"Gento" (stylized in

all uppercase In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in l ...

) is a song recorded by the Filipino boy band

SB19 SB19 is a Filipino boy band that debuted in 2018, the pentad—consisting of members Pablo, Stell, Ken, Justin, and Josh Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive (hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since t ...

for their second

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP), '' Pagtatag!'' (2023). The band's leader, Pablo, wrote the song and co-produced it with Joshua Daniel Nase and Simon Servida. A

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

and hip hop track, it is about

empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...

and uses gold mining as a metaphor for achieving success, alluding to the band's career. The song was released via

Sony Music Philippines Sony Music Philippines, Inc. is a record label based in the Philippines, which was founded in 1995 as an imprint of the international music label Sony Music Entertainment and a part of its Asia-Pacific chain. After the closure of the local labe ...

on May 19, 2023, as the EP's lead single. Most reviews from music critics favored the single's

catchy Catchiness is how easy it is for a song, tune, or phrase to be recalled. It is often taken into account when writing songs, catchphrases, advertising slogans, jingles etc. Alternatively, it can be defined as how difficult it is for one to forget ...

lyricism, but one criticized it for its unvarying energy. The song was the band's first entry on two of ''Billboard''

record charts A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...

: World Digital Song Sales—a first among Filipino groups—and the Philippines Songs charts, peaking at numbers eight and eleven, respectively. A dance challenge set to the song became a trend on

TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version ...

. The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

, directed by Kerbs Balagtas, depicted the band members mining for gold. The group promoted the song with live performances and included it on the set list of their Pagtatag! World Tour (2023). The song has received multiple accolades, including the Wishclusive Pop Performance of the Year award at the Wish 107.5 Music Awards 2024.

Background and release

In late 2022, the Filipino

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...

embarked on their first world tour with the WYAT (Where You At) Tour. While touring, the boy band told in an interview with

CNN Philippines CNN Philippines (abbreviated as CNN PH) is a commercial broadcast, cable and satellite television network in the Philippines. It is owned and operated by Nine Media Corporation, together with Radio Philippines Network (RPN) as the main content ...

that the group is working on a new music release planned for 2023. Later, in a press conference, the band's leader, Pablo, revealed that the group's forthcoming music release would based off from the word "" (). Other members added that they would explore different music genres and life experiences. On April 29, 2023, SB19 posted a trailer for their second

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP), '' Pagtatag!'', on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

, and announced it would be released on June 9, 2023. It marked the band's first new musical release since ''

Pagsibol ''Pagsibol'' is the first extended play of Filipino boy band SB19, released on July 22, 2021, by Sony Music. It consists of six tracks and is preceded by four singles, " What?", "Mapa", "Bazinga" and SLMT. Background and development SB19 lea ...

'' (2021). The trailer also indicated that the EP would be preceded by a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

, which was untitled at the time. The group revealed the title of the EP's lead single, "Gento", on May 10, 2023, and made it available for pre-save on digital streaming platforms.

released "Gento" on May 19, 2023.

Composition and lyrics

"Gento" is three minutes and 52 seconds long. Pablo wrote the song and collaborated with his brother Joshua Daniel Nase and the record producer Simon Servida for the production. Servida had previously worked with the band for ''Pagsibol''. Heo Chan-goo of Knob Sound Korea mixed and mastered the song. Musically, "Gento" is a blend of

and hip hop, accompanied by an EDM

break Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...

; some journalists described the song as an EDM pop track. The song features clapping sounds and strong

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

beats in its production. The lyrics—themed around

—draw inspiration from "transformational change", which allude to SB19's career. It includes a message about becoming successful by committing to small and incremental tasks, comparing it to the process of

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

and

refining {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Refining (also perhaps called by the mathematical term affining) is the process of purification of a (1) substance or a (2) form. The term is usually used of a natural resource that is almost in a usable form, b ...

gold; particularly of how success is as rigorous as excavating it: "" (). The lyrics incorporate

wordplay Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phone ...

, combining the words "" () and "" (), creating the word "''gento''" (also in

Chavacano Chavacano or Chabacano is a group of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speakers. ...

; ), which is utilized along with other similar words in the chorus.

Reception

The song was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. Upon its release, "Gento" was described as

, particularly its wordplay; Rafael Bautista of ''Nylon Manila'' added that the song delivered an empowering message while being playful. He also remarked positively on the song's lyricism and the use of rhyming words: " ..effortlessly weaving '', '', bento''', and '''gento''' into the lyrics". The ''Daily Tribune'' noted that the song highlights SB19's strength and versatility, and that they continued to "test—and break—the limits with their unconventional sound and unbounded talent". Writing for ''Mega'' magazine, Chlarine Gianan praised the boy band's vocals and rap, stating that they have put it on the "next level", and that the song's lyricism manifests seamless transitions between English and Tagalog, further holding up its catchiness and appeal. Gabriel Saulog of '' Billboard Philippines'' praised the group's "confident delivery" and opined that "Gento" creates impact as ''Pagtatag!'' opening track. In a separate review, ''Billboard Philippines'' ranked "Gento" as one of the top songs off of SB19's discography, labelling it "more interesting and cohesive" than their previous works. However, it was criticized for its unvarying energy throughout the song, making it appear " one-note". CNN Philippines listed "Gento" as among the best Filipino songs of 2023. Commercially, "Gento" was SB19's debut on two of ''Billboard''

