Gento (song)
"Gento" (stylized in all uppercase) is a song recorded by Filipino boy band SB19 for their second extended play (EP), Pagtatag! (2023). The band's leader, Pablo, wrote the song and co-produced it with Joshua Daniel Nase and Simon Servida. A pop and hip hop track, it is about empowerment and uses gold mining as a metaphor for achieving success, alluding to the band's career. The song was released via Sony Music Philippines on May 19, 2023, as the EP's lead single. 

The single received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its catchy lyricism. It was the band's first entry on two of Billboard record charts: World Digital Song Sales—a first among Filipino groups—and the Philippines Songs charts, peaking at numbers eight and eleven, respectively. The accompanying music video, directed by Kerbs Balagtas, depicted the band members mining for gold. The group promoted the song with live performances and included it on the set list of their Pagtatag! World Tour (2023).

Background and release 
In late 2022, Filipino boy band SB19 embarked on their first world tour with the WYAT (Where You At) Tour. In a press conference, the band's leader, Pablo, revealed that SB19 would soon release new music that would based off from the word "" (). Other members added that they would explore different music genres and life experiences.

On April 29, 2023, SB19 posted a trailer for their second extended play (EP), Pagtatag!, on YouTube, and announced it would be released on June 9, 2023. It marked the band's first new musical release since Pagsibol (2021). The trailer also indicated that the EP would be preceded by a single, which was untitled at the time. The group revealed the title of the EP's lead single, "Gento", on May 10, 2023, and made it available for pre-save on digital streaming platforms. Sony Music Philippines released "Gento" on May 19, 2023.

Composition and lyrics 

"Gento" is three minutes and 52 seconds long. Pablo wrote the song and collaborated with his brother Joshua Daniel Nase and record producer Simon Servida for the production. Servida had previously worked with the band for Pagsibol. Heo Chan-goo of Knob Sound Korea mixed and mastered the song.

Musically, "Gento" is a blend of pop and hip hop, accompanied by an EDM break; some journalists described the song as an EDM pop track. The song features clapping sounds and strong bass beats in its production. The lyrics—themed around empowerment—draw inspiration from "transformational change", which allude to SB19's career. It includes a message about becoming successful by committing to small and incremental tasks, comparing it to the process of mining and refining gold; particularly of how success is as rigorous as excavating it: "Di ka basta-basta makakakita ng gento" (). The lyrics incorporate wordplay, combining the words "ginto" () and "ganito" (), creating the word "gento", which is utilized along with other similar words in the chorus.

Reception 
The song was met with positive reviews from music critics. Upon its release, "Gento" was described as catchy, particularly its wordplay; Rafael Bautista of Nylon Manila added that the song delivered an empowering message while being playful. He also remarked positively on the song's lyricism and the use of rhyming words: "[...] effortlessly weaving 'ganito', 'ginto', 'bento', and 'gento' into the lyrics". The Daily Tribune noted that the song highlights SB19's strength and versatility, and that they continued to "test—and break—the limits with their unconventional sound and unbounded talent". Writing for Mega magazine, Chlarine Gianan praised the boy band's vocals and rap, stating that they have put it on the "next level", and that the song's lyricism manifests seamless transitions between English and Tagalog, further holding up its catchiness and appeal.   

Commercially, "Gento" was SB19's debut on two of Billboard music charts; its commercial performance was considered by the Inquirer Allan Policarpio a "resounding success" for the group. "Gento" debuted and peaked at number eight on the World Digital Song Sales chart dated June 3, 2023, and debuted at number 17 on the Philippines Songs chart dated June 17, 2023. For earning a spot on the former, it made the band the first Filipino group to do so. The song peaked at number 11 on the Philippines Songs chart issued on June 24, 2023. "Gento" amassed over 30 million combined streams on Spotify and music video views on YouTube in the song's first two months since its release.

Promotion 

The music video for "Gento", directed by Kerbs Balagtas, was released on May 19, 2023, on YouTube, the same day as the song's release. Characterized by its grungy motif, it depicts the group members looking for gold and dancing in a large quarry. Jay Joseph Roncesvalles conceived the choreography for the video. SB19 worked with stylist duo Rainer Dagala and Em Millan and designers Neric Beltran and Renan Pacson to create custom looks in the video that resemble miners. Pacson spoke with the Manila Bulletin and mentioned taking inspiration from traditional Levi's clothing—citing the brand's mining history as a factor—and the use of artificial intelligence in designing the looks for the video.

SB19 promoted "Gento" with live performances. The band first performed the song on noontime variety show All-Out Sundays on May 21, 2023. They reprised the song during their appearance on the Wish 107.5 Bus; an accompanying performance video was released on YouTube. "Gento" served as the opening number of their second world tour, the Pagtatag! World Tour (2023). While stopping in Los Angeles for their concert tour, they put on a street performance on Hollywood Boulevard. They also performed "Gento" on U.S. television—appearing on KTLA 5 Morning News on August 2, 2023, and on Good Day New York on August 9, 2023.

The song became a trend on video sharing service TikTok upon its release, where users—including local and international influencers and celebrities—began posting videos of themselves dancing to the song's chorus, which quickly became a dance challenge. The trend resulted in users using the song in over 1.7 million videos on the platform, which helped expand SB19's reach to several regions around the world, including the United States and parts of Asia and Africa.

Controversy 
In an episode of the noontime variety show It's Showtime, dated June 10, 2023, a contestant for the show's game segment requested to dance to "Gento" on stage. The show's crew refused to play the song on air, which startled hosts Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis. Ganda jokingly expressed how playing it on the show would now require a fee, to which Curtis responded, "Really? Isn't playing the song on the show a good promotion for the music industry? [...] It's a pity."

Following the incident, social media users criticized SB19 online, some describing them as "greedy". Twitter users raised concern, leading to discussions about music royalties and the hosts' remarks, which made the phrase "respect local artists" trend on the platform. Singer Sam Concepcion and record producer Thyro Alfaro also participated in the discussion online, expressing support for SB19.

Credits and personnel 
Credits are adapted from ABS-CBN News.
 SB19vocals
 John Paulo Nasesongwriter, producer
 Joshua Daniel Nase producer
 Simon Servidaproducer
 Heo Chan-goomixing, mastering

Charts

References 

SB19 songs
2023 songs
2023 singles
Sony Music singles
English-language Filipino songs
Tagalog-language songs