Cebuano P-pop group VLST to debut this May 17

To make it big in the P-pop scene, the aspiring Bisaya idol group VLST had to make a few, but significant sacrifices. One of these was putting a halt to their college education. The group’s leader, Aeron, used to be in a rock band for a few years before the pandemic and was able to balance his studies and music.

“Every weekend is for gigs. But with P-pop, we need extensive training with our voice and dance, and that requires stability. I only have two years left, and I do want to go back to school, but at the same time, I want to push our group. I am willing to make sacrifices for this group,” he said at the group’s launching press conference.

VLST lead dancer, main rapper, AND composer Zyman, echoed his leader’s mission. “Managing time is hard. I had to reset for this risk because I really want to focus on this group.”

Completing the five-member group with Aeron, 22, and Zyman, 21, are singer and group’s center Markeu, 21; main vocalist Gemen, 20; and main dancer Gab, 20.

Managed by the new talent agency Rising Harmony Entertainment, some of the members were recruited through auditions last year, while Aeron and Zyman were shoo-ins, being originally part of an earlier group, De Astra, which was supposed to debut in 2023.

“Our previous management and the talents of our old group decided to part ways amicably,” Zyman said of De Astra’s fate.

Aeron and Zyman played a role in the founding of Rising Harmony Entertainment, with Sheree Baylon-Brizo stepping in as their manager.

“I did not plan on building an entertainment company,” she previously told The FREEMAN. “My original plan was to start a digital marketing agency, and Aeron and Zyman saw how I managed fan events before and how I handled people, so they approached me to manage them.”

The group is set to make their official debut on May 17 through a concert at Fort San Pedro in Cebu City, where they will premiere their first single, “Barugi” — a track that highlights their proud Bisdak identity, and a unique sound with an empowering message.

“We made a song that can help people who are experiencing a difficult situation and push them,” Zyman explained. “We really want our song to mix a lot of genres, and we wrote a couple of Bisaya lyrics that people might like.”

Gab added, “Each of us contributed to the song. We don’t assign who’s going to write the lyrics for this or that. We really wrote the song as a whole group.”

VLST already gained fans during their pre-debut period, both in Cebu and across the country, thanks to several activities such as fan meets, acoustic intimate gigs, and online content that helped build buzz for them. As of press time, the group has amassed nearly 4,000 combined followers on Facebook and TikTok.

Their most viral video, with 127,000 views and 10,000 likes on TikTok, is the announcement of the group’s fandom name — HITS — which directly connects to their name.

Aeron explained, “A blast is like a bomb, like a Big Bang Theory. So we like to call ourselves a bomb, and that’s why our group is called VLST — without the A, because the A represents an arrow pointing to a hit mark, which is why our fans are called HITS. It’s like having a combination of harmonious unity and banging music.”

As group leader, Aeron’s background in musical theater for two years during high school helps him assign song parts to his members.

“In musical theater, we do vocalizations and harmonies. That’s why I need a lot of harmonies, so I can assign who gets to sing this part or that part,” he explained.

Originally from a rock band, Aeron didn’t see himself as a potential idol. When he moved to the city, he began taking dance lessons, which made him realize that he could sing and dance at the same time.

His role as a leader is an empathetic one, which includes reaching out to fellow members if there are personal issues during rehearsals.

“I put myself in their shoes and I understand them. They may want to keep things to themselves, and I understand why. As a leader, it’s hard to make sure everyone’s energies are okay, so in the end, I always manage to talk to them,” Aeron said.

While Aeron found his hidden strength in dancing, the reverse was true for the dancer Gab, who discovered he could sing.

“I have been a dancer since I was a kid, and I was invited to be in a dance group. During that time, I realized that I can sing and dance at the same time,” he explained.

It was a similar upbringing for Markeu, who also got into dancing while living in his hometown of Bantayan Island.

“I was looking for K-pop cover groups in Cebu, and that’s when I met Zyman. He encouraged me to audition and that’s how I joined the group,” he explained.

Originally from Bohol, Gemen moved to Cebu to study and work.

“Since I was a child, I loved playing instruments and singing. I want to continue that passion, and that’s why I am grateful to be in this group,” he said.

With influences like Stray Kids and SB19, VLST aims to make a mark as a Bisaya P-pop group.

“There’s a lot of great music in the Philippines, so we want to stand out with our music because each of us have different styles, and we want to express that ‘explosiveness’ through the music we create. We will make sure that ‘Barugi’ is going to be the sound that will make a mark,” Aeron said.

While the group can count on the full support of the fans they gained during their pre-debut days, they are working hard to win over fellow locals who may still be hesitant about P-pop, especially those from Cebu.

“All we can do to please people is to write a song that is so confidently proud to be Bisaya. I am confident that this song is going to resonate with the Cebuanos. Not all of them, but eventually, we are confident that it will make its way to them as well,” Aeron said.

Tickets for VLST’s May 17 concert at Fort San Pedro are available through this link: https://www.cinnamon.ph/explore/ote/rising-harmonys-vlst-grand-debut-concert.

Prices are P300 for general admission and P1,000 for Gold VIP, which includes photocards and a “special access pass” to meet the group.

Their debut single “Barugi” is available to pre-save on Spotify through this link: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/vlst/barugi.