PABLO

Quick Facts

About PABLO

From Imus to the Training Room

PABLO was born John Paulo Bagnas Nase on September 14, 1994 in Imus, Cavite, the second of five children. Before he became a music artist, he was a competitive kid who played point guard on his high school basketball varsity team.

He went on to study at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. That love of language would later become the backbone of his songwriting.

As a young adult, he held ordinary jobs. He worked as a call center agent during his senior year and later as a data analyst in Makati. In 2016 he auditioned for the South Korean company ShowBT after meeting one of their Korean trainers, and he became the very first member to sign on to what would become SB19.

He trained the longest of anyone in the group, giving up his analyst job to commit fully. In those early years he performed under the name Sejun, only adopting the stage name PABLO in 2021.

The Rise of SB19

SB19 officially debuted on October 26, 2018 with Pablo, Josh Cullen, Stell, Justin, and Ken. As the leader and main rapper, Pablo set the tone for the group both on stage and behind the scenes.

Their 2019 single “Go Up,” which Pablo co-wrote, exploded through a viral dance-practice video and turned SB19 into one of the defining acts of P-pop. The group later went on to make history as the first Filipino and Southeast Asian act nominated for a Billboard Music Award.

From the very beginning, Pablo was the group’s creative engine. He wrote their self-composed debut single “Tilaluha,” co-wrote and produced much of their catalog, and shaped hits like “Alab (Burning),” “Mapa,” “Gento,” and “Nyebe.”

He also helped build the business around the music. Pablo is a co-founder and president of 1Z Entertainment, the company the members set up to run their own careers on their own terms.

Going Solo With “La Luna”

Pablo launched his solo career on January 28, 2022 with “La Luna,” a cinematic single he composed and produced himself under Sony Music Philippines. The song wrestles openly with self-acceptance and mental health, using orchestral swells and choral harmonies to carry its weight.

In his own words, the message was simple and personal. “We all have flaws and we need to accept those imperfections because those are what make us who we are,” he explained around the release.

A steady run of solo work followed. He dropped the laid-back road anthem “Edsa” in 2024, then released two full albums back to back that September: “ALON” on the 13th and “LAON” on the 20th. Together they moved from gritty rap into slower, more vulnerable territory, showing off both his flow and his voice.

In 2026 he returned with the motivational single “USAD” and staged his first solo concert, “The Middle,” in Quezon City. Even then, the humility that defines him was on display, as he spoke about still feeling reluctant to take up too much space as a soloist and framed the show as a reminder of his own worth.

The Songwriter Behind the Hits

If there is one thing Pablo wants to be known for, it is his writing. Since SB19’s 2018 debut he has penned more than 50 songs for the group, quietly becoming one of the most prolific young composers in Philippine music.

That output has earned him serious recognition. In 2025 the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) named him one of its Top Five Composers of the year, placing him alongside OPM legends like Rico Blanco, Jim Paredes, Lito Camo, and Vehnee Saturno.

He has also been crowned Composer of the Year at the Village Pipol Choice Awards for four straight years, and his collaboration “Determinado” took the grand prize at the 2021 Djooky Music Awards. Critics have picked up on the same thing fans have long known: that his lyrics reward a second and third listen.

He describes his craft as an outlet more than a performance, calling songwriting the place where he pours his emotions and saying he is thankful that art gives him somewhere to put them.

Videos

Albums

• ALON (2024)
• LAON (2024)

Singles

• La Luna (2022)
• Edsa (2024)
• Liwanag sa Dilim (from “Incognito”) (2025)
• Usad (2026)

Song Collaborations

• Sino Ka Ba (Josh Cullen – 2023)
• Akala (Josue – 2024)
• Determinado (Josue – 2024)

TV

• The Voice Kids Philippines (Coach – 2024)

Awards

FILSCAP (Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

• Top Five Composers of the Year (2025)

Djooky Music Awards

• Grand Prize, Spring Season (Determinado – 2021)

Village Pipol Choice Awards

• Composer of the Year (2022)
• Composer of the Year (2023)
• Composer of the Year (2024)
• Composer of the Year (2025)

Perspective

PABLO is proof that the quietest person in the room is often the one worth listening to hardest. He builds worlds out of Filipino wordplay, then delivers them with a rapper’s bite and a balladeer’s restraint. Press play on “La Luna” or “ALON” and you hear a leader who would rather move you than impress you.

Praise for the Artist

Anyone who watches Pablo perform is inevitably transfixed: all marks hit, growls reverberating until the back of the room.

– Andrea Panaligan
Pablo: The auteur
The Philippine Star l!fe

Pablo doesn’t just play with words. He plays with meaning.

– Fairlane Raymundo
Pablo’s ‘ALON’ Album: Critical Analysis
Asian Entertainment and Culture

Contact

• facebook.com/popowpablo
• x.com/imszmc
• instagram.com/imszmc_
• youtube.com – PABLO
• tiktok.com/@truiszmc

Bookings

• PABLO – 1Z Entertainment

Listen

• Spotify – PABLO
• Apple Music – PABLO

Apple Music

On Instagram

Trivia

• His fans in the SB19 fandom are affectionately called “Hotdogs”, and the fandom jokingly refers to its home base as the “Freezer,” where hotdogs are kept.
• He often goes by the nickname “Olbap,” which is simply “Pablo” spelled backwards, and he built his solo branding around the word “seizemic,” a play on the seismic impact he wants his music to have.
• Pablo is also affectionately called “pinuno” (leader) by fans and people he works with.
• He frequently teams up with his younger brother, rapper Josue Nase, including on the tracks “Determinado” and “Akala.”
• In November 2024 he stepped behind and in front of the camera for his cinematic debut, a short film titled “UNA” that screened in cinemas.
• He loves hotdogs (hence his fan group name) but is also a devoted fan of sour food, with a well-documented love for vinegar and sinigang.
• He has many cats. At one point, he and his family had 20 cats.

Posted: July 30, 2026