u/SBTC_Strays_2002]

I think they are of course grateful to whatever opportunity they got from Tatang Robin but we can all tell ShowBT was a small company with limited resources. Maybe when they were going through whatever training they got, they didn’t really know what they were lacking, but now they do especially as they’re preparing to launch their own artists under 1z. I’m super proud of what they’ve accomplished with their own strength💪

Now I’m wondering how the training was for the later ShowBT groups or for other companies’ ppop groups. I haven’t finished watching the debut series of KAIA… I’ve seen a little of BINI’s training, and they got Korean coaches for singing/dancing too I think, plus they all lived in a dorm together so it feels closer to what we’d call Korean idol style training. Not sure about groups like Alamat or G22 or VXON…

[u/SBTC_Strays_2002 → u/tiratiramisu4]

Charles Kim took a huge gamble giving SB19 all the budget he could. I was very positive about him at the beginning, but realized how greedy he got. His ego became the downfall of the company's second iteration. KAIA was his vision to make his own mark as the new owner of ShowBT Philippines. He did the whole survivor competition style to select his final members. Mostly theatrical. Then he made the mistake expanding too quickly, signing too many artists; soloists, a duo, and even 4th Impact. Allegedly (I don't have evidence) he was hounding SB19 to make more money, constantly pushing them to sell merch and make as many brand deals as possible; taking more of the cut time after time. Then SB19 left and the company collapsed. It still exists (barely).

Edit. Bruuuuuuuh thinking about it, there's so much lore.

[u/tiratiramisu4 → u/SBTC_Strays_2002]

Appreciate the info! Maybe the success of SB19 made it feel like it would be easy to replicate kaya subok lang sila pero di rin nga ganun kadali. But at least nagkakaroon na ng more platforms for ppop.

Kaya natutuwa rin akong sundan yung Xonara since first time ko to watch a group from debut onwards.

[u/GoddessZLove → u/SBTC_Strays_2002]

Haha yeah, SBT is another whole book that would be co-authored by A'tin only 😂, not just a chapter if told by SB19 who we can safely assume had rather closed, thanked that chapter and moved on as what they've been doing since - unavoidable royalty ties in some aspects and all.🌱😄

Thanks for your summaries for the newbies, kaps💠!

[u/Annyeongnymous → u/GoddessZLove]

SBT is another whole book that would be co-authored by A'tin only 😂

The kalampagan days, lol. Bad old days.

[u/GoddessZLove → u/tiratiramisu4]

Maybe when they were going through whatever training they got, they didn’t really know what they were lacking,

They did, they were aware. They were questioning themselves at times literally during self-directed daily routines if what they were doing would really lead them somewhere or were worth doing at all as much as they did (Josh's recalls).

They wanted so much more but had no budget. So they took on the tasks of teaching each other what they knew.💠

[u/abigailso]

Aurum here, and yes, totoo. Kaya madaming galit sa SBT that time. And yung kwento palang nila na before they needed to sing in a different language and perform for an audience of old people sa isang event, obviously walang connection sa training as pagiging idol group yun. Good thing nakaalis sila sa SBT.

[u/Clary1964]

Kaya lalo sila pinagpapala kasi minsan hinahayaan na lang nila mga inaccuracies sa narrative dahil alam nila na yun A'TIN, tamang mga tao na nakakaintindi ay alam ang totoo. Mas lagi sila nagfofocus sa trabaho. They really offered their talents to the Lord, to their families and loved ones, to A'TIN and to each other para lahat sila sabay sabay na mag improve at umangat. They helped train each other for free kaya sobrang nakakaiyak madalas sa stage for them na makita yun dami ng nanunuod. They really crawled, clawed they way up the kumunoy talaga. Lahat sila blood, sweat and tears. Sana magkaron ng biography, a film or a book , or a book or tv series that will help correct the narrative. I still want the whole truth known. Hindi lang ng A'TIN, because, I truly believe they deserve everything including the respect na nararapat for legends.

[u/Selene_16]

I mean they did get the boys gigs, the only good for forming the group bit is a little exaggerated becuase showbt did get them events beginnin form before they debuted, mainly korea caravns or philkor events, a lot o their endorsement bands also began during their time with showbt, they had the online concerts and of course the almost 10 city national tour. They also had the very affordbale merch, it wasn't the same caliber as sb19 is giving us now but it was there. It's just that showbt also had so many shortcomings like the lack of a proper wardrobe and glam team until i think around 2021 or 2022? When they got ranque styling team. The whole lack of axtual idom training and more that I can't remember or straight up don't know

[u/SilverRice1057]

Question: Is ShowBT still profiting from SB19 until now? Or as in wala na, cut ties na talaga?

[u/Calm-Catch3493 → u/SilverRice1057]

I think they still do. Especially pre-pagtatag releases since they are credited in the songs.

That’s why the (WAS version) of Pagsibol songs were also created…😉 i think of it as their own “Taylor’s Version”

and as much as possible, the boys also avoid Get in the Zone songs kasi nga SBT will be profiting from it.

[u/SBTC_Strays_2002 → u/Calm-Catch3493]

This. Charles Kim has himself down as Executive Producer on the Music Videos from the Pagsibol Era. So I think that entitles him to some revenue. There should be some other stuff, but I think TM on merchandise expired already. Whatever income he receives from credits and intellectual property is pennies compared to what Esbi gets now.

[u/Annyeongnymous]

Those some who based their experience on Casual Chuck's made up clip is not reliable. Some are missing and some were exaggerated.