BGYO Mikki, JL, Gelo, Akira, and Nate | Photo courtesy of Spotify

Filipino boy group BGYO is once again part of the Spotify RADAR Philippines. This is the group's third time being part of this campaign, and members Akira, Gelo, JL, Mikki, and Nate are proud to come into this program this year with a whole new EP. 

RADAR is Spotify’s global music program that spotlights emerging artists, helping boost their career by aiding discovery and fueling connections with fans. Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has become the home of what’s next in Pinoy music, offering fans fresh tracks to explore and new artists to follow. Now-successful Filipino artists like Hev Abi, Maki, Dionela, SB19, BINI, and Ben&Ben were some of the artists who were once part of the Spotify RADAR Philippines.

The 2025 lineup showcases a diverse mix of genres and styles, spotlighting indie artists ONE CLICK STRAIGHT, Dilaw, and JERGE; R&B soundmakers ALLMO$T and Justin Vasquez; fresh rap acts Young Blood Neet, Zae, and Costa Cashman; pop artist ena mori; and returnee P-pop boy group BGYO. 

“This year, we’re thrilled to amplify these artists, fuel their journey, and bring fans along for the ride like never before,” says Kossy Ng, Spotify’s Head of Music for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Spotify RADAR Philippines 2025: Rising stars defining the Pinoy music scene | Check out the RADAR Philippines playlist by clicking on the photo.

With four years in the industry, plus their two years of training, BGYO has been through so much as a group and as individuals. When asked about how their group's dynamics changed over the years, JL shared, “Siguro ngayon mas kabisado na namin ‘yung gusto ng bawat isa. Kasi siyempre ‘pag una, nangangapa ka pa e. So, hindi mo pa sobrang sure kung ano 'yung goal ninyo as a group. Pero ngayon, masasabi namin na sobrang clear na.” 

Mikki added, “And compared sa starting years namin, ngayon, mas confident na po kami. We’re experienced.”

The relationship they built contributes to how they make things work as a group. Gelo said, “Nag-deepen talaga 'yung connection namin at 'yung brotherhood. So, nag-reflect siya sa work. Mas nagiging malalim at mas involved po kami.”

Their growth as artists manifests in their output and how they push their creative boundaries to discover their signature style and sound. Mikki shared, “Right now, I think we found our sound and ‘pag napakinggan niyo ‘yung EP namin, mapapansin niyo ‘yon.” 

Recently, BGYO released their self-titled album, BGYO, with five tracks, including “Trash“ and “Divine.” With this EP, they have collaborated with several songwriters and producers, even international creatives who helped give their distinctly Pinoy music a global flair.

Creating their EP was such a wonderful experience for the boys, and they have a lot of core memories to cherish. Nate shared his unforgettable moment during this process, saying, “I think one unforgettable moment for me was hearing, for the first time, 'Light My Fire.' Because it was such a... It's a good song. It's one of my favorites.” ”Light My Fire” is a love song about someone lighting up someone’s life and changing it for the better. 

He added that hearing ”Trash” for the first time was also an amazing experience for the group. Mikki shared the story behind that: “Nu‘ng ginagawa ‘yung ‘Trash‘ kasi, kami po ni Akira ay nasa music camp. So s‘yempre wala pa akong copy nu‘n. E unang rinig ko ng ‘Trash,‘ sabi ko, ‘Wow! I gotta let them listen to this.‘” JL happily added to the conversation, saying, “Add ko lang ‘yung sa choreo ng ‘Trash,‘ siguro mga lampas 10 na versions ‘yung nagawa namin bago naging final kung ano ‘yung choreo ng ‘Trash‘ ngayon”—and this just proves their dedication to perfecting every detail of their performance.

Fame and success usually come with a price. With BGYO members as public figures, getting negative comments cannot be avoided. On how they deal with bashing, Akira said, “If negative negative, scroll ka na lang!” JL continued, “Dedma... Pero, pagdating siguro sa mga criticism, ‘yan ‘yung mga tinatanggap namin. At siguro mahalaga rin talaga pag-usapan namin ‘yun, kung ano 'yung nababasa namin na makakatulong din sa amin.” 

Gelo added, “'Tsaka ma-di-differentiate mo naman 'yung criticism 'tsaka bashing and throwing.” Nate also shared, “I think these negative comments, we learn to always do our best to not get [them] in our way. That's what's important.” 

JL finished the discussion with this statement: “As long as wala namang ginawang mali at natatapakan na tao, patuloy.”

The BGYO members are grateful to their supporters, Aces, who have stayed with them from the beginning. 

Grateful, Akira shared, “Thank you rin for sharing our music to everyone. For appreciating us, hindi lang 'yung music namin kundi pati na rin 'yung kami talaga. We love you and magkakasama tayo sa journey na ‘to. See you sa dulo.”

Asked what’s next for BGYO, Nate answered, “I think this EP is just a start, so we're, of course, getting ready for what's next. We already have something, and we're excited. We're always excited, every day.”

BGYO went through a lot in the industry to get to where they are now, but the journey’s far from over. In their words, “This is just a start.” There’s more to watch out for from this Filipino boy group. 

Keep going and growing, BGYO!

Watch our exclusive Metro Talks interview with Spotify RADAR group BGYO: