SB19’s Justin is carving a path of his own with ‘Surreal’

Justin of SB19 made his solo debut with “Surreal.” Image: Courtesy of Sony Music Philippines and 1Z Entertainment

Justin de Dios can instantly catch anyone’s attention. His breathtaking aura as one-fifth of SB19 is hard to miss — but “Surreal” is his way of allowing listeners to see how breathtaking the world can be from his point of view. Thus, the dreamlike vibe of the song and the visuals which reflect his own imagination.

But beyond his superstar status, he’s someone who loves Grass-type Pokemon and movies under the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. So much that it translated into his identity as an artist and a creative.

“Ever since noong bata pa ako, may something special sa’kin ang trees, forests, grass — even pati sa Grass Pokemon. I don’t know why but there’s something about it. Even the movies na pinapanood ko, nagagandahan ako kapag ang set-up ay nasa gubat or bundok.” he told INQUIRER.net in a one-on-one interview held hours before a private launch for his solo debut.

In the hours leading up to the private launch, Justin confessed he was nervous about striking out on his own, veering from the comfort of his group. But he said he’s faithful to SB19’s motto to “get in the zone” to free himself from the nerves.

SB19’s Justin during the private launch in Quezon City ahead of his solo debut. Image: Hannah Mallorca/INQUIRER.net

But from the looks of his cream polo, brocade vest, and dark brown pants, the spray of flowers on his buttonhole was enough hint of how he wanted to establish himself as a solo artist.

Labor of love

“Surreal” was a labor of love done with the help of people close to Justin. The lyrics were written by the SB19 member himself while the melody was produced by Radkidz, a producing duo composed of Pablo and his brother Josue. Meanwhile, Stell was one of the content producers and the makeup artist for the music video — where some of its scenes were shot in Atok, Benguet, Zambales, and Seoul, South Korea.

“In terms of the concept, binalikan ko ‘yung mga creative thoughts ko from before and ideas [until deciding] na ito ‘yung visual na gusto kong gawin. With the help of my friends and my co-creative director, na-build namin ang concept,” he said.

But before its release, Justin had already been surrounded by a support network of his members, colleagues, and dedicated fans. He, of course, is “very thankful” for the love early on.

“I’m super overwhelmed. Bukod sa nakikita ko sa social media ang support ng fans, even the people around me are supportive and excited. Kaya I’m very happy and nakaka-gain ako ng confidence to do this,” he said.

The love put into bringing “Surreal” was made possible through the time management done by Justin, his bandmates, and the group of people working with them. He said it’s hard to “manage everything” at the same time, but he wouldn’t be able to make it work without his support network.

“We try to balance and manage everything which is really hard,” he said while pondering his thoughts. “But binibigyan namin ang time ang isa’t isa tuwing schedules and our free time, [our team] will try to manage everything. I guess magagaling talaga ang mga naka-work namin. And they’re very supportive. Ang pinakaimportante is kailangan gusto mo ‘yung ginagawa mo para hindi mo isipin na sayang ang oras.”

SB19’s Justin in a concept photo for “Surreal.” Image: Courtesy of Sony Music Philippines and 1Z Entertainment

Doing his best

Justin is aware that adjusting as a solo act is normal. “As an artist, nag-start ako with SB19 so now in my solo path, need ko ng firsthand experience and adjustment,” he said after asking what this moment meant to him as an artist. “I’m nervous kasi all eyes are on me at gagawin ko ‘to nang mag-isa. Siguro ang pinakatinatry kong gawin as a soloist [is to enter into this mindset na] gusto ko ang ginagawa ko.”

But the singer-songwriter and creative knows he’s “not perfect.” Still, he wants to show the best sides of himself as a solo act.

“I want to do my best. I know that I’m not perfect in doing things — I don’t expect myself to be perfect. But ang [iniisip ko is] masaya ako, pinapasaya ko ang mga tao, and nage-enjoy ka sa ginagawa mo. You do your best even if you’re not perfect,” said Justin.

As a member of SB19, it’s normal for Justin to share his creativity with the world. But he makes sure to find a balance between keeping what he wants to have for himself and what he opts to share with the public. Following the quintet’s debut in 2018, he’s also busy behind the scenes as the group’s creative director. He’s also the CEO of his own brand, Visar Society.

“Parang wala nang balance,” he said before laughing when asked how he manages to balance between doing his job and staying true to himself.

“Siguro the work na binabalance ko is when I go public. Medyo exhausting din kasi when say, pupunta ka sa shoot, so ‘yun ang mahirap ibalance. Some of our work, nagagawa sa bahay. Actually, minsan nakakapaglaro pa nga ako while working,” he said before laughing again.

SB19’s Justin in a concept photo for “Surreal.” Image: Courtesy of Sony Music Philippines and 1Z Entertainment

The topic of balance also applies when it comes to handling constructive criticism and praise. Justin says anyone would know if a compliment is “genuine or not,” which allows him to rely on his own instincts.

“Mafe-feel mo siya,” he said matter-of-factly. “For me, most of the time, ina-accept ko naman ‘yung alam kong genuine kasi cino-compare ko siya side-by-side sa constructive criticism.” And for Justin, this is one of the things that helps him in bringing his creative ideas to life.

“Cino-compare ko siya side by side kung magme-make sense,” he said. “Mas ita-try ko silang intindihin and to connect the dots. I weigh both of them, and dapat silang pinapakinggan.”