SB19 is composed of Josh, Justin, Ken, Pablo and Stell. EXPAT MEDIA

What did Filipino pop stars SB19 have to give up for fame? “Time with our family and loved ones,” Stell, answering on behalf of the five-member group, told Expatmedia.net ahead of their Dubai concert on Saturday (October 29). The popular boy band, the Philippines’ answer to K-Pop, entertained thousands of fans who flocked to Dubai World Trade Center for their Where You At concert. They last performed in Dubai at Expo 2020 earlier this year. “We really prepared for our world tour… it is our dream and our family’s dream, but in exchange for this we lost time with our family,” Stell told Expatmedia.net in Filipino. Pablo and Justin echoed the same sentiment, saying they wished to spend more time with their family. For Josh and Ken, the price to fame was acclimatizing to celebrity life. “Sometimes, you’re not yourself anymore and there’s so many eyes watching you,” Ken told Expatmedia.net, adding he had to learn to be careful in a lot of things. “I’m the kind of person who is very transparent with what I do, and I don’t want to show a different face in front of the camera,” Josh said, saying that his insistence on being real would sometimes lead to “misunderstandings”. SB19 launched in 2018 and is composed of Josh (Josh Cullen Santos), Justin (Justin De Dios), Ken (Felip Jhon Suson), Pablo (John Paulo Nase) and Stell (Stellvester Ajero). The group last performed in Dubai at Expo 2020 earlier this year. The group were amateur performers whose dreams of pop stardom became a reality when they were selected by ShowBT Philippines at an audition in 2016 to form SB19, which stands for Sound Break 19. The group underwent years of K-pop-style training, which includes slick dance routines to match their unique songs that are wildly popular with Filipinos. After Dubai, SB19 will make their US debut with a concert in New York on November 5 and Los Angeles on November 12. They will head back to Asia for their Singapore concert on November 27. PIA/Expat Media
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