The boys of SB19 are cooking something up.
The chart-topping, globally renowned (and loved) Filipino group is setting fans ablaze with a series of social media posts with the hashtag #WhereIsSB19.
On a video clip shared on August 7, the official account for SB19 on Twitter wrote, “BREAKING NEWS! #WhereIsSB19” which reveals a radio announcement reporting that a “gadget from the future” was found in Manila and that five unidentified men were seen fleeing the scene, and were eventually found in an undisclosed location.
BREAKING NEWS!#WhereIsSB19? ? pic.twitter.com/mSAvPtJJ5q
— SB19 Official ?? (@SB19Official) August 7, 2022
Today (August 9), a second clip was posted with the caption, “Mermaids, Tikbalangs or even Centaurs / Sing to me this city you ask for / A tail that one should not ignore / Pura is where the lion may swim or roar.” Tikbalang is a “bipedal horse creature of Philippine folklore,” described as a “bony humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse and disproportionately long limbs.”
Mermaids, Tikbalangs or even Centaurs
Sing to me this city you ask for
A tail that one should not ignore
Pura is where the lion may swim or roar#WhereIsSB19 ? pic.twitter.com/zLLfsJdP7J— SB19 Official ?? (@SB19Official) August 9, 2022
(Update — 7:23 PST, August 9) A video posted this evening added further suspense, this time with just a short clip that shows a record sleeve, with the caption, “In search of spice, a battle is won / A child is washed ashore, kneeled upon / Stands a cross to honor thy kingdom come / And a statue of a maginoo, hero in one.” Maginoo is the Tagalog term for “gentleman.”
In search of spice, a battle is won
A child is washed ashore, kneeled upon
Stands a cross to honor thy kingdom come
And a statue of a maginoo, hero in one#WhereIsSB19? ? pic.twitter.com/472tFjRc9M— SB19 Official ?? (@SB19Official) August 9, 2022
A’TIN—SB19’s fan base—quickly took to Twitter to share their theories on what the latest hints mean. An eagle-eyed fan spotted the famous Merlion statue in Singapore. It is also to be noted that today is the 57th National Day of Singapore, which commemorates Singapore’s independence from Malaysia in 1965.
The answer is in the clip itself. Lol#WhereIsSB19? ?
ForDaHanap saSB19@SB19OFFICIAL#STANWORLD#SB19#WeStanEarthhttps://t.co/VmSfXxrit4pic.twitter.com/l2p6m0nKuF
— Jin Woo ? (@ChristusX) August 9, 2022
Others, meanwhile, speculate on the meaning of the teasers, some of whom are saying that SB19 will be touring overseas.
[ A thought/theory about SB19 tnew teasers ]#WhereIsSB19 ?@SB19Officialpic.twitter.com/UZoyPBKh3E
— cath ? | ia (@wuvsunflower) August 8, 2022
For now, check out SB19’s smash hit, “Bazinga”:
(Update — 7:09 PM PST, August 10) Two more clips hint at now what seems like a series of locations. At 12 PM, Manila time, another clip went out with the caption, “An oasis, a mirage — an emir once foretold / Of islands atop his palm, lo and behold! / Though no sight of a river from his tower of gold, Grains of sand in the sea of seven-fold.”
An oasis, a mirage — an emir once foretold
Of islands atop his palm, lo and behold!
Though no sight of a river from his tower of gold,
Grains of sand in the sea of seven-fold#WhereIsSB19? ? pic.twitter.com/thTBw0YqXi— SB19 Official ?? (@SB19Official) August 10, 2022
At 7 PM local time, another video was released with the caption, “The eagle soars in the land of promise / Prayers offered in dances, in phrases / Heaven bears a fruit then split open / A nation emerges, aroma unforgotten.” The two tweets seem to point out to Dubai and Davao (Philippines), respectively.
The eagle soars in the land of promise
Prayers offered in dances, in phrases
Heaven bears a fruit then split open
A nation emerges, aroma unforgotten#WhereIsSB19? ? pic.twitter.com/hOCo9HJvPP— SB19 Official ?? (@SB19Official) August 10, 2022
(Update — 12:09 PM PST, August 11) A new tweet was posted at noon via SB19’s official account. The tweets seemed to be scheduled twice a day, at noon and 7 in the evening. The latest tweet reads, “No lies for the madame left to stand alone / Yawn with nighthawks in the jungle you don’t own / Now blow the stars to the center, pass the baton / Your turn to bite the pome but never say ‘long gone’” with hints seemingly pointing to New York City, as fans also speculate.
No lies for the madame left to stand alone
Yawn with nighthawks in the jungle you don’t own
Now blow the stars to the center, pass the baton
Your turn to bite the pome but never say ‘long gone’#WhereIsSB19? ? pic.twitter.com/gbXRyAYLjW— SB19 Official ?? (@SB19Official) August 11, 2022
SB19 has yet to confirm what the series of announcements mean. Watch this space for updates.