Gento (song)

"Gento" (stylized in all uppercase) is a song recorded by the Filipino boy band SB19 for their second extended play (EP), Pagtatag! (2023). The band's leader, Pablo, wrote the song alone and co-produced it with Joshua Daniel Nase and Simon Servida. A pop and hip hop track, it is about empowerment and uses gold mining as a metaphor for achieving success, alluding to the band's career. The song was released via Sony Music Philippines on May 19, 2023, as the EP's lead single.

Most reviews from music critics favored the single's catchy lyricism, but one criticized its monotonous energy. The song was the band's first entry on two of Billboard record charts: 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. The accompanying music video, 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 (2023–2024). 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 SB19 embarked on their first world tour with the WYAT (Where You At) Tour. While touring, the band said in an interview with CNN Philippines that the group is working on a new music release planned for 2023. In a later press conference, the band's leader, Pablo, revealed that the group's forthcoming music release would based on the word pagtatag (lit. 'establishment'). Other members added that they would explore different music genres and life experiences.

On April 29, 2023, SB19 posted a trailer on YouTube for their second extended play (EP), Pagtatag!, and announced it would be released on June 9. It marked the band's first new musical release since Pagsibol (2021). The trailer also indicated that the EP would be preceded by a single, which was untitled at the time. The group revealed the title of the EP's lead single, "Gento", on May 10, and made it available for pre-save on digital streaming platforms. Sony Music Philippines released "Gento" on May 19.

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 pop and hip hop, accompanied by an EDM break; some journalists described the song as an EDM pop track. The song features clapping sounds and strong bass beats in its production. The lyrics—themed around empowerment—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 and refining gold; particularly regarding how success is as rigorous as excavating it: "Di ka basta-basta makakakita ng gento" (lit. 'You just won't simply find something like this'). The lyrics incorporate wordplay, combining the words "ginto" (lit. 'gold') and "ganito" (lit. 'like this'), creating the word "gento" (also in Chavacano; lit. 'like this'), 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 catchy, 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 'ganito', 'ginto', '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; 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 and music video views on YouTube in the song's first two months since its release.

Accolades
"Gento" has received multiple awards from different award-giving bodies. At the 2023 TikTok Awards Philippines, the single won the award for the Song of the Year category. 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 2024 Wish 107.5 Music Awards and the Gen-Z Approved Hit award at the 2024 Nylon Manila Big Bold Brave Awards. At the 2024 Awit Awards, "Gento" was nominated in five categories: Record of the Year, Best Performance by a Group, Best Pop Recording, Best Musical Arrangement, and Music Video of the Year.

Promotion


The music video 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 and mentioned taking inspiration from traditional Levi's clothing—citing the brand's mining history as a factor—and the use of artificial intelligence in designing the looks for the video. They released a live performance video of the song via Vevo.

SB19 promoted "Gento" with live performances. The band first performed the song on noontime variety show All-Out Sundays 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 (2023–2024). In the United States, they put on a street performance of the song on Hollywood Boulevard and at Times Square. 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. The boy band once more performed the song on All-Out Sundays on March 31, 2024. SB19 also performed the song at the Aurora Music Festival 2024, where they were among the headliners.

The song became a trend on video sharing service TikTok 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 and Anne Curtis. Ganda jokingly expressed how playing it on the show would now require a fee, 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 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.
 * SB19 –vocals
 * John Paulo Nase –songwriter, producer
 * Joshua Daniel Nase –producer
 * Simon Servida –producer
 * Heo Chan-goo –mixing, mastering