Meet Filipino boy band BGYO. The five-piece group is comprised of leader Gelo Rivera, Filipino-Japanese Akira Morisa, Filipino-Chinese Mikki Claver, best smile contender JL Toreliza, and Filipino-American Nate Porcalla. BGYO debuted in 2021 with their first album “The Light,” which sits at the top of the list of Philippines’ best selling albums ever. With the release of their sophomore album “Be Us,” BGYO seeks to bring P-pop to the rest of the world.
The album’s title is a nod to BGYO’s roots, as Filipino culture is evidently reflected in the lyrics of songs like focus single “PNGNP,” “Tumitigil Ang Mundo,” and “Laro.” With “Magnet” and “Extraordinary,” BGYO brings in the authentic Pinoy-Pop sound. “Panahon” gives this album a breather as it slows down the tempo and pays homage to Original Pilipino Music (OPM). “‘Be Us’ brings out the best qualities of BGYO through music,” they share.
From the glitchy, confrontational opener, “Game On”, BGYO make it clear just how much is at stake, and just how ready they are to take on what’s next. “So you think you can stop us?,” they ask, followed by a simple, defiant answer: “watch this.” It’s a loud, boisterous display; a bold opening for a bolder album.
So far as proper introductions go, “Magnet” couldn’t be a more confident one. Starting off with what sounds like the distant trumpet of some great vessel, it isn’t long before the song is taken over by the group’s hypnotic vocals, capturing listeners in their vortex of sheer pleasure.
“‘Magnet’ talks about a love that always comes back,” BGYO shares about the track. “It’s a magnetic connection that’s hard to resist or control. The songs playfulness resembles the mystery and excitement when we fall for someone. It talks about fate and how if you are meant to be together, love will always find its way back, just like a magnet.”
The excitement they feel about their newfound love is palpable, with dominant synths backing up their every word. “Your love is my magnet,” they declare, and it’s easy to feel the truth in the words.
Title track “Be Us” is far sunnier, a proper summer jam that’s bound to make you miss the season just past. “It’s so cold where we’re going / you may wanna take my hand and get lost in the galaxy,” they sing, painting a portrait of “living in the moment” and reaching forth towards a perfect, supreme love.
For its part, “Tumitigil Ang Mundo” is club adjacent, as danceable as it is instantly delightful. Letting the beat build, the song initially focuses on vocals before imploding into a proper anthem, complete with handclaps and a beat that’d make Madonna green with envy. It plays this back and forth game with aplomb, alternating between the member’s vocals and the soaring, addictive chorus.
As if sensing the need for a breather, “Panahon” slows things down for a bona fide ballad. As emotive drums enter behind the group harmonizing, you can feel the depth of the emotions on display, as they reach ever further towards their goal of romance personified. It’s as delicate as it is compulsively listenable.
The album’s focus single “PNGNP” meanwhile draws on the Drake era, driven by a vocal sample, dewy synths, and an energy that’s both palpably sexual and fully human, the sort of tune sure to put the listener in their feelings whether they understand the words or not. It’s a slow burn fire fest, allowing BGYO time to shine across a groove delightfully different from anything else to be found on “Be Us.”
“Laro” reaches back towards the 90’s and possesses a carefree spirit complete with “la la la”‘s. Closing things off, “Extraordinary” opens with a solo drum clap before exploding into a proper pop anthem, with the group paying tribute to both themselves and each and every one of us – “everybody is somebody / you’re extraordinary.”
“You don’t need to tell them / just show them that you got it,” they encourage their audience, reaching towards a future that they view as holding the potential for being limitlessly bright. It’s the perfect closer for an album that constantly reaches towards the light.
Having the goal-oriented dancer turned singer Gelo Rivera at the helm, who began his career competing in national and international dance competitions as part of the hip-hop group A-Team, there seems to be little BGYO can’t do.
The group has already charted #1 twice as Billboard’s Next Big Sound, not to mention being selected as MTV Asia’s Artist of the Month twice as well, BGYO are looking toward the future. Akira Morisa, the group’s half-Japanese one-time actor, never considered himself the type to end up in a boy band, doubting his abilities until he discovered his hidden talents during training.
JL Toreliza tells nearly the opposite story. He knew singing was his passion from a young age, entering competitions in his youth. Steadfast in his commitment to perfection despite battling bouts with asthma, he’s become an integral part of BGYO. The last to join the group, Mikki Claver saw himself as a regular Filipino-Chinese student, yet hid an interest in hip-hop and beat-making, which would lead to some original composition credits.
Having zero experience before entering training, it was sheer determination that would drive Claver to his position within the group. Rounding out BGYO is Nate Porcalla. Born and raised in Chicago, Porcalla is seasoned dancer in his own right. As the group’s youngest member, Porcalla is BGYO’s “happy pill”, bringing positive energy and a smile to even their toughest times.
Listen to the new album here:
Watch the new music video here:
