MANILA — For the first time, Filipino boy group BGYO worked with foreign musicians, gaining valuable insights in creating their latest single, “Trash.”
“We witnessed how they built the song from scratch. It was a great experience to see how they crafted the music—from the lyrics to the melody, and all the way to production,” shared BGYO member Akira Morishita in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
He also highlighted the importance of getting outside perspectives. “Having another set of ears listen is really crucial because it helps improve the song. Before, when I was writing, I would listen to it by myself first,” Morishita added.
“Trash” was penned by Greg Shilling, Elle Campbell, Peter Rycroft (a.k.a. Lostboy), and Steven Chueng (a.k.a. Tele), with production by Lostboy and Tele. The song has gained attention on social media for its theme about being willing to give up everything for love. One of the producers, Lostboy, recently won his first Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording with Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam.”
Despite the pressure of working with Grammy-winning producers, BGYO’s Mikki Claver took it as a valuable learning opportunity.
“There was certain pressure when we were in the studio. Of course, they’re big names, but in the end, it became a learning experience for us,” Claver shared.
He explained how the group challenged themselves during the process and that they learned many lessons they plan to bring back to their music in the Philippines. Claver particularly gained insight into the technical side of production, including how to mix melodies and harmonies.
“I learned how to play with melodies. This song has a lot of twists, especially in the production. I also learned how to record vocals and understand patterns and rhythm,” Claver explained.
For JL Toreliza, recording remotely via Zoom posed challenges, especially when it came to diction and pronunciation. However, he praised producer Greg Shilling for guiding him through the process.
“It was a bit challenging for me to record online, but Greg’s help was invaluable. Personally, I struggle with English diction, and he taught me how to pronounce everything correctly,” Toreliza said.
Nate Porcalla echoed JL’s sentiments, adding that expressing emotion was crucial for a song like “Trash.” “I learned to dive deeper into the emotion because you can’t sing ‘Trash’ without really feeling it,” Porcalla emphasized.
Gelo Rivera, the group’s leader, expressed his gratitude for working with international producers and how the experience has equipped them with more knowledge for future projects.
“This was our first time collaborating with foreign musicians, and it was a completely different experience. We’re grateful for the opportunity, and we’re all learning in ways that will help us when we produce more songs in the future,” Rivera said.
BGYO’s latest single “Trash” is available on all online streaming platforms.