(From left) Jeff, Brian, Niko, RZ, and Joshua of the P-pop boy group Yes My Love. Image: X/@143yesmylove
Yes My Love — a P-pop boy group consisting of Jeff, Brian, Niko, RZ, and Joshua — are aware that they’re all perfectionists. However, they believe that being meticulous is crucial in producing music that is of quality.
Since their debut in March 2023, the quintet is dedicated to sharing their passion for music. This, among other things, led to the members of Yes My Love developing a mindset where criticism is essential.
“It’s part of our love language. Our main goal is to produce [music] and quality content. It calls to be critical — sometimes,” Joshua told INQUIRER.net after performing for screaming fans at an album launch. He was also accompanied by his bandmates Jeff, Brian, Niko, and RZ, who were also relaxing on the couch after performing for their fans in Makati.
“We know that it’s not personal. Outside of work, we’re best buddies. But when we’re at work, we have to be critical. We call each other out as long as we think it’s for the benefit of everyone,” Joshua continued.
Being a stickler for perfection is reflected in their first EP (or extended play) “You, Me, & Love” composed of revivals of classic OPM hits sung by female artists, namely, Roselle Nava’s “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita?”, Jaya’s “Laging Naroon Ka,” Kyla’s “Hanggang Ngayon,” Zia Quizon’s “Ako Na Lang,” and Liezel Garcia’s “Gisingin ang Puso.”
According to the group, choosing this particular route is a way for them to pay homage to OPM while staying faithful to what the group stands for. Recording the album took “many hours” of work, but they reiterated that they wanted to do their best.
“‘Hanggang Ngayon’ took us three days to record. ‘Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita’ took us 16 hours to record. If you would listen to the songs in the EP, there are a lot of harmonies in the background,” Brian recalled. “We were thinking whatever harmony we wanted to incorporate, we incorporated them into the songs.”
When asked how would they know if their recording was “just right,” Niko joked that the songs earned the group’s seal of approval when they’re “tired.” A laughing Joshua added in jest, “Kapag sumisikat na ang araw (When the sun has risen).”
Turning serious, Niko admitted that it’s hard to know when a recorded song is deemed to be “perfect” for a release. “You wouldn’t tell because even though you have a list, you wouldn’t know if it’s okay. Sometimes, when we listen to the playback, we realize something is missing. It needs the missing ingredient.” he shared.
Jeff, on the other hand, said they’re one to make changes even if the recording process is already done.
“When we listen to the previews and after finishing the recordings, the next day would come. And then we would realize that we can still add something to it. We can still make changes. So we record them again,” he said. Brian then chimed in, saying, his perfectionist side would kick in when it comes to adding additional harmonies.
How they want to be remembered
Despite being particular about their music, Yes My Love hoped they would be remembered as a P-pop group that shares a strong bond among themselves. “We want to be very strong and very tight,” RZ said.
Joshua said that being able to “check on each other” is one of the most important ways to maintain their bond.
“As a group, what we love about each other is we’re able to check on each other. We’re able to talk it through without [being offended]. Our process when we work together is very smooth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jeff hopes the group will be remembered as some sort of an anthem. “I want Yes My Love to be remembered as an anthem, that when people hear our songs, they would immediately sing along wherever they go,” he shared.
Touching on the topic, Joshua said the group is passionate about “championing OPM” and connecting with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through music. The group might’ve performed in Singapore before, but they hoped they could meet Filipinos in different countries.
“We just want to champion OPM everywhere. We want to visit different countries to meet OFWs because they are close to our hearts. Most of our parents are OFWs, so to be able to perform for them would be a dream,” he said.
Big smiles were then seen on Yes My Love’s faces when they were asked if they have plans to release an album with original songs in the future.
“We actually consider it as a good problem,” Niko said in response. “We already wrote a lot of songs but we don’t know what we want to release… [In terms of love songs], I believe that’s it not just limited to romantic love. Love also happens among friends, family, yourself, and siblings. We might’ve written songs about that.”
Joshua, on the other hand, pointed out that they want to enjoy the opportunities they’re receiving as a group for now.
“We want to show our relatability as people. We still want to show our ‘love’ brand, but we want to know more 143s (our fandom). We’re in the works of doing our original [songs] but for now, let’s enjoy what’s in front of us. Love is our banner and the originals are coming,” he said.
Yes My Love debuted as a six-piece act in March 2023, until they forged ahead as a quintet in December of the same year. Aside from their first EP, the group released the singles “Rhythm,” “Yayakapin,” and a remake of the song “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw.”