Pagtatag! (stylized in all uppercase; lit.'establishment') is the second extended play (EP) recorded by the Filipino boy bandSB19, released on June 9, 2023, by Sony Music Philippines. The EP experimented with different genres, comprising six songs with pop, hip hop, EDM, soul, R&B, ballad, and acoustic elements, all co-written by the band's leader, Pablo. Its songs were produced with an ensemble consisting of Pablo, his brother Joshua Daniel Nase, Simon Servida, August Rigo, Brian Lotho, Len Calvo, and Ohwon Lee.
Development of Pagtatag! began in 2022 while the boy band embarked on their first world tour with the WYAT (Where You At) Tour. The EP is the second installment to the band's ongoing music trilogy—following Pagsibol (2021)—with artistic themes on "identity strengthening", exploring topics on empowerment, commitment, love, mental health, and liberation. Of all the tracks, "Gento" was released ahead of the EP as its lead single to critical acclaim, reaching top 15 chart positions in the Philippines and on Billboard'sWorld Digital Song Sales chart.
Pagtatag! received generally favorable reviews from music critics with praise on the boy band's creative evolvement and the EP's musicality and lyricism, but its closing track, "Freedom", was deemed lacking. SB19 promoted the EP by performing its tracks through television and public appearances and embarking on the Pagtatag! World Tour (2023–2024) with all the EP's tracks on the tour's set list. Pagtatag! won the Philippine Pop Album of the Year award at the Philippine Pop—PPOP Awards 2023 and has featured on 2023 year-end rankings.
Background and development
The Filipino boy bandSB19 was formed by a South Korean talent agency, ShowBT Entertainment, in 2016 through a talent search[1] and subsequently released three singles—"Tilaluha" (2018), "Go Up" (2019), and "Alab (Burning)" (2019). The singles were included on the release of the boy band's debut studio album, Get in the Zone, in 2020,[2] which was characterized by its dance-pop genre.[3] The band's agency influenced the creative process of their releases up to the album. In 2021, the group began gaining creative control of their work, starting with the release of their first extended play (EP), Pagsibol.[3] SB19 experimented with different genres for the EP—exploring sounds such as pop rock, hip hop, and EDM—departing from the dance-pop production of their debut album and proceeding with themes about artistic origins and growth.[3][4] Its single, "Bazinga", was once among the most talked-about songs on Twitter, topping Billboard'sHot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter chart for seven weeks.[5]
Later on, SB19 released three standalone singles—"Ligaya" (2021),[6] "WYAT (Where You At)" (2022),[7] and "Nyebe" (2022)[8]—and embarked on their first world tour with the WYAT (Where You At) Tour in 2022.[7] Amidst touring, the boy band told in an interview on CNN Philippines Newsroom that the group is working on a new music release and preparing for another concert tour in 2023.[9] The group later confirmed in a press conference that their upcoming release would based on the word "pagtatag" (lit.'establishment'), and they would continue to explore different genres and life experiences.[10] The band's leader, Pablo, revealed in an interview with Zach Sang that Pagsibol and their forthcoming releases are part of a trilogy.[11] Conceptually, the trilogy would focus on how the band's artistry evolved through time—from discovering origins in Pagsibol to strengthening oneself in Pagtatag!.[12]
On April 29, 2023, the boy band posted a trailer on YouTube, set in a post-apocalyptic world, and announced their second EP, Pagtatag!, would be released on June 9, 2023. Aside from the EP release, the trailer also indicated that it will be preceded by an untitled single, and the band will embark on their second world tour, Pagtatag! World Tour.[13][14] The group later confirmed on May 10, 2023, that the lead single from the EP would be titled "Gento".[15]
Music and lyrics
Pagtatag! consists of six tracks written in English, Tagalog, and Cebuano,[16][17] and spans 26 minutes and 11 seconds.[18] All songs on the EP were co-written by the band's leader, Pablo, along with his brother Joshua Daniel Nase, songwriter and the record producer August Rigo, and the band members Ken and Josh. The majority of the EP was produced by Pablo and Joshua Daniel Nase, also enlisting Simon Servida—who previously worked with Pagsibol, Brian Lotho, Len Calvo, and Ohwon Lee in its production.[19]
