EXCLUSIVE! Get To Know The Members Of P-Pop Boy Group BGYO
The hotshot debut of BGYO signifies the meteoric and unstoppable rise of P-Pop in the local music scene. Here, we introduce to you its handsome and talented members
“Within you lies immense power. Your light can change the world.”
The five-member boy group BGYO finally made its highly anticipated debut anchored on these inspiring opening lines from the music video of their debut single “The Light.” Clearly, the launch of the group isn’t just a showcase of the freshest talents, it is also a call to empower the youth of today.
BGYO (pronounced as B-G-Y-O) stands for “Be the Change, Go Further, You and I, Originally Filipino.” Composed of Gelo Rivera, Akira Morishita, JL Toreliza, Mikki Claver, and Nate Porcalla, BGYO was born out of the boys’ hard work, perseverance and intensive training at the Star Hunt Academy, ABS-CBN’s training ground for world-class Filipino talents.
Fresh from their official debut last January 29, BGYO is riding on waves of excitement, happiness and understandable pressure. The boys shared their feelings about their recent debut not only as BGYO but also as the newest representatives of P-Pop.

“Masaya. Sobrang hindi po makapaniwala kasi dati pa po naming hinihintay talaga ’yung time na ’yun eh,” JL says.
Gelo, the leader of the group, offers a balanced perspective. “Aside from being happy, siyempre more reasons to work harder kasi mas tataas ang expectations ng mga tao,” he begins.
“Siguro po good pressure siya for our group. And excited [din kami] kasi parang gusto namin laging may bagong ipapakita sa buong mundo,” he adds.
Nate, Akira and Mikki were equally feeling overwhelmed but all agreed the pressure they’re feeling is the good, motivating kind. “The Light,” the upbeat and lyrically uplifting track which serves as BGYO’s debut single, contributed to the confidence of the group. The members are exceptionally proud of how the song turned out.
“I first heard the lyrics from the demo. It was different than now but when I first heard how the melody and the lyrics flowed, it was so smooth. It’s like a whole different genre and a whole different sound. When we first heard it, there’s a [he makes the song intro sound] right away, it’s already so cool. It feels like you’re a beast, like a monster, like a machine. It’s a cool noise,” Nate excitedly shares.
“When we first heard the demo, it was all in English and then we talked about it na parang okay na lagyan namin ng Filipino touch. Naglagay kami ng Filipino language and then we connected the lyrics sa mga experiences po namin so it really means a lot po talaga,” Mikki relates, sharing how the members collaborated to put together the most appropriate, uplifting and fitting Filipino lyrics to the song.
Since its launch, “The Light” has earned over a million views on YouTube and surpassed the 100,000 streams mark in Spotify less than two weeks upon its release.
BGYO members’ ability to collaborate creatively stemmed from their years’ worth of training where they spent a generous amount of time together religiously rehearsing and even living in the same house. The members have developed a certain chemistry that allowed them to get to know one another better and on a deeper, more personal level.
Get to know BGYO members Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate better through these exclusive interviews with Metro.Style.

BGYO's Gelo
BGYO's Gelo
By Metro.StyleSeptember 27 2023, 4:11 PM
“Out of curiosity and baka magandang opportunity ito, pumunta ako for the audition. Kasabay ko si JL noon mag-audition. On the way pa lang, noon ko lang nalaman na kailangan din pala ng singing. Eh my strength is dancing so nag-come up ako agad ng song na para lang makakanta ako. Tapos nagka-time na nag-showdown kami ni JL. Luckily, pareho kaming nakapasok,” he recalls.
“Pinaka-challenging part sa akin iyong pakikisama sa iba’t-ibang tao kasi lahat kami galing sa iba’t-ibang lugar and nature so we have to adjust. Isa rin sa mga struggles ko is pagbago ng lifestyle. Kasi kahit mahirap 'yung ginagawa ko dati sa dance team ko, dito kasi hindi lang dance, may [lessons on] singing, may personal development, diet and how you connect with people and marami pa,” Gelo says, but was quick to offset the experience with the happy ones.
