LITZ, composed of members Ashtine, Heart, Fatima, Bianca, and Yumi, is looking to be the next must-watch P-pop girl group.
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It isn’t a stretch to say that we are living in a time of resurgence for P-pop in the country. With the rise and success of groups like SB19 and BGYO both locally and abroad, P-Pop is currently at a moment where it has been most popular in decades. And with the rise of P-Pop has come a new generation of groups looking to make a splash in the industry. Enter LITZ, Viva’s newest P-pop girl group. Even though the group is still new, in fact, they haven’t even debuted yet, they are already making noise on social media. Curious about this new girl group? Then here are 8 things you should know about LITZ.
THEY ARE A FIVE-MEMBER GIRL GROUP
LITZ is composed of five members. They are Ashtine Olviga, the sweet girl and softie of the group, Heart Ryan Evangelista, the sophisticated member of the group, Fatima Anonuevo, the athletic and brave member of LITZ, Bianca Santos, the self-described baddie of the group, and Yumi Garcia, the youngest member and e-girl of LITZ. The group’s name of LITZ is an abbreviation of “Life In The Sunshine” (stylized with a Z). The group was originally composed of six girls, but one member left the team to go to Japan due to the pandemic.
TRAINED BY THE BEST
LITZ is the newest P-pop girl group to come from Viva. And as such, the girls have an A-list team guiding them on their journey. The leader of that team as well as the girls’ mentor is Teacher Georcelle. If you haven’t heard of her, though we highly doubt that, she is one of the most celebrated and sought-after choreographers in the country. Under her watch, she has trained stars like Sarah G, James Reid, Anne Curtis, and Vice Ganda. Teacher Georcelle is also responsible for creating some of the most iconic routines in all of OPM such as Tala by Sarah Geronimo. Aside from Teacher Georcelle, LITZ also has a pool of choreographers, trainers, and teachers to help the girls in all aspects of performing. One of those teachers so happens to be Teacher Jaja, the daughter of Teacher Georcelle.
THE MEMBERS ARE USED TO PERFORMING
While this will be the first time LITZ is promoting as a group, this isn’t the first time that the members have been in the spotlight. In fact, the girls have already performed in front of audiences before and were in other groups before being hand-picked to join LITZ. Some of the members even already have followings of their own such as Heart who has over 3.7 million TikTok followers. But even though the girls have had their own experiences outside of LITZ, they expressed that they all share a real friendship and bond with one another.
LITZ ISN’T YOUR AVERAGE GIRL GROUP
When people think about boy and girl groups, a certain stereotype usually comes into mind. But for LITZ, they deviate from their contemporaries in a few ways. For starters, they have a say in nearly everything they do with their career. Teacher Georcelle made it a point that the girls are involved in the whole process, from what they wear to what they want in their music. They aren’t forced to do or say things they don’t want to do.
Also, LITZ isn’t governed by a strict set of rules. There is no dating ban, no cellphone ban, and no tattoo ban. The girls are free to do what they want. But Teacher Georcelle said that there is a fine line between work and distraction and doesn’t want the girls’ other activities to distract from their responsibilities as a member of LITZ. They also do not live together because they feel that it would be too unhealthy to be away from their families for long or just see each other 24/7.
Speaking of, Teacher Georcelle said that instead of focusing on things like diet and weight, they do things with a holistic approach. She gave the example of how they want to prioritize the mental health of the girls and not make it about being able to fit into an outfit. Related to this, Teacher Georcelle is also open to talking to the girls whenever they want and the members expressed how she was like a mother figure to them.
THE MEMBERS HAVE THEIR EYES ON THE PRIZE
With more and more P-pop groups coming into the scene every few months, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. When asked what she thinks makes LITZ stand out from their peers, Teacher Georcelle said that the members are hungry for success and eager to do well in their careers. She complimented them on their work ethic and how determined they are. More importantly, LITZ likes what they do and are having fun in the process. Teacher Georcelle also mentioned how given that the girls are social media savvy and stars in their own right, she wants to use that to the group’s advantage.
THEIR PRE-DEBUT SINGLE IS A COVER
For their pre-debut single and their first official release, the group dropped their cover of Natataranta by James Reid. But unlike James’ version, LITZ’s version has a more pop take to it as well as a harder-hitting chorus. Their cover even features a dance break, which Heart said was something people should look out for. The members share how for their take on the song, they made it fiercer and gave it a different flavor, not just because of the new sound, but also by virtue of it is being sung from the POV of a woman. Even though this is just a pre-debut single, they are already making noise, a testament to LITZ’s potential.
THEY DON’T WANT TO BE STEREOTYPED
At first glance, you might think that LITZ is aiming to be a certain type of P-pop girl group or even a K-pop-inspired one. But Teacher Georcelle is quick to point out that they don’t want to box the girls into a certain type. She expressed how they are still finding their space in the industry and looking to define what P-pop is for themselves. At this early stage in their careers, LITZ isn’t looking to emulate a certain group of vibe. Instead, they want to carve their own path and ultimately elevate P-pop to the next level. Though the girls did say that they hopefully want their music to uplift and empower their listeners.
THERE’S MORE ON THE WAY
Given how LITZ hasn’t debuted yet, this is just the beginning of their journey. After Natataranta, their debut single is on the way and Teacher Georcelle teased how they were in contact with Singapore and Swedish producers to produce music for the girls. The members are also open to other opportunities even outside of music, like acting. But for the time being, they are focusing on the group. Teacher Georcelle also said how since they are just starting, they began training in May of this year, there is still more room for improvement for the group. For the time being, you can catch the girls perform for the first time at the Arrival digital concert on November 27, Saturday. And at the end of the day, LITZ is hoping to make itself known not just in the country, but abroad.
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