Yes My Love, Cornerstone’s latest six-member P-pop boy group, is hoping to be that group you’ll fall in love with next.
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What’s in a name? Without even seeing the person, the name alone is enough to form an impression of who the person could be. No truer is this when it comes to music groups whose name serves as one of the guiding forces behind who they are. So, when rookie P-pop boy group Yes My Love call themselves, well, Yes My Love, they aren’t lacking points the uniqueness department.
It’s one of the most interesting P-pop names out there as it also serves as a statement and declaration to that special someone. And that’s exactly the point with Cornerstone’s latest P-pop group. At the heart of this team is the desire to spread the love with what they promise is a flurry of bangers and other surprises coming soon.
THE BEGINNINGS OF YES MY LOVE
Yes My Love is a six-member boy group composed of Niko (Main Dancer/Leader), Joshua (Main Vocal), Brian (Lead Vocal), Jeff (Lead Vocal), RZ (Main Rapper/Lead Dancer), and Eli (Visual). Right off the bat, the group’s name is enough to grab at least a glancing look. According to them, it came from their desire to do things differently. “We know that we are expected in a way to do something a little bit fiercer, and we wanted to take it in a different route, or more lighthearted route,” they share in an interview. “Love is universal and we wanted to pick a name that’s going to draw inspiration from. We’re always motivated by love in so many different aspects.”
Their unique name can conjure the impression that Yes My Love is a romantic boy group. And while that is true, the boys add that they have other things to offer. In particular, they use the word eclectic to describe themselves. “We all come from different walks of life. We all come from different provinces. Four of us are actually from Cebu.”
And, of course, don’t discount their talent. “As a group, we really want to showcase vocals because we’re firm believers of the Filipino music scene, especially P-pop. We want to highlight that Filipinos love to sing and at the same time we want to have a lot of fun, so there’ll be a lot of dancing as well.”
WORKING FOR THE MOMENT
While this may be their first time as a group, this isn’t their first time at the rodeo. If the boys look familiar, that’s because each of them appeared on TV. Niko, Brian, RZ, and Jeff were part of Top Class, with Jeff even making his way to the finale as one of the winners. Joshua first appeared in the first season of GMA Network’s reality singing competition The Clash where he was part of the Top 5 in the show. As for Eli, viewers of TV5’s videoke singing reality game show Sing Galing may know him since he was a frequent of the show as part of the Singtokers. And that’s not to mention his bubbling acting career.
Their careers looked as if they were going on different routes. But fate had other plans in mind as their lives led them to meet to become a boy group. It’s a major career shift, to say the least. But it’s one they welcome. “Ang saya kasi iba ‘yung feeling na magkasama sa isang grupo. Bigla ka nagkaroon ng limang kapatid.” In particular, they celebrate the fact that their diverse backgrounds allow them to complement each other. “Parang nagtulungan po kami para ma-feel ‘yung each other’s strengths.” They work in tandem to bring each other up as their past experiences before Yes My Love gave them a crash course on the industry.
“It helped us be braver in the life decisions that we made,” says the boys on what they learned from their TV stints. “The changes and the redirections had their purposes. We’re just so grateful in a way that Cornerstone created another P-pop and we’re very excited at the same time.” While they technically are rookies on the scene, their time on TV and reality shows helped them for the moment. “Kaya ‘yung naging training ground naming is naging malaking tulong sa group.” They add, “Nothing can necessarily prepare you [for the industry], but at least you are equipped when you’re in battle.”
Once all the cards came into place, Yes My Love was ready to go. But before they made their debut, they first built that hyped with pre-debut performances and covers. From covering Stray Kids to Morissette, the boys showcased the talents across vocals and dance. And they didn’t go unnoticed as they were already gaining fans, called 143, through these pre-debut activities. It’s a development the boys are grateful for. “We were very humbled, and at the same time, we were overwhelmed yet very grateful. Seeing these comments sometimes can easily get in your head but we’re grateful for the comments that we’re receiving. We always want to achieve better because you’re just as good as your last performance.”
Despite all having their brush with fame and coming from a big company, there was no guarantee that Yes My Love was going to get attention. This is why the fans they’ve already made this early on is a blessing to them. “Hindi naman mawawala ang kaba siyempre pag bago ka, especially sa P-pop. So, hindi po naming alam kung ano ang magiging tanggap sa amin ng tao and we’re very grateful. It fueled us to strive more para ilabas naming ‘yung kaya i-offer and hindi masayang ang support ng mga 143 namin.”
FEEL THE RHYTHM
Yes My Love made their official P-pop debut on March 17 with the release of their single, Rhythm. The song is a dance-pop track that expresses attraction at first sight. With its groovy tunes mixed with a touch of sexiness, the song has its place in the summer playlist. It’s all about that feeling of being with “someone that you can’t resist—from feeling the instant connection to wanting to be with that person.” And while the anthem is confidence-inducing, its journey as so wasn’t set in stone.
Originally, when Cornerstone and Republic Records Philippines showed them the track, the group initially thought that the song wasn’t going to be their debut. But one thing led to another, and they made everything work out in the end as all the pieces for the song came into place. They even had a hand in the creation of the track as they brought their vision to life.
“We had the opportunity to be able to co-write the draft, especially on the Filipino parts of the song and some of the English verses as well. So we’re so grateful that they gave us the freedom to be able to do what we really want as a group.” “Kinalibutan” is the word they used to describe how they felt seeing Rhythm become what it is today. The opportunity for Yes My Love to make Rhythm what they imagined it to be, especially this early in their career, is one they don’t take for granted.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
While it’s only been a few weeks since Yes My Love made their debut, the boys tease that their debut year is going to be an exciting one. The members are music lovers and are excited to share with P-pop fans, and the rest of the world, their vocals, choreography, and new tracks. You can also expect Yes My Love to experiment with their style as this explorative P-pop group isn’t looking to put themselves in a certain box. “We want to cater to different audiences.”
Staying in one lane is not on the agenda for Yes My Love. What is on the agenda though is finding new ways to expand the group and the P-pop sound, and that includes being open to collaborations. “Yes My Love is such a collaborative effort. And that is why we believe in the unity of the P-pop community as well. To be able to collaborate with any P-pop groups or any OPM artist would be such an honor for us.”
The group and their fans have much to get excited about as 2023 continues. Yes My Love has a lot of dreams and goals they look forward to doing. And on top of that list is bringing pride to their hometowns. “The goal for each of us as a group is to be able to perform in our hometowns. We hope that P-pop will get bigger over time here in our country.” As the interview comes to a close, they look to their future endeavors on a high note. “It’s going to be so much fun, and we just want to really, really share it with people and the ones who support P-pop and the entire community.” From a strong point-of-view on their creative vision, unique background, evident talent, and understanding the power of collaboration, Yes My Love has a lot to offer. Keep an eye out for this P-pop group, you may just be swooning by the end.
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