Gelo’s interest in music leaned towards RnB as he grew up listening to Ne-Yo, Usher and Chris Brown, but his preferences evolved and he discovered K-Pop. His K-Pop favorites include Stray Kids, EXO, NCT, BTS and TWICE, and he looks up to NCT’s Taeyong and BTS member Jungkook. He dreams of collaborating with choreographers Keone Madrid, Sienna Lalau, and Parris Goebel, as well as local artists Jess Connelly, Jason Dhakal and Kiana Valenciano.
As a member of BGYO that aims to inspire through their music, he offers these words of encouragement to the young ones: “Gusto ko lang sabihin na huwag mong i-doubt ang sarili mo. We all have our weaknesses and strengths pero gamitin mo ang strengths mo kasi all of us are beautiful in our own ways. And use the light within you para sa araw-araw mo.”

BGYO's Akira
BGYO's Akira
By Metro.StyleSeptember 27 2023, 4:11 PM
“Actually po, hindi ko po nakita ang sarili ko as an idol. Pero parang may hinanap po kasi ako na talagang kakaiba. Una, parang kinakabahan ako kasi bago nga po sa akin ito. Then eventually po nagustuhan ko siya and itinuloy ko po kahit maraming frustrations and challenges. Minahal ko na po eh,” Akira says of his Star Hunt Academy/BGYO experience.
He considers dancing as the most challenging part of the training. “Pero nagawa ko naman po s'ya sa tulong din po ng BGYO members. Every time na meron po akong hindi makuhang steps, sila po tinatanungan ko or sila po 'yung lalapit sa akin para i-correct 'yung step na hindi ko makuha,” he confesses.
Akira’s sisters also influenced him to explore K-Pop which led him to discover NCT, NCT 127, EXO and Big Bang. He considers Jungkook, Jimin and V of BTS as his biases because of their skills as total performers. He idolizes Taeyang of BIGBANG when it comes to singing and considers the star’s “Eyes, Nose, Lips” as his favorite song.
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BGYO's JL
BGYO's JL
By Metro.StyleSeptember 27 2023, 4:11 PM
“Challeging po kasi hindi ako marunong sumayaw. Medyo nag-adjust po ako sa pagsayaw kasi 'yung ibang ka-grupo ko like Nate and Gelo—dancers na po sila so natatakot ako na baka maiwan ako. Pero noong napunta ako dito, hindi ko na-feel iyon. Tinutulungan nila kami [sa training]. After po, nasanay na and na-feel ko na kaya ko palang sumayaw,” he says.
He continues, “More on singing talaga ako and noong napunta lang ako dito, nagkaroon ng mabigat na training like ‘yung mga drills or workout. Athlete din ako before pero dito, ibang-iba ‘yung training. Masasabi ko po na iyong training, makakatulong talaga hanggang sa future kasi hindi lang sa grupo magagamit ang mga skills, p'wede mo ring magamit kapag tumanda na. Malaking bagay po sa akin ang mga training dito.”
“Napapasaya namin ang mga supporters lalo na sa kanta namin. Talagang na-inspire sila sa lyrics ng kanta and sa story na na-express namin hindi lang para sa amin, kundi para rin sa kanila and also sa family ko po na sobrang proud sa akin. Noong nag-debut po kami, ramdam na ramdam ko po ang suporta ng buong family ko po. Ngayon ko lang sila nakita na ganoon ka-grabe ang suporta. Pinapaalam nila sa mga kaibigan nila at sa buong kamag-anak po namin,” JL says, beaming.
He dreams of collaborating with his favorite artists like Erik Santos, Regine Velasquez and Gary Valenciano. He also added BTS as one of his dream collabs, citing Jungkook and V as the ones he looks up to. As a former varsity volleyball player, JL’s hobbies and interests center on sports like basketball and table tennis.
JL encourages their fans and the youth to keep holding on to their dreams. He says, “Gusto ko lang pong sabihin sa mga supporters namin lalo na sa katulad naming mga kabataan ngayon na nangangarap din tulad namin, huwag kayong susuko. Huwag na huwag kayong bibitaw kasi kahit ano'ng challenges, kahit ano'ng pagsubok man ‘yan—kapag pinaghirapan mo at lagi mong ginagagawa, makukuha mo s'ya talaga.”
