The group expands its reach through cross-border collaborations, festival appearances, Japanese TV debut, and a high-profile performance with Kento Nakajima. SB19 also hints about the re-release of “Gento,” featuring Kento Nakajima
SB19 continues to turn its long-term ambition of becoming a global phenom into a growing reality, with a series of activities in Japan that have brought the P-Pop supergroup closer to one of Asia’s most important music markets.
The group’s recent activities in Japan span music collaborations, major festival stages, and landmark television appearances, further strengthening SB19’s strategy to reach international audiences.
SB19 recently debuted at SUMMER SONIC 2026, one of Japan’s biggest music festivals, performing in both Osaka and Tokyo. The appearance placed the acclaimed group alongside prominent international headliners and prominent local music stars, giving them an opportunity to represent Filipino artistry on a global scale.
For PABLO, performing at SUMMER SONIC means realizing a dream that once felt impossible and distant. “Performing in both Osaka and Tokyo is another milestone for us, and we’re incredibly grateful for the chance to introduce SB19 to Japanese audiences and connect with them. We have a wide range of songs and genres in our repertoire, so fans can expect an energetic and diverse set that showcases different sides of SB19. Most of all, we hope our performances will allow people to experience our music, feel our energy, and hopefully capture their hearts.”
In Tokyo, the multi-awarded Filipino supergroup shared the Pacific Stage lineup with artists including Kento Nakajima. The Tokyo performance also delivered one of the trip’s most talked-about moments when SB19 welcomed Nakajima onstage for a performance of their viral smash “GENTO.” The team-up brought two artists with a shared connection to the Philippines and Japan, creating a cross-cultural moment on the massive festival stage. The performance has ignited anticipation for an official release of a “GENTO” collaboration involving Kento Nakajima, adding excitement to SB19’s continued push into the Japanese music market.
“This time, I had the special opportunity to write part of the lyrics for this track,” Nakajima shares. “There was definitely pressure putting new lyrics on GENTO—such an important song for SB19—but the members kindly told me, ‘Just be yourself, as always,’ so I poured in everything that came to mind.”
Apart from the explosive festival performance, SB19 has also crossed a major bucket-list milestone with its live television debut in Japan on NTV’s DayDay on August 13.
According to JUSTIN, appearing on a major Japanese television program involves a different kind of preparation, coordination, and way of presenting themselves. “While we remain the same SB19 that people know in the Philippines, being welcomed into a Japanese television program is a huge milestone for us and something we are truly honored and grateful for.”
The TV stint enabled Japanese viewers to get to know the members beyond their music. During the morning program’s Dotti Dotti segment, the Filipino quintet performed their latest single “LAWLESS” in Japan for the first time, giving Japanese television audiences a direct introduction to SB19’s latest musical direction. The program also featured the members in a playful hammer-and-rock-paper-scissors-style game with host Ryota Yamasato, popularly known as Yama-chan.
The group’s recent activities in Japan mark another important transition in SB19’s new creative arc, showing how its plans to conquer various international markets are gradually translating into tangible opportunities.
JOSH explains, “Now, having these opportunities in Japan through our collaboration with top Japanese artists, performing at SUMMER SONIC, and appearing on Japanese television feels like an important step forward in that journey. We’re more than grateful to be able to share our music and connect with Japanese audiences while learning from every experience along the way. We hope this chapter will help us reach even more people around the world.”
With these developments coming to fruition, KEN is positive that SB19 will continue to build genuine connections with the Japanese audience. “We would love to have more performances, television appearances, and features in Japanese publications, but most importantly, we want to continue introducing our music and sharing who we are as SB19. We hope that more people will discover our songs and embrace us as artists.
The Japanese edition of SB19’s Wakas at Simula is now available at major record shops and online retailers in Japan under Sony Music Japan.
