P-pop boy group Play Ph addressed the mixed reactions and criticisms they received following their viral performance of their song “Crush Kita”.
The six-member group, composed of Travis, Gab, James, Kenji, Wesley, and Sean, appeared on GMA’s “Unang Hirit,” where they were asked about the online buzz surrounding their performance on People’s Television Network’s (PTV) morning program “Rise and Shine Pilipinas.”
Play Ph was introduced on the show’s October 28 episode, where they performed “Crush Kita.” However, their performance drew mixed reactions from netizens, with some criticizing their vocal abilities, choreography, and coordination during their dance routine.
Several online users also turned the song’s lyrics, particularly the line “Kaya mo ‘yan, kaya ko ba, kaya ko na” into memes, using them to poke fun at situations they found difficult to handle.
“Kaya ba talaga nila?” one netizen commented.
“Muntik na mag sabay-sabay,” another wrote.
“Buti pa problema ko sabay-sabay,” quipped another.
“Kuhang-kuha nila… Yung inis ko!” another user remarked.
Addressing the criticisms, Gab admitted that the group had mixed feelings about their performance going viral.
“Halo-halo po ‘yung nararamdaman namin,” he said. “Kasi good side po, nag-viral kami. Pero ayun nga po dahil po nag-viral kami, dumadami rin po ‘yung mga nagco-comments, nagba-bash ganun po.”
Despite the negative remarks, Gab said they choose to take the criticisms positively and use them as motivation to improve.
“Tine-take namin na as positive ‘yung mga bina-bash po nila sa amin. Ginagawa po naming motivation yon. Ginagawa po namin siya para mag-improve pa po kaming lahat,” he added.
The group also revealed that their appearance on PTV marked their first live performance on television. They admitted that they were not “at their best “during the show, as some of the members were feeling under the weather at the time.
Play Ph further clarified that they have yet to make their official debut as a group and were still undergoing training when they appeared on the program.
“Our group po kasi ‘di pa po kami nagde-debut po, and we’ve been practicing—we’ve been training po for three months,” Sean shared.
“We’ve been training pa lang po kami for three months nga po. And I think our debut po is around January 12,” he added.
When asked why they had already started performing on television despite not having officially debuted, the group explained that these appearances were part of their preparation and training.
Meanwhile, Travis said they were excited about gaining television exposure and reaching a wider audience through their viral performance.
“Syempre po excited po kasi first time po mapanood sa TV and ‘yun nga po nag-viral. So every time po, kunwari po magti-Tiktok ako, ‘uy ako ‘yun ah’,” he said when asked about how he felt appearing on live TV.
The group also took the opportunity to address their bashers, with Kenji thanking those who took the time to comment on their performance.
“Unang-una po, marami pong salamat sa inyo kasi syempre napansin niyo po kami and — oo, nagviral tayo eh. Nag-e-effort pa po kayo para mag-comment, mag-type ng ilang segundo para lang sa amin eh. So thank you sa inyong lahat. Kayo po yung nagtuturo sa amin kung paano kami maging humble and maraming salamat po doon sa inyo,” he said.
During their “Unang Hirit” guest appearance, Play Ph also impressed the hosts with their vocal exercises before getting another chance to showcase their skills through a fresh live performance of “Crush Kita.”
