(From left) John Paulo Nase and Yani de Dios during the interview. Image: Arnel Tacson/INQUIRER.net
SB19’s self-managed label, 1Z Entertainment, is set to produce its first girl group, an endeavor that the P-pop powerhouse plans to pursue in the hopes of getting them “in the zone and [to] break the norm.”
There is no definite timeline for when the girl group will debut yet. But a blueprint aiming to produce a “multi-talented and self-sufficient” group is the main goal, according to SB19’s Pablo, or John Paulo Nase, who sits as the company’s chief executive officer, and Yani de Dios, 1Z’s chief operations officer.
“We decided to expand our portfolio. For so long, we’ve been handling a boy group only,” de Dios told INQUIRER.net in a two-on-one interview. “P-pop is thriving. A lot of groups popping up. Of course, as a new business, we want to be competitive. We want to learn from other companies as well. We want to make a mark.”
Before sharing his two cents, Pablo joked, “Gusto lang po talaga namin ng girl group (We just want to have a girl group),” before assuming a serious stance.
John Paulo Nase, or Pablo, is the CEO of 1Z Entertainment and the leader and chief songwriter of SB19. Image: Arnel Tacson/INQUIRER.net
“I love to produce for other groups. I enjoy working behind the scenes. This is why we wanted to have a girl group that we could help in building. Now we have 1Z where we can make deliberate decisions about the group,” he said.
“We do have a blueprint but we don’t want to close our doors. We value collaborative work and the input of our artists. For now, we want to see the auditionees and how the process goes. That’s where we’ll build the core concept revolving around the members,” continued Pablo.
Training
Touching on SB19’s roots, Pablo and de Dios clarified that while the group previously came from a Philippines-based Korean management, the term “Korean training” is “very general,” knowing their pre-debut training was far from K-pop.
“All Korean companies have a different take on the Korean training system. But with our [past] Korean management, it’s far, far from what they’ve been doing. We had one mentor who was focused more on personality development and how we should present ourselves on stage. But regarding our skills, we were left inside our training room and helped each other, based on our strengths,” said the 1Z CEO.
Producing a “self-sufficient” girl group is one of the label’s goals. But what differentiates its formation from SB19’s past, is how 1Z will fill the gaps that the boy group didn’t have when they were starting out.
“There are a lot of ‘sayangs.’ It could have been efficient if we had teachers helping us,” Pablo recalled. “But now, creating this girl group will fill the gaps. We had a lot of learning experiences when we were still training, so we aim to fill all of the loopholes and lapses. It’s like an improved version of SB19’s training,” he added.
Meanwhile, de Dios said SB19’s members will be “very involved” from the screening, filtering the right trainees, to forming the girl group’s “curriculum.” This goes beyond the basics, like singing, dancing, performing, acting, and song production. Building one’s “character” to survive the industry will also be a crucial part of the training.
‘Future of P-pop’
The formation of 1Z’s girl group will kickstart a new generation of P-pop acts, and with this in mind, de Dios and Pablo want to focus on applying what they learned in the past while prioritizing the value of “innovation.”
“Pablo said you can’t miss out on new gems… so we value the talent and Filipinos’ creativity. We’ll be very careful when it comes to choosing the right trainees, and it’s very exciting to see new faces,” said de Dios.
Julian “Yani” de Dios is the COO of 1Z Entertainment. Image: Arnel Tacson/INQUIRER.net
“Sawa na nga kami sa SB19, so ‘yun ang nag-excite sa’min (We’re tired of SB19, so this excites us),” de Dios joked. Pablo chimed in, saying, “Actually, even employees namin nagsasawa (Even our employees are tired of us).”
Going back to the topic, Pablo said he’s looking forward to 1Z welcoming more “passionate people” through the girl group. For him, sharing his knowledge and meeting new talents, can also be likened to honing the “future of P-pop.”
“Consistency is a must. Because if you’re self-sufficient, you’re always able to create something at any time you want. If you have consistency in this ever-changing industry, I don’t think you always need to focus on standing out,” said Pablo.
“I think with that kind of talent, experience, and skills, it makes them very competitive when it comes to the P-pop landscape. It’s really about having the right skills and knowledge about the industry,” de Dios added, chiming in.
Skills aside, the 1Z COO hopes the aspiring trainees will “be themselves” while taking the opportunity. For him, many entertainment companies are slowly opening up their doors for P-pop groups, which hopefully, serves as a reminder to not be afraid. “Even SB19 started the same way, and they improved through the years,” he added.
(From left) John Paulo Nase and Yani de Dios during the interview. Image: Arnel Tacson/INQUIRER.net
Pablo, on the other hand, reiterated that his main goal is to “pin OPM and P-pop” on the map, whether as SB19’s leader or the CEO of 1Z. He also hoped that the auditionees would be “steadfast” in this goal as well.
“In the coming years, I hope to see more programs to promote P-pop, which urges the industry to push P-pop in the global market. I hope more will support P-pop,” he said. “For those who will try, the journey is not easy. So when you start, take everything you can. Let go of the negative and focus on improving yourself. Regardless of achieving your desired outcome or not, it’s still a learning process you can use in life.”
Auditions for 1Z’s new girl group, which is open to women ages 18 to 21, will run until July 12.