1621BC fuses ‘classic, Western, K-pop’ influences in P-pop tunes

MANILA, Philippines — Following the successful launch of Hori7on, another P-pop boy band has emerged from MLD Entertainment and ABS-CBN’s reality show Dream Maker. Meet the latest addition to the P-pop landscape — 1621BC.

Made up of Pan (19 years old), Win (20), Migz (19), DJ (16), JM (21), and JC (19), the newly formed group is ready to make its mark in the music scene. 

After their stint at the Dream Maker, the boys met DJ JhaiHo who introduced them to PPL Entertainment, Inc., the talent management team of Dingdong Dantes, Jolina Magdangal, Paul Salas, Jaclyn Jose, among others.

“It’s God’s perfect timing because PPL Entertainment was looking for members to form a new boy band. And then timing lang na nakilala kami ni (DJ JhaiHo) and then pinakilala po kami sa management,” recalled Pan.

The six-member group just dropped the debut single Laruan, composed and produced by ALAS, which tackles the toxicity of a relationship and talks about saving oneself from heartaches. The song has been released under Kapamilya record label Star Pop.

In terms of their brand of music, the 1621BC members want to revive the “classic vibes” in their tracks, while fusing them with Western and K-pop sounds.

“I think our main strength is we wanna bring back the classic vibe,” asserted JM. “Our group and the team decided to combine Western and K-pop influences. So we really wanted to, as much as possible, combine (those elements) so that we can have a wider reach. And at the same time, we wanted to bring the message to our audience about our emotions in every song that we sing.

“What sets us apart (from other groups) is that we really focus (more) on our vocal strength. Because most of the time, naka-focus na po yung P-pop ngayon sa dancing. So we wanted to offer a fresh (take) on P-pop.”

As to how they got their name 1621BC, Pan elaborated, “1621 is an angel number and angels in Greek are called Angelos or the messengers. So me and the boys, we wanna send a message of hope, love and peace to everyone through our music.”

For Pan, BC means “beyond complete because we always aim for perfection.” Migz, on the other hand, defined BC as “believe completely,” “beautifully charming” for DJ, “boldly captivating” for JM, “blessed circle” for Win and “boundless courage” for JC.

Each member was assigned with a specific color to represent their individuality in the group.

JC’s green color signifies “freedom, wisdom, versatility, and style within the group,” while Win’s yellow represents “positivity, kindness, and hope.” JM’s red embodies “fierceness combined with humility and confidence,” DJ’s orange reflects “sweetness and energy.” Pan’s blue signifies “creativity, finesse, and commitment,” and Migz’s pink represents “happiness, compassion, and pure love.”

PPL Entertainment, Inc. boss Perry Lansigan remarked that they have plans of introducing the group to an international audience in time. “That’s the aspiration. So definitely soon, that’s the bigger picture,” he said. 

(Laruan is available on various streaming platforms. For updates, follow 1621BC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.)