Parcinq Magazine

Jul 30, 2021

Aces High: The

Unstoppable Force of
P-pop Group BGYO

In a normal game of cards, players would

call it quits once an ace card is drawn, and

that is precisely what BGYO is. As we bid,

bet and fold, and continuously shuffle cards,

BGYO is the ace we'd draw to close the

deal of who is the next big thing in Ppop:

heart-stopping, jaw-dropping and daring

overall. It's not beginner's luck for the young

group, but it was a good fate.

Rushing to Rxandy Capinpin Studio in San

Juan City one early morning in June, to say

the least, I feel the rush to finally meet these

boys I've seen covering K-pop songs on my

Twitter feed and Prive's IG account. Arriving

three hours earlier than the agreed time for

the shoot, they had to wait patiently for the

rest of the production staff, which they did.

Now, afraid that I am too late to catch them

in their casual, unstyled glory (to at least

make small talk and revel in their

transformation), I entered the studio with them

spending their downtime done with their

makeup and either doing their solo interview,

or on their phone, or taking a short nap. And

as the clock struck 10, seemingly like they

had 8 hours of sleep, they were ready to

capture all our hearts as we went on with the

shoot.

On JL & Akira: Suit by Ryan Chris Baylen, On

Gelo: Polo and Trousers by Ryan Chris
Baylen, Sweater by Renan Pacson, On
Mikki: Suit by Ryan Chris Baylen, Shirt by
CELINE, On Nate: Oversized Trousers by
HANSEN; Custom Pins by KUROBARA.

As it's their first magazine cover as a group in

PARCINQ's Music Issue this month, they were

totally in the groove and mood, radiating

nothing but good energy in the studio — or

maybe it's because the 5-member group--

Gelo, Akira, Nate, Mikki, and JL were all

darlings. As the youngest people on the set,

the boys made sure to introduce themselves to

the crew, breaking that wall of intimidation

from their recognizable fame, the huge

fanbase that they genuinely adore, and their

overwhelming visuals and talent. While

balanced with their readiness and

professionalism, that would make you think

they've been doing this for years. They knew

when to joke around and laugh with us and

when to put their serious faces on, probably

one can learn from years of training to be an

idol. Everyone can't help but gush at their

antics and indefinitely praise them for their

on-camera aura.

A Force to be Reckoned With

For the uninitiated, BGYO (pronounced B-G-Y-

O) is a sing-rap-dance quintet under ABS-

CBN Star Hunt Academy, composed of Gelo

(20), Akira (20), JL (19), Mikki (19) and Nate

(18). Contrary to the assumption of many,

BGYO isn't a shortened version of the

Tagalog word bagyo which means storm or

cyclone. Their name actually means

"Becoming the change, Going further,

You and I, Originally Filipino."

But with their talent, looks, and musical

prowess, their name might as well be bagyo

because they're surely bringing a storm to the

Ppop scene.

World-Class Training from SoKor

BGYO, although locally produced and

grown, is internationally trained. They had

two years of training from Filipino and South

Korean mentors from MU Doctor Academy–a

known training group for idol wannabes.

Their training is the fusion of Filipino and

Korean approaches to performing that brings

out the best of these boys as JL shares,

"Magkaiba po sila ng techniques na tinuturo.

Pero ang maganda po dun is pwede mong
silang kunin parehas, like pwede mo siyang
i-combine yung technique ng Korean and
technique ng Filipino na coaches."

One cannot help but be amazed by BGYO's

determination to debut as their foreign

training was paired with other activities on

the side. "May outside performances pa kami

together with the local coaches," leader Gelo

said, recalling his trainee days. He also told

us that because of the plethora of things they

were doing at the same time, coupled with

them going on strict diets, they became more

emotional.

But having a brotherhood like BGYO's got

them through the ordeals of being a Ppop

artist. "Parang ang nagpapasaya na lang sa

'min talaga is kunwari nagkukwentuhan kami,

pinag-uusapan na lang namin is about mga
pangarap," BGYO's 20-year-old leader

explained.

A Different Path in Life

Like every kid, we all had that childhood

dream, and we can expect that BGYO

members were made for the big stage, but

surprisingly we found out that Akira used to

not see himself as a singer. While his other

members always dreamt of performing in

front of many, Akira says his childhood

dream was completely different and

unexpected.

Smiling like a child, when asked, "What do

you want to be when you grow up?" he

passionately shared about his dream of

becoming a pilot. "Any kind of pilot.

Pwedeng Air Force, commercial pilot, cargo

pilot. Basta pilot," Akira beamed. And up to
this day, he still daydreams about being

called 'captain' and flying an aircraft around

the world.

"Mas na-open ako sa reality na P-pop na ako

and kaya ko rin libutin yung mundo habang
nag-tatrabaho," he purposely confessed,
"Kumbaga, plan B ko yung pag-pa-pilot, plan
A ko 'tong career ko." But it isn’t so bad to
see a Ppop artist and a flight captain in one,

right?