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BGYO's Mikki
BGYO's Mikki
By Metro.StyleSeptember 27 2023, 4:11 PM
“I used to hang out in his room while he’s playing music so most of the time, iyong music na pinapakinggan niya was what I listen to. My brother was more on hip-hop, rock and EDM but he listens to a lot of genres,” Mikki says. He credits his love for hip-hop as the reason why he got into writing lyrics and making rap music. It was his interest in rap that paved the way for him to audition for Star Hunt Academy.
“My friend has a manager and he told me na ABS-CBN was looking for a rapper. That time, I just started as a rapper and writing lyrics so I was really scared if I should take the opportunity. Pero buti naman po kinuha ko po ‘yung opportunity na iyon and nag-send po ako ng video sa ABS-CBN rapping and then tuloy-tuloy na po. That’s how I got into Star Hunt Academy,” Mikki shares.
“The most challenging part po was being the last trainee to enter for the boys kasi they all have a background in singing and dancing, and I was the only one who can’t sing or dance. I was more into writing lyrics and rapping... I had to use the time to make extra effort para makahabol sa training,” he humbly narrates, grateful for finally debuting with the group.

BGYO's Nate
BGYO's Nate
By Metro.StyleSeptember 27 2023, 4:11 PM
BGYO’s "bunso" Nate Porcalla spent his younger years in Chicago, USA but he has been going back and forth to Manila to compete in different Filipino shows before like "Dance Kids Philippines" and "World of Dance Philippines." Both his mom and dad love to play a lot of music at home so he grew up loving it as well.
“I started loving music really at six years old because I was trying to find something to do after school. I tried different sports po like basketball but I really didn’t feel like my heart was in it. I didn’t like it so much. My mom found a dance studio and she said ‘Maybe you want to dance?’ And then I said okay and then I auditioned. One of our teachers said I have something natural. I really like moving my body. I just like to dance po. I started dancing at six and now for 11 years, I have been dancing and competing,” Nate helpfully narrates.
“The way I auditioned po [at Star Hunt Academy], the scout asked me to send a dance video really fast. Since they needed it really urgent po, I had to record it in the area of our hotel where it’s like a lobby. After that, I met Kuya Aki in one of the bootcamp rounds,” Nate shares. The training at Star Hunt Academy initially felt like familiar territory for Nate. But not for long.
“At first, it was easy for me because I’ve been dancing for so long. But then after they introduced voice class, I was like ‘Oh no!’ I was so scared because I didn’t sing at all—zero experience. That was one of my struggles. I just didn’t feel confident. I wasn’t going to run away, I was going to work hard on it but I was just really, really nervous to hold the mic especially. It’s difficult to sing and dance po,” he humbly explains.
Nate likes Stray Kids, WayV, NCT, GOT7, Seventeen and Wanna One. He adds that individually, he likes Jungkook and G-Dragon for his iconic moments. While he would definitely be happy to collaborate with BTS, EXO and the other K-Pop groups he admires, he would also like to work with OPM artist Kevin Yadao and choreographers Keone Madrid and Brian Puspos. He loves gaming, cars, shoes and clothes.
To the youth and BGYO fans, Nate has this to say: “I hope you can all use our music and the lyrics that we make to get through all of your hardest struggles and hope you can use it when you feel down, weak or when you feel sick. I hope that through all of these problems, let’s be each other’s light in this darkness.”
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Watch BGYO's "The Light" official music video below:
Be one of the firsts to follow the journey of BGYO, the originally Filipino boy group that aspires to share their passion and talent to the world. Follow them on Facebook (https://facebook.com/BGYO.PH), Twitter (https://twitter.com/BGYO_PH), Instagram (https://instagram.com/BGYO_PH), and Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@officialbgyo).
Photos courtesy of BGYO | Gallery photos from @ofcbgyo_gelo @ofcbgyo_akira @ofcbgyo_jl @ofcbgyo_mikki @ofcbgyo_nate
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