SB19 pulls a Taylor Swift, remasters old songs in upcoming album ‘Wakas at Simula’

MANILA, Philippines – If there’s one thing Taylor Swift taught artists today, it’s that they should take ownership of their music.

Now, P-pop boy group SB19 is doing just that.

In a press conference on Monday, March 23, the group revealed the tracklist of Wakas at Simula, its upcoming album to be released on March 27.

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The album features 24 tracks with 6 new songs, including a song in collaboration with Japanese boy group BE:FIRST and another one with artist JOLIN. 12 songs are from PAGTATAG! and Simula at Wakas, EPs released in 2023 and 2025.

It also includes remastered songs from Pagsibol, their 2021 EP under their old management. The songs What?, MAPA, Mana, Bazinga, Ikako, and SLMT all get a (Wakas at Simula) label on the new album.

Finding their voice

Similar to Swift, the group did the remastering to gain ownership of the songs, after settling their legal issues with their former management in 2023.

And like Swift, who took a stand on social issues as she matured as an artist, the group members are discovering their voice.

“For this era we’ll be more vocal, and we will be more confident about the things we want to say. We’ll make sure that we influence people in the right direction,” Justin said in a mix of Filipino and English during a press conference.

SB19, like other artists in the Philippines, had stayed away from politics, and had always dodged controversial questions from insistent fans.

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International collaborations

A big part of stardom is making their way to the global stage and forging collaborations with international artists. 

Ken noted how collaborations require reciprocity and an open mind. “There were a lot of things that needed to be considered in terms of [the other artists’] vision, because they had their own tastes in music, so we had to consider that, too. Even the language, we had to be careful,” he said.

Together alone

Stell talked about how the members’ forays into solo careers was a good thing for the group. 

He says in Filipino, “One of the best things about going solo is that we were able to bring back the things we learned when we came back together to work on this album. Not only were we able to look back as a team, but also gained the perspective of an outsider.”

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Going global

SB19 is gearing up for a concert on April 18 at the SMDC Festival Grounds. What was meant to be the final act of the Simula at Wakas world tour turns out to be the curtain raiser for another SB19 era.

The group is set to perform at the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago in the United States on July 30 – the first Filipino act to take the storied stage.

For Josh, everything feels like a rehearsal to Lollapalooza, “Technically we’ve been preparing for this moment our entire lives,” he noted. 

To quote a Lollapalooza phrase: “When the band plays, the world fades.” – Rappler.com