Stell of SB19. Image: Screengrab from YouTube/GMA Network
Even though Stell Ajero has been making a name for himself as one of the coaches of the show “The Voice Generations,” he vowed that SB19 will always be his main priority.
Ajero, the main vocalist and choreographer of SB19, reiterated his dedication to the five-piece boy group during a “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” interview last Tuesday, Sept. 12. The topic was brought up after Abunda asked the P-pop idol about the solo pursuits of the group.
“Okay po sa amin na tumanggap ng solo projects basta hindi po nababangga yung schedule ng grupo. Kasi ang sabi nga po namin, ayaw naming nakakahon kami nang lima lang. And we know na each one of us, may gustong i-pursue. Bakit namin siya pipigilan i-pursue kung ano yung gusto niya, eh dun siya maggo-grow?” he said.
(We’re open to accept solo projects as long as the group’s schedule is not affected. Because we don’t want to be boxed in as a unit, and we know that we want to pursue our own thing as individuals. Why should we stop ourselves from accepting opportunities that will help us grow?)
The P-pop idol admitted that he was initially hesitant to accept the offer of being part of the Kapuso show, but decided to take the leap nonetheless because of the encouragement he received from SB19 and his loved ones.
“Sabi nila sa’kin, ‘Stell, kapag hindi mo pa tinanggap ang project na ‘yan, hindi namin alam kung anong gagawin sa’yo.’ Kasi ako po, bilang part ako ng SB19, sobrang mapili ako sa mga projects na pwedeng tanggapin,” he said. “Gusto ko po na i-prioritize ‘yung group muna kasi nasa SB19 ako so ‘yung gagawin ko is all about SB19 first.”
(They told me, “Stell, if you won’t accept this project, we don’t know what we should do with you.” Since I’m part of SB19, I’m very choosy about the projects to select because I want to prioritize the group… I’d like that everything that I’ll do would be all about SB19 first.
“When the project approached me, sabi ko, ‘Bigatin ‘to. Parang hindi ko alam paano ‘to tatanggapin. But with the help of my group, my team, my family, sila ‘yung nagpakita at nagparamdam sa’kin na [I] really deserved that spot. ‘Kunin mo na. Binigay nila ‘yan sa’yo kasi alam nilang kaya mo at dapat mong tanggapin nang buong puso,’” he continued.
(When they approached me with the project, I thought that this is a big one and I don’t know how to accept it. But with the help of my group, team, and family, they made me feel that I deserve that spot. They made me feel that I have to take the opportunity wholeheartedly.)
During the interview, Ajero said that he’s currently single but he’s “taken by A’TIN” — which is an ode to his nickname as the fans’ “forever boyfriend.” He earned the moniker due to his fan service skills and constant engagement with fans, especially on social media.
“Naisip ko lang ‘yun na gawing tagline sa mga concerts kasi meron kaming inside joke ng A’TIN. Ako ‘yung pinakamakulit kausap,” he said. “Naalala ko po kasi may interview noong tinanong kung may girlfriend ako, tas n’ung sinabi kong wala, nagtampo sila. So sabi ko, ‘Ah, gusto niyo pala ng ganitong klaseng biruan.’ Kaya dahil d’un, ako na ‘yung magiging forever boyfriend niyo.”
The SB19 member then clarified that despite his nickname, he’s grateful to the fans for being mindful of their “boundaries” at all times.
“Nakakatuwa na may ganito kaming interaction pero may boundaries pa rin. Hindi naman siya sine-seryoso. Natutuwa ako na may ganito kaming klaseng connection (It makes me happy that we have this kind of interaction where we still have boundaries. We don’t take it seriously. It makes me happy that we have this kind of connection),” he said. EDV