My 30 seconds with HORI7ON

MANILA, Philippines – If you were given 30 seconds with your bias, what would you do?

I first learned about HORI7ON after they won the reality talent show Dream Maker. I was impressed because the final seven members were among 62 trainees in the competition who underwent rigorous training under Filipino and Korean mentors.

I had the chance to meet the members of HORI7ON, the first all-Filipino global pop group to debut in South Korea, when they held several fan-signing events a few months ago here in the Philippines. I got to speak briefly with the members Vinci Malizon (leader, main vocalist), Kim Ng (vocalist), Kyler Chua (visual, vocalist), Reyster Yton (main rapper), Winston Pineda (vocalist), Jeromy Batac (main dancer, performance leader), and Marcus Cabais (youngest, vocalist), who have all worked hard to share Filipino talent with the world.

Throughout their journey, I saw how the members grew and improved in their singing and dancing as they adapted to their new reality of being global pop idols. And since today, July 24, is their first debut anniversary, let me share with you how I got to meet them.

My fellow fans: the ANCHORs

A few months ago, HORI7ON held fan-signing events where their fans (called ANCHORs) got to meet the members one-on-one for a few seconds after purchasing a fan kit. When I attended several of them, I met many of my fellow ANCHORs and saw how diverse the fandom is, ranging from kids to lolas.

A lot of us like HORI7ON for their music. Try listening to their hit songs “LUCKY,” “SIX7EEN,” and “Salamat.” Personally, their discography serves as my workout playlist to hype myself up during gym sessions.

One of the things my fellow ANCHORs and I admire about HORI7ON was that they were able to stage a successful concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum less than 50 days from their debut. We were also very proud that early in their career, they have already received numerous awards such as the Top Global Artist of the Year at the 8th PPOP Awards, the Focus Award for Music at the Asia Artist Awards 2023, and the Rising Star Award at the 11th Korean Wave Awards.

When I interacted with other ANCHORs, I realized the appeal of the boys went beyond their music and awards. HORI7ON members are in the perfect age range of 15 to 24, where Gen Zs and Alphas look up to them as inspiration to reach for their dreams while millennials (and older generations) get to live vicariously through them, being a proud kuya/ate, tito/tita, lolo/lola to the boys.

HORI7ON was the first group I have ever truly stanned. As a millennial, they inspired me to live my own timeline. If they were able to achieve their dreams at a young age, surely I can pursue mine, given that I have already gained more experience and connections. They reminded me to keep on dreaming and growing, no matter what stage of life I am in.

As I prepared to attend the last fan-signing event of HORI7ON, I thought of the ANCHORs who supported the group but could not afford to purchase a fan kit to meet their idols. I wanted to involve them in my gift to the members.

My bias: an idol but also very human

One of the things I appreciated about the fan-signing events was the way the experience humanized our idols. I was surprised at how talking to the members up close felt no different from talking to my close friends.

As a member of Rappler Plus, I was fortunate enough to be a few feet away from HORI7ON when they performed on the Rappler Live Jam stage. My interactions with them behind the camera made me appreciate the boys’ authenticity: they are humble, funny, and makulit on-cam and off-cam.

For my appreciation gift for HORI7ON, I wanted to involve as many ANCHORs as possible so they could somehow experience the personal connection I made with the group. I wanted HORI7ON to be more than voices we heard on Spotify or faces we watched on TikTok and YouTube, but real people we could relate to.

And so, I went to several fan-signing venues to ask fans to write on individual message boards for the members. I was surprised at how quickly the boards filled up. Some fans even thanked me for giving them the chance to give their message to the boys.

My 30 seconds: short but sweet

By the last fan-signing event, HORI7ON must have given their autographs to thousands of ANCHORs already. When I finally had my 30 seconds with them, I told each member, “Dahil ang dami nyo nang na-sign para sa amin, I made sure kami naman ang nag-sign para sa inyo.” (Because you have already signed a lot for us, I made sure we signed for you this time.) I then presented the message boards I prepared for them.

The boys’ jaws dropped when they saw hundreds of handwritten messages inside. As promised, I was able to send the fans’ personal thoughts to them. I am proud that I have given HORI7ON a tangible reminder of the love and support of ANCHORs.

They say you should never meet your heroes, but I am glad I met HORI7ON because their genuine hearts made me appreciate them even more. Beyond their music, their humility has anchored them to their ANCHORs. We will continue to journey with them towards the horizon. We are here for the long haul.

Together with other ANCHORs, I am looking forward to HORI7ON’s new album as part of their comeback. We are also excited for their performance with other Filipino artists at the Watsons Playlist: The P-Pop Power Concert this August at the Mall of Asia Arena. Their journey is just beginning, and I am sure ANCHORs around the world are eager to support them every step of the way.

Happy debut anniversary, HORI7ON! – Rappler.com

Patrick Vincent Lubenia is a proud ANCHOR and member of Rappler Plus. Aside from music, his passion includes mathematical biology, finance, and musical theatre.