SB19 Josh Cullen’s single ‘Pakiusap Lang’ brings emotional side to light
Josh Cullen Santos of SB19. Image: Twitter/@JoshCullen_S
It’s easy to describe Josh Cullen Santos as the fierce and sensual member of SB19, but his second single “Pakiusap Lang” is a way to bring his emotional side to light.
“Pakiusap Lang” comes two months after Josh’s debut song “Wild Tonight,” where the former is said to be included in his upcoming debut EP. The single and music video were released on Friday, April 21.
“You can expect a mix of different sounds and genre influences, but overall, it’s a reflection of my journey as an artist and a person,” Josh said, when asked about the record.
While the record is described as a “fusion between hip-hop and pop music,” details about its release date and tracklist are yet to be revealed, as of this writing.
The SB19 member said his newest single talks about the “struggles” of maintaining a relationship, as he hoped that it would encourage his fans to “hold on and trust the process.”
“[Pakiusap Lang] about the struggles of maintaining a relationship when you can’t be with your partner all the time due to work or other struggles going on in life,” he added.
Josh then said the single combines his “passion for hip-hop” and lyrics that come “from [the heart].”
“I wanted to make sure the arrangement and sonic vibe reflected my Filipino hip-hop side. My cousin and his friends helped out with the chorus, and we all had a good time putting it together,” he said.
On working with KAIA
The music video for “Pakiusap Lang” features Josh portraying the sweet and painful sides of a relationship, where he enlisted the help of Charice and Angela of the P-Pop girl group KAIA.
“[When] I was planning out the music video for ‘Pakiusap Lang,’ I knew I wanted to create a story that was emotional and impactful,” he said. “As I was brainstorming ideas, I thought about the possibility of incorporating plot twists into the video, to really capture the viewer’s attention. That’s when I had the idea to feature KAIA members Angela and Charice in the video.”
As labelmates, working with Angela and Charice didn’t come as a difficult task for Josh since he trusts what they can bring to the table.
“I knew that they would bring a lot of talent and creativity to the project. Plus, their presence in the video would add an extra layer of intrigue and excitement for viewers. It was a pleasure to work with such talented and dedicated individuals, and I couldn’t be happier with how the video turned out,” he added.
Moving forward as a soloist
A day after the release of “Pakiusap Lang,” SB19’s Josh became emotional as he expressed his gratitude to fans during a fan event in Taguig City. The artist seem to have embraced the softer side to his personality that night, as he allowed himself to bask in pure, unadulterated happiness.
“[Dahil] nagsimula kayong maniwala sa akin, dito ko tina-try humugot ng inspiration na i-push ‘tong ginagawa ko. Honestly, marami nang times na gusto kong sumuko dati, ‘yung tipong ‘bitawan ko na lang,’ pero iniisip ko na kailangan ko siyang gawin kasi wala akong choice. Pero ngayon, binigyan niyo ako ng option to be happy na gawin ito,” he said.
(I am blessed with the inspiration to move forward with what I do because you all started believing in me. Honestly, there are many times that I wanted to give up in the past, where I’ll let it all go, and I’ll just keep going because I had no choice. But now, you gave me an option to be happy with what I do.)
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Even if it’s been two months since his solo debut, Josh believes that his success is a reminder of why he decided to pursue his dream of being an artist.
“[Naalala ko] noong first concert namin [ng SB19] sa Manila, ne-costume wala akong pambili noong panahon na ‘yun, kaya sobrang thankful ako. Thank you for holding on and thank you for believing in me,” he said, as his eyes glittered with happy tears. EDV
