Fresh off becoming the first P-pop group to perform at Lollapalooza, SB19 said they hope their historic debut marks the beginning of more opportunities — not just for the group, but for the Philippine music industry.
In a televised interview after their performance, the five-member act said they're happy to perform in front of a huge crowd.
"We're very happy today. We're very excited for Lollapalooza and we're very happy, just happy to be here seeing a lot of people, our fans watching today. And yeah, we're very thrilled to be here, so thank you so much for having us today here," Stell Ajero said.
On early Friday (Philippine time), SB19 carried the flag for the Philippines and P-pop as they made history as the first P-pop group to perform at Lollapalooza.
When asked what it means for them to plant the Philippine flag at Lollapaloopza, Ajero said: "Of course, we feel pressured representing not only our group, but also our country, Philippines, on the global stage. Seeing our fans today here at Lollapalooza, we feel very proud and we can't believe that we're here performing and (there's) a lot of people. And we just can't believe that we're finally here doing our dreams together, performing in front of a lot of people. And it's something that we're very proud of and something that we will cherish forever with our team, with our group, and of course, with our fans."
Josh Cullen added: "It's our first time here. It's our first time to perform in Lollapalooza and, like what I've said earlier, it's definitely not going to be the last one."
The group's leader Pablo Nase admitted that it still surprises them whenever they perform in front of a big crowd.
"Whenever I perform on stage, my head goes blank. I just do routine and just enjoy the moment. But it's always surprising and amazing when we're singing Filipino songs and the crowd sings along with us. It takes a lot of effort and time to memorize Filipino words and, as an artist who is from the Philippines, it's really a proud moment for us."
SB19 also shared their message to their fans after they made a mark at Lollapalooza.
"A'TIN, thank you so much for all of the love and support. From the start until now you were there for us and now seeing you guys here and us performing at Lollapalooza is something that we're very happy and proud of. Like, we'll cherish this forever. This will not happen if not because of you guys. So thank you so much for all your support. And this is not the last, of course. There will be a lot more of surprises and more opportunities, not only for us, but of course for all the P-pop groups and the OPM industry in the Philippines. This will not be the last and this will not be the first. So yeah, we're hoping for more in the future. And again, thank you, thank you so much for your support and see you on the next one. We love you, we love you forever," he said.
Before the interview concluded, SB19 said their dream is to collaborate with international artist Bruno Mars, who is of Filipino descent.
"Of course, I think all of us we really wanted to have a collaboration with the one and only Bruno Mars since he is half-Filipino and he also dances and sings at the same time. I think doing a collaboration song with him is something that we're looking forward to. And we wish that maybe someday it will happen," Ajero said.
"If you're watching Bruno Mars, we are SB19 from the Phlippines. Please," he added.
Asked what was next for the group, Cullen replied: "World domination."