Mikki, who has always been inclined to

music-making, also expressed his initial plans

before training as a P-pop artist, "Musician

po yes pero maging P-pop artist hindi ko po

siya naisip dati." Admittedly, he was not
familiar with P-pop but just like any teenage

boy, he drew influence and inspiration from

Western rap artists. This sparked his ambition

to be a rapper which he bagged as his

position within the group.

They may not have imagined this as their

future, but this date with destiny was very

much welcomed by the boys. As Akira says,

"Hindi ko po na-imagine na mapupunta ako

sa P-pop and nakakagulat kasi hindi mo
talaga alam kung saan ka dadalhin ng
destiny. Siguro, in-open ni God' tong
opportunity na 'to sa akin. So hindi ko na
pinalampas, grinab ko na.”

Selling Records, Leaving a Mark

BGYO has already put their heart and soul

into becoming one of the finest artists in the

country and has put it on the top of their

priority list. Age is just a number for these

boys as they start reaching huge milestones

early in their careers.

Their debut single, 'The Light', has now been

streamed for over 800,000 times on Spotify

alone–an impressive stat for a newcomer–but

they aren't stopping there. And why should

they? The boys, together with their fans, are

at an all-time high with the continuous

acclamations. They even have an established

fanbase locally and internationally, and they

just celebrated their sixth month into their

careers! So who's stopping them?

Definitely, no one.

Despite the global pandemic and the

quarantine that came with it, BGYO hits the

studio and prepares music for their ACEs.

And it was as if we'd turned on an energy

switch when we asked the boys about their

upcoming plans. "Masasabi ko lang po

siguro, opposite siya ng 'The Light', totally

different from that [EDM-ish]," Akira excitedly
shared while trying not to reveal more of

what's in store for ACEs, their fans.

Lucky Aces
Yes, the group's fandom is called ACEs
ACEs,

which the members themselves chose. It was

one of the hundreds of entries that the fans

submitted when the group asked for fandom

name suggestions. Gelo announced the

official name during a live on April 9.

The name seems fitting as BGYO's fans are

pivotal to the success the band is continuously

achieving right now. They constantly promote

the group, stream (and share!) their songs

and music videos, watch their live streams,

and of course, show the five boys so much

love and support.

BGYO's fans are quite literally the epitome of

the phrase 'lucky aces'! They are closely the

reflection of their idols and, as their name

suggests: thriving and elite.

Aces of P-pop
The fast-rising members of the group are now

dubbed as the aces of P-pop, which others

may think was earned too early in their

career, but we see why BGYO would be

called as such.

!"#$%&'(#)&*+%,#-.#/.*"#01,23#)*.&%"#!"#
4*5%(#6*78%5#-.#9%&:2"#;',*&%3<5,'=3%,3#-.#
/.*"#01,23#)*.&%"<!"#>82,*<#;2882<#*"?#6@(#
0=35'A#7,'BB%?#-&*+%,(#C51,2D58'5'B1#E#
),.*"#@*,'+*F

Even after a great debut, they've still been

constantly training on weekdays from 8 AM

to 4 PM with breaks in between. "Every

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, meron

[din] po kaming KUMU livestream at 6 to 9
PM," Mikki said while deep in thought. Their
rigid daily schedules are left unnoticed by

fans and casual listeners alike when they

stream on KUMU and release content

recorded late at night when they are very

loud and makulit towards their fans during

these times.

BGYO also sings the original soundtrack for

the series 'He's Into Her'! Plus, we know

that they have an upcoming album sometime

this year, and a co-headline concert with girl

group BINI in the last quarter of 2021.

And of course, can we forget how the boys

have also gone international recently! In what

can be called a dream come true, BGYO got

to wear pieces from Prive Alliance designed

by K-pop group EXO's Baekhyun, which they

proudly flaunt during the shoot. As both an

EXO fan and a newborn ACE, I can't help

but be kilig that I get to see handsome men

wear clothes I can only afford when on sale.

We can only imagine how giddy and

excited the boys were when they got the

invitation from Prive Alliance, seeing that they

danced to almost all K-pop tunes we played

while on set. And can I forget when Gelo

shared his adoration for different K-pop

groups, their blueprint and so-called 'idols of

idols?'

The Energy We Need

While they virtually have no time for breaks,

these five boys always have their (handsome)

game faces when working–just like at our

shoot.

Saying their goodbyes and a cheer-y "1,2

Thank you po!" to the whole staff, BGYO

brings a different kind of energy wherever

they go, and it's a youthful vibe that we love.

If we'd be dealt with the same cards, to draw

once again, we'd be the forehand to put our

bid on these aces and until then, let's savour

what they have shown the world. Let BGYO

do the honour of being the head-turning,

surprising men to win our hearts over and

over again.

---

Cover Story by Katie Rojas (@terxse)

Additional Text and Editing by Anna
Fregillana (@annafregillana)
Interviewed by Anna Fregillana & Joe Andy
Produced by Philip Vargas (@plipfilms)
Photography by Rxandy Capinpin (@rxandy)
Art Direction, Final Art & Video Editing by Joe
Andy (@heyjoeandy)
Fashion Videography by Pogs Francisco
(@snaps_ph)
Styling by #TeamRyujiShiomitsu
(@teamryujishiomitsu)