music charts A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

; its commercial performance was considered by the ''Inquirer'' Allan Policarpio a "resounding success" for the group. "Gento" debuted and peaked at number eight on the World Digital Song Sales chart dated June 3, 2023, and debuted at number 17 on the Philippines Songs chart dated June 17, 2023. For earning a spot on the former, it made the band the first Filipino group to do so. The song peaked at number 11 on the Philippines Songs chart issued on June 24, 2023. "Gento" amassed over 30 million combined streams on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

and music video views on YouTube in the song's first two months since its release.

Accolades

"Gento" received three award nominations in 2023, each of which the song ended up winning: the Song of the Year at the TikTok Awards Philippines 2023, and the Philippine Pop Song of the Year and the Philippine Pop Video of the Year at the Philippine Pop–PPOP Awards 2023. Sony Music Philippines sent the song as an entry for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award at the 66th Grammy Awards; however, it fell short of a nomination. In 2024, the song won the Wishclusive Pop Performance of the Year award at the Wish 107.5 Music Awards 2024.

Promotion

The

for "Gento", directed by Kerbs Balagtas, was released on May 19, 2023, on YouTube, the same day as the song's release. Characterized by its grungy motif, it depicts the group members looking for gold and dancing in a large quarry. Jay Joseph Roncesvalles conceived the choreography for the video. SB19 worked with the stylist duo Rainer Dagala and Em Millan and the designers Neric Beltran and Renan Pacson to create custom looks in the video that resemble miners. Pacson spoke with the ''

Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...

'' and mentioned taking inspiration from traditional

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to o ...

clothing—citing the brand's mining history as a factor—and the use of

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...

in designing the looks for the video. SB19 promoted "Gento" with live performances. The band first performed the song on noontime variety show ''

All-Out Sundays ''All-Out Sundays'' (also known as ''AOS'' or ''AyOS'') is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by Alden Richards, Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, Ken Chan, Rita Daniela, Christian Bautista, Aicelle Santos, ...

'' on May 21, 2023. They reprised the song during their appearance on the Wish 107.5 Bus; an accompanying performance video was released on YouTube. "Gento" served as the opening number of their second world tour, the Pagtatag! World Tour (2023). In the United States, they put on a

street performance Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

of the song on Hollywood Boulevard and at

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

. They also performed "Gento" on U.S. television—appearing on ''KTLA 5 Morning News'' on August 2, 2023, and on ''Good Day New York'' on August 9, 2023. At the Asia Artist Awards 2023—where SB19 was honored with the Best Artist (Singer) award—they performed "Gento" as part of a medley of their songs. They released an official live performance video of the song via

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

. The song became a trend on video sharing service

upon its release, where users—including local and international influencers and celebrities—began posting videos of themselves dancing to the song's chorus, which quickly became a dance challenge. The trend resulted in users using the song in over 1.7 million videos on the platform, which helped expand SB19's reach to several regions around the world, including the United States and parts of Asia and Africa.

Controversy

In an episode of the noontime variety show ''It's Showtime'', dated June 10, 2023, a contestant for the show's game segment requested to dance to "Gento" on stage. The show's crew refused to play the song on air, which startled hosts

Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), popularly known as Vice Ganda (; ), is a Filipino comedian, talk show host, television presenter, actor, entrepreneur, and singer. He is a regular host on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show '' It's ...

and

Anne Curtis Anne Curtis-Smith(; born 17 February 1985) is a Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is dubbed as the "''Multimedia Superstar''" for her talent and influence. Curtis has received numerou ...

. Ganda jokingly expressed how playing it on the show would now require a

fee A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for rights or services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup. Traditionally, professionals in the United Kingdom (and previously the Republic of Ireland) receive a fee in contra ...

, to which Curtis responded, "Really? Isn't playing the song on the show a good promotion for the music industry? ..It's a pity." Following the incident, social media users criticized SB19 online, some describing them as "greedy".

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

users raised concern, leading to discussions about music royalties and the hosts' remarks, which made the phrase "respect local artists" trend on the platform. Singer Sam Concepcion and record producer Thyro Alfaro also participated in the discussion online, expressing support for SB19.

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from

ABS-CBN News ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs, known on-air as ABS-CBN News (formerly known as ''ABS-CBN News and Public Affairs'' and later ''ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs''), is the news and current affairs production and distribution divisi ...

. *

vocals * John Paulo Nasesongwriter, producer * Joshua Daniel Naseproducer * Simon Servidaproducer * Heo Chan-goo mixing, mastering

Charts

References

{{Authority control SB19 songs 2023 songs 2023 singles Sony Music singles English-language Filipino songs Songs in Tagalog