Josh Cullen (musician)
Filipino singer-songwriter (born 1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josh Cullen Santos (born October 22, 1993) is a Filipino singer-rapper, dancer, producer and songwriter. He is the lead rapper, lead dancer and sub-vocalist[1][2] of the Filipino boy band SB19 managed under 1Z Entertainment.
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October 22, 1993
- Singer
- songwriter
- rapper
- producer
- dancer
- choreographer
- Creative Director
- professional gamer
Josh Cullen | |
|---|---|
Josh in 2023 | |
| Born | Josh Cullen Santos October 22, 1993 Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
| Member of | SB19 |
Early life
Josh was born on October 22, 1993, in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines. He revealed on a YouTube vlog that a single mother raised him and he never met his biological father. In the same vlog, Josh revealed that he was a victim of domestic violence by their nanny while their mother was at work. Josh and his family struggled financially leading to his intermittent schooling, and graduated high school at a later age. After graduating, Josh worked as a computer technician and a call center agent prior to auditioning as a talent.[3][1] He has one older sister.[1]
Career
2016–2018: Pre-debut
In 2016, South Korean entertainment company ShowBT branched out in the Philippines and opened a talent audition for Filipinos aspiring to become professional performers.[4] Josh, among the participants, was chosen later on for a 5-member boy band. Josh started training which is a common practice for K-Pop bands prior to debut. Voice and dance classes, body conditioning, personality development, and the like were trained.[5] On several accounts, the SB19 members recalled how rigorous the sessions were wherein hours of nonstop and unpaid training daily while juggling with their work.[5] But more than the training, it was the threat of failing their weekly evaluation and the possibility of being eliminated.[5] According to Josh in an interview, “the weekly evaluations were really nerve-wracking. That’s the performance that you’ll have to prepare for. Other trainees and teachers will watch you[...] You’ll really get nervous. And if you don’t perform well, you’ll be eliminated right away."
During his training, he drew inspirations from Filipino hip hop artists Loonie, Gloc-9, Shanti Dope, and Smugglaz. He also admired the styles of Bigbang's G-Dragon, and BTS.[6]
2018–2022: Debut as SB19 and breakthrough
On October 26, 2018, Josh debuted with fellow members Pablo, Stell, Justin, and Ken as P-Pop group known as SB19. Their debut single "Tilaluha" was written by fellow member Pablo, but its success was not widely acclaimed.[7][8] With a message centered on heartbreak and unrequited love, the song was intended to introduce the band and their powerful vocals in which it debuted poorly to charts. The initial poor reception for the group and their singles almost led to the band's disbandment.[9] SB19's second single "Go Up" was released on July 19, 2019.[10] They described the song as their "last shot" because they had decided to disband if their career would not progress after.[11] The group had gained public attention after the dance practice video of the song went viral due to a tweet of a fan account.[12] Opportunities opened and the group started to appear in multiple radio and television outlets, both local and internationally.[13] In 2021, SB19 became the first Filipino and Southeast Asian act to be nominated in Billboard Music Awards for Top Social Artist along with BTS, Blackpink, Ariana Grande, and Seventeen—which BTS won.[14][15] It marked the first-ever appearance of a Filipino artist in the Billboard Music Awards.[15]
In 2022, Josh joined his independent musician cousins Ocho the Bullet and Carrot Mayor on their track "Sofa (Remix)", released on YouTube and Apple Music.[16]
2023–present: Wild Tonight, debut as solo artist, Lost & Found debut album
On February 24, 2023, Josh made his debut as a solo artist, releasing a single called "Wild Tonight". He co-produced the material with Ace Santos, his cousin.[17]
On September 6, 2024, Josh released his debut album, Lost & Found. His album includes nine tracks, including his singles "Sumaya", "Silent Cries", "Honest", and "1999".[18] On the same month, he held his first solo concert in celebration of his debut album at New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.[19]
On November 13, Josh collaborated with K-pop group H1-KEY to release their single, titled "Re: Thinkin' About You". The following week, the single was released on November 20.[20]
On December, Josh announced that he is set to release his music video for his song, "1999" from his debut album Lost & Found. The following week, he released his music video, accompanied by his standalone single.[21]
Discography
As lead artist
| Title | Details | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Lost & Found |
|
[18] |
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Wild Tonight" | 2023 | Non-album singles |
| "Pakiusap Lang" | ||
| "Get Right" | ||
| "Yoko Na" (with Al James) |
2024 | |
| "1999" | Lost & Found | |
| "See Me" | ||
| "Silent Cries" | ||
| "Honest" | ||
| "No Control" (feat. (e)motion engine) | ||
| "Lights Out" (feat. Mo Mitchell) | ||
| "Sumaya" | ||
| "Re: Thinkin' About You" (with H1-KEY) |
Non-album single |
Production credits
| Year | Artist(s) | Song | Album | Lyricist | Composer | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credited | With | Credited | With | |||||
| 2022 | Ocho the Bullet | "Sofa" Remix | Non-album single |  |
|
 |
— | [22] |
| 2023 | Josh Cullen | "Wild Tonight" | Non-album single | |
— | |
|
[23] |
| SB19 | "Crimzone" | Pagtatag! | |
— | |
[citation needed] | ||
| 2025 | "8TonBall" | Simula at Wakas | |
Benji Bae | |
— | [citation needed] | |
Videography
Live performances
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awit Awards | 2023 | People's Voice Favorite Male Artist | Josh Cullen | Nominated | [25] |
| Nylon Manila BBB Awards | 2022 | Favorite Viral Game Streamer | Josh Cullen Santos | Won | [26] |
| PPOP Awards | 2023 | Top New Artist of the Year | Josh Cullen | Won | [27][28] |
| Tier One Entertainment | 2021 | IRL People Choice Award | Josh Cullen Santos | Won | [29] |
| Wish Music Awards | 2024 | Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Josh Cullen | Won | [30] |
| Wish Hip Hop Song Of the Year | "Wild Tonight" | Nominated | |||
| Wishclusive Collaboration of the Year | Josh Cullen (with Ocho the Bullet and Angela Hermosa) - "Sofa" | Nominated | |||
| Wishers' Choice | Josh Cullen | Won | |||
| Spotify Philippines: Mr. Up Down Up Down Award | Josh Cullen | Won | |||
| 2025 | Wish Hip Hop Song of the Year | "Get Right" | Won | [31] |