Photo Courtesy of NEO
From their debut single “Tugatog” to winning the Lustre Global Awards‘ Breakthrough P-Pop Group of the Year 2024, NEO has taken the Philippine music scene by storm. This interview delves into the story behind their success, exploring their individual talents, their collaborative process, and their aspirations for the future. We speak with each member—Dawn, Ryu, Jem, Blue, and Luiz—about their experiences performing at major events, their collaborations with brands, and their vision for NEO’s continued growth.
Can you describe the formation of NEO and how the five members came together?
[JEM]
– Celebrity studio had an audition way back July 2021 where Blue and I were the first ones who passed the first batch of auditions, then Ryu came around November 2021, Luiz came around May of 2022 then lastly Dawn.
What is the meaning behind the name “NEO,” and how does it reflect the group’s identity and aspirations?
[BLUE] – The word “NEO” has two origins— In Greek, it means “New”. While in some African languages, it means “Gift”. The idea is to use our gifts to create or bring something new. At the moment, we try to showcase this in two ways— Whenever we do a cover, we would always aim to find a way to add our own twist.
This is our way of infusing our own identity as NEO to the song or performance to make sure we’re still able to add our own authenticity into our work. For our original songs, both released and upcoming, we would always make it a collaborative effort since we believe that combining our own different backgrounds and individuality is where our strength lies as we create something new together.
Your bio mentions a “dynamic and captivating presence.” Can you elaborate on what makes NEO unique compared to other P-Pop groups?
[BLUE] – Just like other P-Pop groups, each member in NEO has different backgrounds with different stories to tell. We have different strengths, music taste, fashion sense, and personality which are all being shared with each other through influence and coordination. Using our own individualities to create something together is where our strength lies. This way, we all get to shine bright on the stage while maintaining the integrity of each of our own individual hues which brings out NEO’s own unique color.
“Tugatog” and “Tanto” are your debut single and subsequent releases. What are the inspirations behind these songs, and how do they represent your musical
[RYU] – For the creative process when it comes to writing these songs, mostly the process for me with these is that whenever I feel strong emotions, I just write it down. Even if it’s unclear, I just write everything, then from there we start to see the vision on what these songs could be, or what it is going to be about.
You’ve performed at various events, from PPOP Fiesta to smaller showcases. How have these experiences shaped your performance style and stage presence? (Focuses on growth and adaptation.
[RYU] – For me, it has really helped me grow. It made me more confident on stage, sharpened my skills, and gave me trust in myself. It strengthened my trust in my abilities thanks to both the experience and the consistent training we’ve been doing.
[LUIZ] – Performing on stage is really fun, whether it’s on big or small stages. Every performance gains confidence in how we interact or how we perform with different types of audiences.
The Lustre Global Awards recognized NEO as the Breakthrough P-Pop Group of the Year. What does this achievement mean to the group, and how does it motivate you moving forward?
[RYU] – We’re really thankful for The Lustre Global Awards. This recognition motivates us to push forward and continue to make good music. We want to continue inspiring people through our music, we want them to feel empowered to reach their goals in life.
[LUIZ] – We are really grateful to have this award and to perform at such a prestigious award show. We felt seen and recognized the efforts that we put into our music. This really motivates us to do more than what we can do.
What are your long-term goals for NEO, both musically and as a group? (Looks towards the future and the group’s ambitions.
[DAWN] – Our long-term goal for the group is to inspire people and share our message through music. We want our songs to connect with others and give hope. As a group, we aim to grow, reach more listeners, and stay true to who we are while spreading positivity through our music.
[LUIZ] – I’d say to create more music with different genres, to showcase each member’s strengths, and to focus on reaching more people through our music.
How would you describe your creative process as a group? Do you collaborate equally, or are there specific roles each member plays?
[JEM] – There are songs where only one of us wrote it, then we’ll do revisions together, and there are also songs where we collaborate with each other, basically we all ask for each other’s creativity.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a rising P-Pop group, and how have you overcome them?
[RYU] – Personally, one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is balancing life as both an idol and a student. It’s been tough finding the right balance between pursuing my dreams and keeping up with my studies, especially with such hectic schedules and the need to be physically present for both. But I’ve learned to manage my time carefully and stay focused on both goals, which has helped me keep moving forward.
[BLUE] – The biggest challenge for me is having a full-time corporate job while I pursue my dreams of being an artist. Time management becomes difficult when balancing all responsibilities as prioritizing one would also mean sacrificing the others. I have been living alone so I really don’t have any other options but to sustain myself and this comes with a great price— having enough time to rest. The most challenging part at the moment would be the instances where there are events or promotions we have to attend during weekdays. This would mean that as soon as I’m done with my night shift, I have to go straight to the event venue or NEO’s headquarters. Once the event or promotion is done, most of the time I don’t have time to rest anymore and just go back straight to work. So whenever I can, I would rest up as much as I can and try to take care of my health and well-being (physically and mentally.)
[DAWN] – One of my biggest challenges was self-doubt. I often questioned if I was good enough. But with the support of my group and our fans, I learned to trust the process and keep improving every day.
[JEM] – This is more of a personal problem for me, cause whenever I’m in my room I always feel like I am not achieving something and I’m not that really good of a singer, I do know that I love what I’m doing, but there are times where I talk to myself if I’m going to make it, if I will be able to reach the point where I’m earning and at the same time doing the things that I love cause as much as I want to perform, I also want to give back for my mom and grandmother, but I won’t quit cause I’m stubborn hahaha. Even if that thought of mine still lingers sometimes, my passion for performing is still strong and I see myself doing it for the rest of my life.
[LUIZ] – Balancing life as a full-time employee and being a Ppop idol. It challenges my performance or even in rehearsals due to lack of enough rest. But the group is not ignoring everyone’s feelings and is making sure that everything is OK when we do things. We do warm-ups, take breaks, and talk about our lives. These little things really helped with our routine. I also just feel like I can do more if I can do this full-time.
What message do you hope to convey to your fans and the wider P-Pop community through your music and performances?
[RYU] – I hope that our supporters and the whole P-pop community can truly feel the messages we share through our music. When they listen to our songs, I hope they know we’re right there with them, cheering them on just like they cheer for us. Whether it’s reaching for their dream with Tugatog or finding comfort in Tanto during tough times, we want every song we release to connect with them and show that they’re not alone. Beyond that, we also want to help spread awareness of the P-pop community and showcase the incredible talent and skills of the people in it. Through our music, we hope to contribute to building that recognition and pride for P-pop everywhere.
Social Media: You can find NEO on various social media platforms under the handle @NEOPHOFFICIAL
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