2018–present: SB19 ShowBT Philippines, a subsidiary of Korean company ShowBT, conducted a talent search which would ultimately lead to the formation of the band
SB19. Two weeks after Felip sent his video audition, he was invited to train in
Manila. He dropped out of school and left his hometown, which his parents initially disapproved of. "It was a difficult decision", he later told the
South China Morning Post, "but I had to do it because dancing is what I really love". On May 19, 2023, SB19 released "
Gento", the lead single off their second EP
Pagtatag! (). The song was a commercial success, while its popularity on
TikTok helped introduce SB19 to viewers in other countries, such as the United States.
Pagtatag! was released on June 9. That month, SB19 became self-managed after they established the company 1Z Entertainment. With the successful release of
Pagtatag!, the group further solidified their presence in the Philippine pop music scene. The
Philippine Daily Inquirer later wrote that SB19 became the leaders of the
Pinoy pop (P-pop) industry. Billboard then exclusively revealed plans for SB19's
Simula at Wakas World Tour, which kicked off at the
Philippine Arena on May 31, 2025.
20212022: Solo singles In April 2021, SB19 became the first Filipino act to be nominated for a
Billboard Music Award when they became a contender for the fan-voted category Top Social Artist. Around the same time, Felip was visiting his hometown after his grandmother died. SB19 began August with the online concert Back in the Zone. During the concert, Felip debuted the original song "Palayo" () in a solo performance. His outfit, a red lace top paired with high-rise pants, drew attention on
social media. In August, Felip featured on a
remix of Filipino rapper Matthaios' song "Pangga" (). On September 18, Felip officially released "Palayo" as his debut solo single, alongside the music video. He wrote and composed the slow
R&B tracka departure from SB19's energetic pop styleabout someone walking away from a relationship, with lyrics in
Cebuano,
Filipino, and
English. Using the
mononym Felip for his solo projects, Felip was the first SB19 member to start a solo career. His fans were dubbed
sisiws (). On November 26, Felip launched his clothing line Superior Son, which promptly sold out. On May 28, 2022, Felip released the single "
Bulan", along with the music video. The song was written by Felip, who composed the melody, and described by
GMA News' Shia Lagarde as having a "more experimental and aggressive sound", influenced by
rock and
hip-hop, than "Palayo". Both the song and the music video were inspired by
Philippine mythology; he used the story of Bulan, Haliya, and the
Bakunawa as a metaphor for
crab mentality.
2023: COM•PLEX Felip began his production for his debut solo EP while he was on the
WYAT (Where You At) Tour, SB19's first world
tour, in late 2022; he wrote some of the lyrics during flights. Felip released the lead single "Rocksta" on January 19, 2023, along with its
black-and-white music video. On February 3, his debut EP
Complex was released under
Warner Music Philippines. A six-track hip-hop record, it has a heavy composition and takes inspiration from hip-hop and rock. Felip described
Complex as "a play on the many meanings of the word complex" and more confident and musically experimental. It has lyrics in English and Cebuano. Journalists described the EP as autobiographical and unapologetic. On February 10, he released the music video for the EP's closing song "Straydogs", which was filmed in
Japan. Felip later did live performances of the EP's songs called "Superior Sessions Live". On September 12, Felip performed at Music Matters Live 2023 in Singapore, marking his first solo performance at an international music festival. The following day, he then did a solo show in
Clarke Quay. On November 8, Felip released his rendition of Never the Strangers’ “Moving Closer” as part of ‘The Classic Cover’ series in celebration of Warner Music Philippines’ 30th anniversary. On December 20, Felip joined
Aegis and
Jose Mari Chan for a holiday-themed concert. One of the producers explained that he was a unanimous pick because “he is from Cagayan De Oro (CDO), and his music resonates with AEGIS on a personal level”. On December 22, Felip released an unannounced single entitled “Kanako”, which is a departure from his signature rap style, and features a primarily rock sound with lyrics in both
Cebuano and English. The song went on to reach #1 on the iTunes Philippines chart less than 12 hours after its release.
