SB19’s Hong Kong home: Fans build a ‘Filipino MIRROR’

SB19 made history as the first Filipino act to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 30, taking the stage on the festival’s opening day and debuting their latest single “LAWLESS” live — another major moment for P-pop on the global stage.

The five-member group, made up of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin, has become one of the Philippines’ biggest pop acts since debuting in 2018. Known for P-pop, short for Pinoy pop, SB19 has built a growing international following known as A’TIN, a Tagalog expression meaning “ours.”

The group’s popularity extends to its fandom, with A’TIN winning Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025.

In Hong Kong, their growing popularity has earned them a playful nickname: the “Filipino MIRROR” — a reflection of the group’s massive and dedicated following in the Philippines.

Behind that fandom is A’TIN HK, one of SB19’s earliest international fan clubs, which has attracted more than 20,000 followers on Facebook.

Founded in October 2019, the group told The Standard in an exclusive interview that it has grown from just 13 members into a community of more than 500 fans. Around 90 percent of its members are Filipinos, many of whom work as domestic helpers, while the rest are Hong Kong locals.

For some, fangirling starts only after the workday ends.

After spending their days working and taking care of their responsibilities, members return home to a very different kind of routine — planning fan projects, running social media accounts and keeping up with A’TINs around the world.

“I do my fangirling after work so I need to stay awake at night,” said Diana, a head admin and domestic helper.

Balancing work and fangirling can be stressful, she admitted, but taking time to rest helps her come back “stronger.”

Six years of waiting

When SB19 finally took the stage at MacPherson Stadium on September 13 and 14, 2025, it marked the P-pop boy band’s long-awaited Hong Kong debut.

“The planning behind it is really intentional,” said Kreng, a core member of the fan club who works as a domestic helper and has been with A’TIN HK since its early days.

She described how the fan club designed bouquets featuring Chinese zodiac elements for each member.

“We try to connect the two cultures,” she said.

The fan club spent months preparing for the group’s arrival. As MacPherson Stadium has no outdoor waiting area, the club rented a neighboring cafe for two days at its own expense, creating a gathering spot for fans from Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and beyond.

Fans exchanged freebies, met fellow A’TINs and celebrated their shared love for the group before heading into the concert.

Inside the venue, banners in Cantonese, Putonghua and English carried a message that summed up the moment: “Six years of love from Hong Kong.”

For many A’TINs, the effort is simply part of being a fan.

When music speaks louder than language

Many of SB19’s songs and other materials are in Tagalog, one of the major languages spoken in the Philippines.

But for Chu, a Hong Kong local fan who works in retail, language has never been a barrier to loving SB19.

“It doesn't matter what the language barrier is,” she said. “There's always a way for you to know. Most of the time it's the lyrics and the message that's really close to your heart.”

Chu has travelled around the world for fan events and once flew out on Saturday and returned on Sunday.

For Iris, another local fan, it was the emotion behind SB19’s music that first drew her in.

“I got chills,” she said, recalling the live performance that turned her into a fan. “I didn’t understand the lyrics, but I felt like I understood what they were singing about. It is something deep, something emotional.”

She later looked up the meaning of the song and was deeply moved.

“No song has ever touched me like that,” she added.

She now describes SB19 as her “life coaches”, saying the group’s journey from struggle to success inspires her when she faces challenges at work.

More than just fangirling

But A’TIN HK’s support for SB19 does not stop when the music does.

The club organizes blood donation drives, coastal cleanups and typhoon relief efforts in SB19’s name.

“Through us, people will see that their fans are doing good things for the community,” Diana said.

For the fans, supporting SB19 is also a way to give something back — turning their love for the group into activities that benefit the wider community.

Asked to describe A’TIN HK in one word, Kreng chose “Pagtatag.”

The Tagalog word means “to establish” or “to build.”

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