WHAT?

 

There are so many songs out there, but this song is one of the few that gave me goosebumps. The instrumental alone inspires me to hold my head up high and continue to fight. Without the lyrics, the instrumental evokes grit and valor, like the drums of war in the old days. It makes me feel like the army is marching on wearing their full battle gear, ready to fight in the name of their beloved country.

In a sense, SB19 are warriors, too. They've been fighting for their place in the music industry since the day they debuted. It is still an ongoing battle to this day, and What? was their battle cry. No one wanted them, nobody believed in them in the beginning. They were just a bunch of wannabes who were trying their luck. If not for their natural talent and grit, they wouldn't have made it.

Nagsimula na pero wala na ‘kong balak na tapusin

‘Di ibig sabihin ‘pag ‘di tinapos ako’y hihinto na rin

Alam ko naman na ‘di ako’ng pinaka-ano magaling

Got no biz with all of you please

Destiny’s I’ll be better and

The first verse was a nod to the beginning of their journey. They knew they had a lot to prove, and there was no assurance they could make it 'til the end. It was an admittance that there were many options out there and all they were asking was a chance to prove their worth. I remembered seeing some older tweets of Josh thanking everyone who went to their event and promising to deliver better performances in the future. They knew that they had to improve,. and through the years, that's exactly what they did.

Lahat ng aking basura uh

Pupulutin laging dala

Kahit sa’n pa ‘ko mapunta

Lapat sa lupa aking mga paa

Pablo once said that he is not the IDOL that people expect. He won't conform to the typical idol culture and will wear his garbage wherever he goes, which was what he has been doing ever since. When they entered the industry, it was their talent that they wanted to showcase, yet people were too focused on their looks. They knew they had to improve, but they remained the same young men who first went live on Facebook and only had less than a hundred viewers. Their humility,. authenticity and talent are what created a beautiful community of people now collectively called A'tin.

Mahiwaga bawat nakasarang bintana sa’kin dati lahat ngayo’y nagbubukas (oh woah)

Daming sakuna ‘di ko ininda andito na ‘ko sa wakas

What

When the public started to notice them, that was the only time media networks started to recognize them. They began appearing on TV and had the chance to promote themselves, but it wasn't enough. They never truly received the full support they deserved, not until lately when they started to be recognized outside the country. Not until they started bringing recognition to the country.

‘Di na bala para iangat ang bandera

Bara na sa puso niyo na ang tatama

Ama salamat at ikaw ang agimat

Bawat banat iwagayway mo ang watawat

SB19 has always been promoting individuality and non-conformity. Their name Sound Break was not only meant to break into the local and international music scene but to also help people realize that it is more beautiful outside the safety of our own comfort zone. Living our lives inside a box may sound safe, but it is death in the literal sense. Walking the same road, looking at the same walls over and over again. There is nothing worse than a meaningless life.

Pare-parehas lang tayong may pagkakaiba

‘Di ba ika nila ibang mundo nakikita niya

Mabuting iba ‘di gaya nila

Pikit ang mata ang tama wala huh

Bente-bente (paulit-ulit)

Intelihente (subalit ngunit)

Basag ang lente (pinunit-punit)

Hinubog ng dalagang bakal sirit

While it is true that we all have our own perspectives and beliefs, it is natural for humans to condemn the things they don't understand or are not aligned with what they have gotten used to. This is the actual reason why the idea of witches was born. Misunderstood people who may have displayed unusual human traits or behaviors branded as evil, hence the term witch hunt. Yet to SB19, they risked being branded as the witches of the Philippine music entertainment to show the country and the world that Filipinos cannot be limited to what was perceived of them. There is so much more to us than what we care to admit.

Maniwala darating ang mga biyaya

Higit pa sa lahat ng nawala (oh woah)

Daming sakuna ‘di ko ininda

‘Di titigil hanggang sa wakas

What

Despite all the hardships they've gone through, SB19 remained steadfast in their movement of innovating the country's music industry because as musical arts consumers themselves, they know the people deserved better. The problem is that the people, or at least many of them need more time to be ready to receive better. It is inspiring to witness these men's journey as they empower the country and other artists to become the best version of themselves. Their perseverance and hard work is give many of us hope for a better and brighter entertainment industry where the artist strives to be who he truly is and is supported by the people.