SB19

The Korean entertainment company, Show BT branched out in the Philippines in 2015, announcing a big audition as they were searching for young Filipinos who would like to become professional performers. SB19 was formed by ShowBT Philippines, the Philippine subsidiary of ShowBT Group in Korea, after the five members were selected out of hundreds of aspiring performers, and underwent the same type of training provided to K-pop idols.[9]

Like most idol groups nowadays, SB19 is a result of a harsh cutthroat environment within the ecosystem of the idol mill where only a few can survive among countless hopefuls. The boys would march their way to training from Monday through Saturday, working from 2 p.m. onwards. The day would normally end at around 9 p.m. Except when things needed to improve on or new routines needed to be perfected, they were required to work overtime[10]. They worked hard every day in classes ranging from voice and dance to personality development and body conditioning. The process included regular evaluations and evictions until they were filtered down to five, the crème de la crème which has an opportunity to "debut" and build a bright career just like the idols they have always looked up to[11].

The group debuted on October 26, 2018, with their first single, "Tilaluha". Tilaluha, is a heartbreak ballad, sentimental and soulful. The track was selected for their debut as their management decided to showcase the vocal abilities of the members. The members said they were initially anxious about making their debut, as they brought to the Philippine market an unfamiliar sound and style. And sure enough, they weren't a hit overnight. Their initial effort and promotions, mostly in schools and malls, was met with a lukewarm reception[12].

Their follow-up single, 'Go Up', was released on July 26, 2019, to little fanfare. It was clearly meant to be the last shot SB19 made to make things work. And for a few months after it's released, it looked like they weren't going to — until that fateful night on September 2, 2019. By some chance, a well-meaning user posted the dance practice video on Twitter and Facebook, promoting the group and saying that while listening to their song she "didn't feel any cringe at all." Her post quickly gained traction, and soon enough, SB19 thrust into internet fame's spotlight[14].

The group started to gain attention after uploading their dance practice video for 'Go Up' to their YouTube channel.[15] The 'Go Up' dance practice video became a viral sensation on Twitter after it was shared in the social media platform by a Filipino K-pop fan.[16] This paved the way for the group's appearance in various radio and television shows, as well as coverage from different local and international media, as they continued to gain fans.[17]

On November 2, 2019, SB19 announced their official fandom name A'TIN (pronounced as eighteen), during a Facebook livestream event.[18]

On November 20, 2019, SB19 became the first Filipino act to appear on Billboard's Next Big Sound Chart.[19]

On December 25, 2019, Sony Music Philippines announced that SB19 had signed a recording contract with the record company.[20] On the same date, SB19 released their third single, 'Alab (Burning)', under their new record label.[21]

SB19 also became the first Filipino act to enter Billboard's Social 50 chart, debuting at no. 28 on the week of December 28, 2019.[22][23] Jeff Benjamin, writing for Billboard on February 3, 2020, noted SB19's ascent in the Social 50 chart aided by a growing international fanbase, and sees their rise as an indication that "more artists continue to look east for inspiration and a larger audience".[24]

On March 9, 2020, SB19 was chosen as one of the emerging artists under Spotify's RADAR Program.[25][26][27]