2024: Collaborations and 7sins On January 5, Felip announced a performance at 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub with PLAYERTWO. He later teased a song collaboration with the 5-piece band to be released on January 19. On January 13, Felip opened for the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 Grand Finals. He also had a special collaboration with
Ylona Garcia. In the same event, he closed the show with his group, SB19, alongside Philippines’ Popstar royalty,
Sarah Geronimo. On January 16, he held a birthday live performance at 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub and sang for the first time their highly anticipated collaborative single “FLYYY” with Playertwo. Beyond accidentally revealing the music video for “FLYYY”, the two acts also unveiled another joint track titled “Pagdali”, to be released at a later date. On January 21, two days after the digital release of the song, “FLYYY” music video was dropped. Later, he announced the release of their second collaborative single “Pagdali”. The song was released digitally midnight of February 2, and the music video soon followed at 8pm PHT. On February 9, Felip headlined Lucky Chinatown Countdown to Chinese New Year. He also performed at the grand unmasking of Phirst Park Homes in Bacolod on February 17. Felip was also one of the performers of BingoPlus Share the Love Share the Luck on March 1. On April 4, Felip dropped a pre-save link of a new single, “Fake Faces”. The song was released immediately that midnight (April 5), and the music video at 8pm PHT. "Fake Faces" was co-written with Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Seann Bowe (
Wiz Khalifa,
All That Remains,
The Veronicas), and produced by internationally-acclaimed producer
Hyuk Shin, founder of the 153/Joombas Music Group. It marked a departure from the hip-hop sound that he debuted with in his EP, COMPLEX. Felip revealed he made a 2-day trip “to
Malaysia to work on everything from the track to the music and lyric videos.” On April 15, 2024, Felip graced the cover of Billboard Philippines’ Hip-hop Rookies of the Year issue. He was named one of the “8 rising artists who are determined to bring the genre from the streets to the rest of the world.” In April, Felip teased a partnership with
PUBG Mobile Philippines. The campaign spun a commercial, Superior Pass, where fans and players alike could collect his voice pack, a frame, and an avatar for free through certain missions and game live streams where he got to play with fans and players. On May 10, 2024, Felip announced the forthcoming release of his debut solo full-length album entitled
7sins. On July 5, 2024,
7sins was released on digital streaming platforms. Felip described the nine-track album as a "journey of acknowledging human shortcomings," with the songs representing the seven deadly sins and the feelings and emotions associated with each sin. To promote the album, Felip held his first solo headlining concert "7sins The Album Concert" on July 27, 2024 at SPACE at One Ayala Mall in
Makati.
Billboard Philippines praised Felip's ability to command the stage and also lauded the production design, writing that the concert's conceptual vision was "brilliantly brought to life through meticulous attention to detail," with each segment successfully capturing the atmosphere and mood associated with each sin. On August 21, 2024, Felip released the music video for "envy," the album's title track. On the same day, he also released a Japan-exclusive physical CD of
7sins containing a bonus track entitled "tokyo." During the pre-order period in July, he became the first Filipino artist to secure the top spot of CDJapan's all-genre ranking in its 27-year history. The CD also topped amazon.com.jp's Hip-hop Category on the second day of pre-order. On September 2, 2024, the "7sins The Album Concert" was held at the Duo Music Exchange in Shibuya, Tokyo.
2025-present: Solo activities and 7sins concert album Amid SB19’s major comeback in 2025, group activities took precedence, including another world tour to support their third EP, Simula At Wakas, which was released in April 2025. As part of a brand collaboration with Closeup Philippines, new versions of Felip's cover of Never the Strangers’ “Moving Closer” were released: an R&B version ("Moving Closer - From the Cafe") in February and a more upbeat version ("Moving Closer - From the Lounge) in April. To mark the anniversary of
7sins, Felip released
7sins the album concert (live) across streaming platforms on September 16. The concert album, consisting of twelve tracks, features live recordings from his 7sins concert in Manila in July 2024. On November 16, Felip received two awards at the 38th
Awit Awards, winning the jury-based award for Best Vocal Arrangement for the 7sins track “ache” alongside co-producer Luke Gabriel Isnani, as well as the fan-voted People’s Voice Award for Favorite Solo Artist. On November 26, Felip joined the lineup of performers at the final installment of the concert series We Play Here, presented as “We Play Here: The Final Act,” where he performed select tracks from
7sins as well as his collaborations with fellow performer PLAYERTWO. == Artistry ==