How viral 2×2 photo of BGYO’s Gelo Rivera sent fans into a tizzy
Gelo of P-pop boy group BGYO. Images: Instagram/@bgyo_gelo, Star Music
Angelo Troy Rivera, also known as Gelo of P-pop boy group BGYO, caught the attention of netizens after a 2×2 photo of himself wearing a black suit and tie resurfaced on social media.
Gelo was discovered by curious netizens on Twitter when one @sakumadiku uploaded his 2×2 photo on Sunday, Feb. 26, as a way of appreciating his handsome face.
“This is #bgyo gelo, right? t*ngin*ng mukha ‘yan san nakakabili ng 2×2 pic na ganto (What kind of face is that? Where can I buy his 2×2 photo?),” the Twitter user said, as their tweet garnered over 1.8 million views, as of this writing.
this is #bgyo gelo right? tanginang mukha yan san nakakabili ng 2×2 pic na ganto 😭😭🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/XglZsBil73
— leø (@sakumadiku) February 26, 2023
Another @hosh1maoy, on the other hand, noted that Gelo is the type of person that you should introduce to your parents.
uy gago sino to? parang ang sarap niyang ipakilala sa parents ko 🤭 pic.twitter.com/JKL4TkX3MJ
— pami; (@hosh1maoy) February 26, 2023
The photo, according to Gelo, was originally meant for the boy group’s travel requirements for their U.S. visa, as mentioned in a resurfaced video uploaded by fan account @glrvrz on Twitter.
The P-pop idol also shared that the group members weren’t originally wearing a suit when their photos were taken, and their photos weren’t approved by the U.S. Embassy. “Nilagyan na lang ng white background sa likod tapos nilagyan ko ng parang suit na galing [sa internet] (We just added a white background at the back and I added a template of a suit from the internet),” he added.
the story behind #bgyo gelo’s 2×2 photo. di raw pasado sa standards ng us embassy pero pasado sa standards natin, tama??? pic.twitter.com/KOlhZKILup
— angelo troy 🧚🏼♀️ (@glrvrz) February 27, 2023
It can be recalled that he also shared his 2×2 photo on his personal Instagram account in July 2022, several months before it went viral.
As Gelo’s photo spread on social media, BGYO’s label Star Music also shared the 2×2 photos of members Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate.
“@bgyo_ph school boy era was [star eyes emoji],” the tweet read.
.@bgyo_ph school boy era was 🤩
stream for clear skin: https://t.co/c8DxSjsZKU#bgyo https://t.co/NLEHHTpp5S pic.twitter.com/OT1q1iPMHg
— Star Music PH (@StarMusicPH) February 27, 2023
Stacey and Sheena of P-pop girl group BINI, known as BGYO’s sister group, also shared edited photos of leader Jhoanna whose face was plastered on Gelo’s photo, as a way of hopping in the trend.
https://t.co/dlla0OSfLL pic.twitter.com/zKW7PSa8R3
— stacey (@bini_stacey) February 27, 2023
https://t.co/SzFZn6XKij pic.twitter.com/xNDUy9cUZ6
— Sheena Catacutan (@bini_sheena) February 27, 2023
Who is Gelo?
In case you haven’t heard of him yet, Gelo debuted as the leader, center, lead rapper, lead dancer, and face of BGYO in January 2021. The P-pop group was formed in 2018 by ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy, and were known as the Star Hunt Academy Boys prior to their debut.
Even if Gelo is considered to be the frontman of BGYO, he said in a pre-debut video that he wants to improve his skills to show what they can offer.
“Bilang leader, gusto ko best palagi ang pinapakita namin as a group. Hindi siya madali kasi need kong i-practice ang sarili kong skillset pero feeling ko ito ‘yung best way na maging efficient and maging solid kaming lima,” he added.
(As a leader, I want to show our best as a group. It’s not easy because I have to practice my own skills, but I feel that this is the way to be efficient and for the five of us to be solid.)
The P-pop idol shared that it was his sister who inspired him to dance, which led him to attend dance workshops and troupes until he started joining competitions.
“[Dance] is ‘yung way [ko] of expressing myself. It’s my happy place. Kahit anong sitwasyon ko, when I dance, nabubuhayan ang loob ko,” he said. (Dance is how I express myself. It’s my happy place. No matter what situation I’m in, when I dance, I feel alive).
The group — consisting of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate — cites their Filipino roots and youth empowerment as their main inspirations in music which reflects in songs such as “Kundiman,” “Panahon,” “The Light,” and “The Baddest,” among many others.
In a November 2021 interview with the Inquirer, Gelo said it’s important to incorporate social issues, self-love, and youth empowerment in their music as a way to spread awareness.
“It’s important to show the world that we’re aware of what’s happening around us… kung anong nakikita at nangyayari sa paligid natin. Through our music, we want to inspire others, and one way to do that is to express other people’s perspective, know their side [on issues] and see how it feels to be in their shoes,” he was quoted as saying.
Contrary to popular belief, BGYO is not the shortened form of the word “bagyo” or storm. It is actually an acronym for “Becoming the change, Going further, You and I, Originally Filipino”. Their dedicated legion of fans called ACEs was selected from various fan entries. EDV
