Anyone who watches Pablo perform is inevitably transfixed: all marks hit, growls reverberating until the back of the room, all while having the time of his life. Each time he steps onstage is a homecoming.

Offstage, in our meager interview table, his voice is so soft my recorder barely picks it up. 

He admits he’s always been reserved. It was through literature that he came to understand the world and how he shared himself in turn, publishing poems and short stories before he found music. Now, as pinuno and chief songwriter of P-pop group SB19, this practice of art-as-healing is the heart of his work. He collects stories from the group — “my brothers,” as he says — and works with everyone to turn them into songs. 

“Some people, sasabihin (sa’min), ‘Your music saved my life.’ Sobrang bigat n’on. ‘Pag narinig mo ‘yon, mararamdaman mo ’yung weight ng story ng taong nagsabi n’on,” Pablo says. “Sobrang natutuwa ako na they find comfort sa music namin, kasi kami, naging comfort namin ‘yon. At kung naeextend siya sa other people, it means we’re doing the right thing.”

That’s his definition of a good song: laden with the listener’s own memories, being ascribed multiple personal meanings until it has lived a thousand different lives. “For example, ‘yung Your Guardian Angel nung high school. Maaalala mo lahat ng kaklase mo, kumakanta, may nagigitara.” For Pablo, art must beget more art — an infinite, generative resource meant to be shared.

This is apparent in the many hats he wears, all in service of his fellow creatives. SB19 is now a self-managed group under their own company 1Z Entertainment, with Pablo as CEO. He writes and produces for the group, often with his brother Josue, and helps the other members with their music. 

“I love what I do, kahit sobrang daming ginagawa,” he confesses. “People are blessed with different skills and talents, and if I’m blessed with this, I should share and help people with what I have.” 

The responsibility this warrants is not lost on Pablo. In true pinuno fashion, he released his debut solo single La Luna in 2022 because he wanted to “correct” a practice he disagrees with: being deemed an idol. “For me, ang definition niyan ay perfect or something na sinasamba. Ako, I commit a lot of mistakes. Kung naiinspire sila sa’kin, dapat makita nila ‘yung mga pinagdadaanan ko, ‘yung flaws at mistakes, kasi doon mo mahahanap ‘yung growth.” 

La Luna is the “naked and raw” Pablo. It was also inspired partly by his fascination with the moon: “It borrows light from the sun. I feel like, growing up, ganoon ako. I had to borrow confidence from someone else.”

He sometimes regrets not properly promoting the single after its surprise release; it was as if he tried to show a part of himself then quickly went back into hiding. He prioritizes SB19, which is closing out their world tour after releasing their second EP “PAGTATAG!” last year. “If may gagawin man ako, dapat hindi maaapektuhan ‘yung ibang tao,” he says, still in his barely-there voice, refusing to make noise in a room that went quiet for him.

Since La Luna, Pablo released Determinado and Akala, both with Josue, both encouraging the listener to never give up. He points out the memorable double-entendre of the latter, a song about drinking your problems away: “Oh, pare tignan mo, tuloy ang ikot ng mundo.” Your vision will spin from the alcohol; the world will keep spinning “at babangon ka pa rin.” (Pablo admits he isn’t a big drinker, more drawn to the conversation.)

He dreams of releasing a solo album “hopefully next year,” but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. “Hindi ko maintindihan sarili ko. Gusto kong gawin lahat ng bagay. Gusto ko mag-direct ng movie, magsulat ng play, mag-acting, gumawa ng music.”

It doesn’t seem impossible given that Pablo is an avid learner — he gets to co-produce music now because he studied it himself during the pandemic. “Lagi kong bitbit ‘yung (lesson na) hindi ikaw yung pinakamagaling. You can (contribute) something, but you can always learn from someone’s experience,” he says. Community is an instinct; again, art demands to be shared. 

Still, these dreams may have to wait, especially as 1Z Entertainment finds its footing. He shares, “Mahirap siya. Minsan nga naiisip ko, bumalik na lang kaya ako sa pagiging corporate employee?”

I’m reminded of The Thief Lord, which Pablo deems one of his favorite books. In it, a magical merry-go-round turns one character older and another younger. It doesn’t fix anything; they are left with the same longing for the greener other side.

“Sobrang stressful niya,” Pablo says about being CEO. “Pero kapag nakikita mo yung growth within the people, lahat ng pagod mo, nawawala.” 

After all, I doubt Pablo will run out of stories to tell. “Art is very special to me,” he says. “’Yon lang talaga ‘yung pinagbubuhusan ko ng emosyon. Since I’m not very social, I confide in what I make. Buti na lang talaga may art!”

Determinado and Akala are available to stream now on all digital music platforms. Follow Pablo on Instagram and X (Twitter).