Huddled together in front of a phone, the members of the P-Pop boy band BGYO are the definition of casual. The relaxed looks and the calm, almost nonchalant way they introduce themselves make it hard to believe that they have yet to reach the second year of their career. Less than two years, however, have sufficed for the quintet to forge a success that exemplifies the rise of Filipino music to the global stage. 

Since their official debut in 2021, the five-piece act — consisting of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate — has solidified their place as the next Filipino music export to watch. Their story started with an audition call for ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy. The project ended up uniting five young men from different paths of life under one name that aptly stands for “Becoming the change, Going further, You and I, Originally Filipino.”

It’s mid-November when BGYO first travels to New York for group activities and press promotions. Fresh off the successful release of their sophomore album, Be Us, and despite their busy schedule, the quintet still finds mundane things to marvel about. “In the Philippines, people wear easy, comfortable clothes because of the weather, but in New York, people align [their wardrobe] to the season,” the group’s rapper Mikki tells Teen Vogue when asked if they’re taking style notes during their visit to The City That Never Sleeps.

Chicago-born Nate, for example, observes that New Yorkers have a penchant for items such as…