Welcome to P-Pop Bites! This column provides P-Pop news bites every month. Here’s what we have for 1 December:
19 November – Filipino paint brand Boysen released an advert featuring an AI-generated P-Pop group called “Boys En Girls”, debuting with a song called “Mama Mo Blue” (Your Mum is Blue).
In a Facebook post, Filipino lawyer Jesus Falcis deemed it “the worst ad campaign of 2025.” He wrote, “There is no way to support this ad campaign because it is an existential threat to the jobs and livelihood of numerous artists and related industries if this kind of AI advertising becomes the norm. It’s not just the celebrities who will fade away. It’s the make up artists. The camera men. The lights and sound guys. The coordinators. The food and catering. The security. The venue. And so many, many more.”
He added the generative AI is consuming a lot of energy and destroying the environment. “And for what? Pale imitations of actual P-Pop singers and artists and actual talent?!” Falcis asked. “Whoever approved of this ad campaign is a loser and should be fired!”
While some users defended the paint brand, they have deleted the video on all of their social media platforms.
28 November – G22’s debut album, The Dissection of Eve, has peaked at number one on iTunes Philippines’ Top Albums chart. At this time of writing (30 November 2025), the record remains in the top spot. Read our album review here.
29 November – On 28 November, Star Hunt Academy (SHA), the training programme that produced BINI and BGYO, teased their return. SHA is run by ABS-CBN, the massive media conglomerate that includes companies like Star Music, the two groups’ record label. The following day, the page unveiled their current batch of young trainees, with the youngest being 13-year-old Idol Philippines alum Leisah Baconga and the oldest being 21-year-old Frances Pinlac, a former member of MNL48.
29 November – BINI held yet another successful concert, the year-end party BINIFied at the Philippine Arena, where they presented new arrangements for most of their beloved songs. For example, their Eurodance bop “Out Of My Head” and synth-pop song “Zero Pressure” were given rock-and-roll makeovers. The girls also presented the audience with never-before-seen solo performances. P-Pop trio DNA, comprising real-life sisters Ezri, Julia, and Tasha, performed their single “Don’t Ask Why” at the event. Other P-Pop idols like SB19’s “pinunso” (a portmanteau of the Tagalog words “pinuno” meaning leader and “bunso” meaning youngest) line Pablo Nase and Justin de Dios attended too.
29 November – The MNL48 renaissance is in full swing. MNL48, now in their fifth generation, bagged the P-Pop Spotlight Award at the 10th P-Pop Awards held at the Manila Metropolitan Centre on 29 November. P-Pop giants SB19 won in most of the major categories, including the fan-voted “Favorite of the Year” titles powered by JuanCast, the Philippine Star’s P-Pop platform.
Most of the fan-voted polls were intense races that had the BINI members in second or third place. With more than 30 nominees in each category, Pablo won “P-Pop Favorite Leader” with BINI’s Jhoanna Robles finishing in second place; SB19’s Stell Ajero won “P-Pop Favorite Vocalist of the Year,” with BINI’s Colet Vergara coming at a close second; Josh Cullen Santos won “P-Pop Favorite Rapper of the Year” with BINI’s Mikha Lim and Stacey Sevilleja in second and third respectively; Felip “Ken” Suson won “P-Pop Favorite Dancer of the Year” with BINI’s Sheena Catacutan in second place; and Justin de Dios won “P-Pop Favorite Visual of the Year” with BINI’s Aiah Arceta in second place.
Pablo yet again won “The Complete Package: EveryJuan’s P-Pop All Rounder,” with Ken in second place and Colet in third. The only non-SB19 member to win one of the fan-voted solo categories is PIX!E’s Nicole, who won “P-Pop Favorite Fashion Icon of the Year” over second-placer Ken and third-placer BINI’s Maloi Ricalde.
30 November – Aiah performed at Thai actress Becky Armstrong’s birthday concert, B New Era, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Aiah sang “Fighter” by Christina Aguilera, which she’d also covered just a day prior in her solo number at the BINIFied concert at the Philippine Arena. Toward the end of the performance, Becky herself returned onstage, dancing as Aiah continued to belt and own the stage. The pair ended the number by posing side by side.