Josh Cullen can write songs in his sleep, literally.

He had spent days trying to find the perfect opening verse to Wild Tonight, his debut single released in February last year. While he’s been making music for half a decade as one-fifth of P-pop powerhouse SB19, Josh knew the first line of his first solo song was his formal introduction to the world. It had to pack a punch.

“Siguro kakaisip ko sa kanya, napaginipan ko ‘yung first two lines na maisusulat ko,” he recalls to Young STAR. “Pagkagising ko, ni-record ko agad siya.”

It’s barely 8 a.m. when Josh arrives for our shoot, already done up and wearing all-black. True to his name (his middle name really is Cullen), he looks and lives like a vampire — he gets little sleep (still writing music when he does, as he said) and fans often note that he doesn’t age (he turns 31 this year).

Leaning into that for Wild Tonight was a no-brainer. He draws parallels between the life of an imagined vampire and what he’s been through; it’s not an alter ego as much as an attempt at a fantastical self-actualization. The opening lines express the frustrations of both a bloodsucker awakening from a centuries-long slumber and an artist who’s gotten used to people rooting for his failure: “Musta, anong dekada na ba? Gano’n pa rin ba, sentido kumon, wala?” 

He sings of persistence so unshakable it’s akin to immortality. Later in the intro: “Hindi ako tumatanda, ngunit kayo hindi nagtatanda!”

All but one of Josh’s groupmates have released solo music so far; still, it wasn’t a simple decision. Along with a successful world tour, SB19 recently launched their company 1Z Entertainment, where they manage themselves and fellow OPM artists. Josh chose to see his hectic schedule as a good sign. “Narealize ko na kung hindi ko pa siya gagawin ngayon, kailan pa? It would cost me ‘yung momentum (now). Kailan ko masasabi na ready na ‘ko?”

Perhaps Josh’s nerves were less about reception and more about pulling off his clear vision for each song. He admits to being very hands-on, from producing the singles to conceptualizing the music videos. He’s very practiced, his work well-realized. If Wild Tonight is his conceptual, genre-jumping hello to the world, his second single Pakiusap Lang is his take on the classic Filipino hip-hop earworm, a fun radio anthem that shows he’s done his homework. 

Because they were trained by a Korean entertainment company, SB19 is often stereotyped by the lesser listener as a K-pop copycat. But the group has never strayed from where they came from. “Marami tayong experiences na hindi basta-basta mapepeke. Marami tayong kanta na hindi basta-basta makaka-relate ‘yung taga-ibang bansa,” Josh asserts, citing SB19’s Mapa, a love song for their parents — their Ma and Pa — who serve as their guiding light.

“At ‘yung Yoko Na,” his latest single with rapper Al James, “it would need a lot of context para maintindihan (ng foreigners), pero para sa’tin, simpleng ‘’yoko na,’ alam mo na eh.”

In Get Right, his self-assured electro-pop track about “owning (his) space,” Josh lists “sneakers on in the house” as one of the ways he exudes confidence and rebellion. “Kasi tayong mga Pilipino, hindi tayo nagpapasok ng sapatos sa bahay.”

“Lahat naman, they get references from other countries, pero nakikita ko na meron tayong sariling identity at tunog,” he argues. “Kahit nauuso na ang boy groups at girl groups, ‘pag tinignan mo ‘yung lyrics niyan, you can see na laking Pilipinas sila kasi ‘yung references nila ay kung ano ‘yung nakikita at dinadanas natin sa araw-araw.” He cites girl group Bini, known for hits like Pantropiko and Salamin, Salamin, as “the perfect example”: “Napaka-Pilipino nilang pakinggan.”

Josh has a habit of talking about OPM as a whole when asked about his dreams. He’s eager to play a part in the increasing global recognition of Filipino music, both as a soloist and as part of the biggest boy group in the country — he feels he owes it to his fellow artists to keep going, to keep opening doors. “Minsan napapaisip (ako), okay na siguro ‘to, magpahinga na siguro tayo. Pero hindi eh. Kulang ‘to. May na-hit na tayong markers, pero mag-grow pa ulit ‘yung goals natin,” he says.

What pushes him forward are the people like him who believe in the power of homegrown art, who believe we can change the industry to better support Filipino talent. “Feeling ko baliw lang ako eh, feeling ko absurd ‘tong mga gusto ko,” Josh admits. “Pero sabi nga nila ‘di ba, ‘yung mga baliw na tao talaga ‘yung nakakagawa ng change.”

Josh Cullen’s latest single Yoko Na with Al James is available now on all digital music platforms. Keep up with Josh on Instagram and X (Twitter).