SB19's Josh Cullen is someone who knows how to make a grand entrance. 

In February this year, the multi-talented Filipino artist gave the world its first taste of what can be expected from his solo career with the launch of his debut single 'WILD TONIGHT'. 

With each of its lines feeling like a lethal blow towards those who stand in the 29-year-old's way, the track — a fusion of hip-hop and EDM influences —  is a stunning showcase of the singer-songwriter and producer's trademark braggadocio. 

'WILD TONIGHT' is also a means by which he celebrates two of his greatest loves outside of music. In the track's narrative, you will find plenty of references to vampire mythology. As for its music video, this is where you will discover loving homages to the aesthetics of video games such as Castlevania, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, and Diablo.

"It was a lot of, you know, brainstorming at first, like trying to decide which song I should go with to debut. But I had this strong feeling that I had to do a vampire concept since it's kind of related to [how] a lot of people say that I don't age and that I look like a vampire and that stuff," explained Josh about his decision to tap into vampire mythology.

A release that is uniquely Josh Cullen, 'WILD TONIGHT' has thrown open the gates to the P-pop act's alluring abode, one that will soon house more treats from an artist who refuses to "limit" himself.

In an interview with Bandwagon, Josh talked about the concept of 'WILD TONIGHT', the video games that inspired the song's music video, and what kind of impact he hopes to leave on his listeners through his music. 

Hi, Josh! What songs do you listen to to hype yourself up before performing? 

Well, that's a good question. Recently, I've been listening to a lot of Filipino rap songs, including [songs by] Flow G, Skusta [Clee], and those kinds of stuff. And yeah, I think some K-pop like 'Hype Boy' and NewJeans' stuff.

Tell us how you got into vampire mythology, something your latest single ‘WILD TONIGHT’ draws inspiration from.

Honestly, I'm the type of guy who loves playing video games. So I've played Castlevania, a lot of Devil May Cry, and other [games with] some kind of dark-themed video game setup. And I got my inspiration from those [games] and a lot of it from reading stuff as well. I just got it recently where I was playing something — it was called [Vampire: The Masquerade —] Bloodhunt. And I told myself, "I think I should incorporate this into a music video or, you know, a song and relate it to real life."

Name your three favourite vampires of all time.

Nosferatu, Dracula (of course, Count Dracula), and Alucard.

The track is your first solo release. Why did you think it would the right one to make your solo debut with? 

It was a lot of, you know, brainstorming at first, like trying to decide which song I should go with to debut. But I had this strong feeling that I had to do a vampire concept since it's kind of related to [how] a lot of people say that I don't age and that I look like a vampire and that stuff. The funny thing is my second name is Cullen, so they always say, "How are you related to Twilight?" But no, this is not your typical Twilight. I told them that. So I just used that as an advantage. I used everything to incorporate everything with the song, theme, concept, and of course, [I tried] to portray something, but in a witty way where I can relate it to my real-life experiences as well.

What's your favourite line from the song?

I wrote this rap verse — the second verse, actually, of 'WILD TONIGHT' — where I told the people, "I went all the way down just to say hi." I was just trying to provoke them — the people who don't believe [in] my skills. 

What were some works (films, television series, games, etc) that inspired you while you were conceptualising the music video for ‘WILD TONIGHT’?

Honestly, I just took a lot of inspiration from the games that I play. I mentioned earlier that a lot of it came from Devil May Cry, and Castlevania. I even took something from Final Fantasy and Diablo with the tattoo. I combined [the characters] Ifrit and Diablo to make something unique for the tattoo part. The neon tattoos (the UV tattoos) weren't an original idea from me, but I saw them a lot from Devil May Cry. The aesthetics [of the game] and that stuff. I've been a fan of those kinds of video games, and just like what I said earlier, I'm just trying to incorporate everything that I've learnt from video games and express my creativity in a unique way.

If you could bring one scene from the music video into reality, which would it be and why?

Well, that's a hard question. Every scene is actually interesting, where I had powers and stuff, but I think I would choose the part where I jumped out of the window and went to the club. It was a really cool scene. I think no one expected that it was going to happen beforehand because I was teasing the people [with] something like a 1700s theme. I wasn't spoon-feeding them the entire concept. I was trying to tease them with just the vampire thing, and they didn't know that there was going to be a modern vampire era. So yeah, I think I pulled it off very well.

What are some themes or stories that you would like to explore in your future releases? 

Honestly, I don't really know. I mean, whatever comes to my mind. I don't limit myself when it comes to, you know, doing a concept, doing a song, or anything. I've made a lot of songs already, honestly, but [I'm] still in the process of perfecting the craft, so I don't just want to release anything that's not perfect for me yet. So yeah, maybe you'll get to see a lot of video game-inspired songs, or maybe not. It depends. It depends on the mood and on just how I feel about the song.

How do you want your listeners to feel when they listen to your music?

I would say, of course, I would love them to feel how I felt during the creation process with the music because most of the songs that I make came from my own experiences, whether [they're] good or bad. I want them to feel everything that I've experienced. However, they can [have] their own interpretation as well. So for 'WILD TONIGHT', I told them that, specifically for the music video, they can [have] their own interpretation. It's an open-ended story. There are no limitations. It's something like that as well. I want them to know my story but they have to [have] their own story while incorporating the music video [into] their lives as well.

1 Million M/V Views in 1 month for WILD TONIGHT? You guys don't know how proud I am of everyone involved - especially you guys. Best part? Nagsisimula pa lang tayo.#WildTonightMV1MViews pic.twitter.com/uoqBDbYiyd

— JOSH CULLEN (@JoshCullen_s) March 23, 2023

Lastly, is there anything that you would like to say to your fans? 

Hello, everyone. A'TIN, BBQs, I'm just thankful, of course, for you guys [for] always supporting us, me and the group, my group. No words can express how thankful I am to you guys. I actually said this a lot of times, but I'm going to say it again: thank you so much for your existence and I hope you don't get tired of supporting me. Love you guys.