The EP's opening track, "Gento", is a pop and hip hop song with clapping sounds, strong bass beats, and EDMbreak accompaniments.[20] An empowerment anthem, the song talks about how success is as rigorous as excavating gold, hence using gold mining as a metaphor, and suggests taking tasks incrementally to achieve one's goals.[12][20][21] Critics were fond of its lyricism, finding it catchy.[16][22][23] In the sensually-themed song "I Want You", SB19 sings about the desire for a person in a slow soulR&B production[12][24][25] inspired by the 1990s music.[16]
"Crimzone" is a reggaeton-influenced EDM pop track accompanied by hard-hitting beats in an adrenaline-rushing production, with lyrics that reflect the boy band's struggles and triumphs.[12][16][25] "Ilaw" (lit.'light') is an emotional acousticballad around vulnerability, expressing the need for self-care, especially when feeling overwhelmed. "Liham" (lit.'letter') is a power ballad where SB19 narrates someone's expression and declaration of love and devotion for a person and their relationship.[25] The EP's closing track, "Freedom", is an upbeat song about setting free trials and challenges and celebrating one's achievements with people who helped along the way.[12][25]
Release and promotion
Sony Music Philippines released Pagtatag! on June 9, 2023,[26] through digital download and streaming formats.[18] Its opening track, "Gento", was released ahead of the EP on May 19, 2023, as the EP's lead single,[27] which entered two Billboardrecord charts: World Digital Song Sales and the Philippines Songs charts, peaking at numbers eight and eleven, respectively. It marked SB19's first entry for both charts and becoming the first entry among Filipino groups on the former.[28][29][30] The single also became a subject of a dance challenge that trended on the video sharing service TikTok, which accumulated over 1.7 million user-generated videos using the song on the platform.[31]
Three music videos that accompanied songs from the EP—"Gento", "I Want You", and "Freedom"—were released on May 19, June 9, and October 28, 2023, respectively, on YouTube.[32][33][34] The music video for "Gento", directed by Kerbs Balagtas, was grungy-themed and depicts the boy band mining for gold.[20][23] For the "I Want You" video, it shows clips of the group drenched and underwater.[33] The video for "Freedom" premiered at the Our Zone fifth-anniversary fan meeting,[34] showing the group wandering in outdoor spaces.[35]
To support Pagtatag!, SB19 embarked on their second world tour with the Pagtatag! World Tour,[36] running 15 shows across Asia and North America from June 2023 until 2024. Aside from touring, the boy band also made television and public appearances to promote the EP, with various live performances of songs from its tracklist. They first performed the EP's first two tracks, "Gento" and "I Want You", on noontime variety shows All-Out Sundays—on May 21, 2023—and ASAP Natin 'To—on June 11, 2023—respectively.[37][38] In the United States, the group put on street performances of songs from the EP on Hollywood Boulevard and at Times Square.[39][40] They also performed "Gento" during their appearances on two U.S. television shows—KTLA 5 Morning News on August 2, 2023,[41] and on Good Day New York on August 9, 2023.[42]
Critical reception
The EP was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. Rafael Bautista of Nylon Manila described the EP's tracks as an "emotional rollercoaster", and opined that the two-year gap since the release of SB19's first EP, Pagsibol, was "worth it".[43] Writing for Billboard Philippines, Gabriel Saulog applauded SB19's creative evolvement in the EP and considered it a "masterclass in confidence and versatility". Saulog also named several tracks as highlights from the EP, commenting that "Gento" is a strong EP opener and finds "I Want You", "Ilaw", and "Liham" surprising additions.[16] In a separate review by Billboard Philippines, they praised most of the EP's musicality and lyricism; however, they considered the closing song, "Freedom", the weakest among the EP, criticizing its rap, instrumentals, and abruptness, drawing comparisons to the band's earlier releases: "rap sections feels out of place and forced into the track. ... There's too much going on in the backing instrumentals, making the track cluttered. The jumps from each verse ... are abrupt and disjointed."[44] At the Philippine Pop—PPOP Awards 2023, the EP won the Philippine Pop Album of the Year.[45]
Year-end lists
Two publications, Esquire Philippines and SunStar Davao, listed Pagtatag! in their lists of best Filipino albums of 2023, all ranking the EP within the top 10.[46][47]