Digital wonder Chicser takes some teen netizens by storm

Have you ever been to a mall packed with a lot of screaming and crying fans, desperate to see a group of non KPOP boys perform? You don't see them often on TV but the rowdy fans make you think you're born from a different planet. You check the banner and see… Chicser?… Wait a minute… Who?

Ah, Chicser - this up and coming local boy band who first made waves via their YouTube videos are slowly gaining attention from this generation of teens. Ullyses Basa (19), Biboy Chua Cabigon (18), Ranz Kyle Viniel (16), Clarence Villafuerte (16), and the Posadas brothers Oliver and Owy (18 and 15) have die-hard fans, who will follow them around wherever they are and defend them from bashers.

How the group came to be

The PLDT Home myBro ambassadors started out as a high-school barkada in late 2010. They formed a still unnamed group so they can join a school-based dance contest.
 
“Kasi ‘yung school namin sa Aquinas all-boys school, tapos sa kabilang school (Dominican College) all-girls. Meron dun group na named as Chillis. So parang naisip din namin gumawa rin kami ng name. Since friends kami, parang gusto namin makisabay sa mga groups na may names. Nakuha namin ‘yung “Chi” sa Chillis, tapos ‘yung “ser” sa dancer,” Biboy narrated.
 
But before coming up with Chicser, they have actually thought of more outrageous names like wait for it... Chicken and Apple.

Strong online presence

What they lack in TV exposure they compensate with their emerging social media presence.

• Chicser’s official Facebook fan page has about 320,000 likes

• 20 related Facebook groups with members ranging from 1,000 to 12,500 each

• Twitter followers:
  @ranzkyle 402,025
  @iiamBIBOY 164,976
  @OliverLaaance - 243,722
  @owyposadas - 234,748
  @Cavillafuertee - 198,546
  @chicserullyses - 164,405

• Its first video (“Teach me How to Dougie” version) has more than 900,000 views
  

• Its first official music video (“Hello, I Love You”) has so far reach close to 600,000 views
  

• Its Oppa Gangnam Style version has more than 1.4 million streams
  

• Countless worldwide Twitter trending mentions

Q&A with Chicser

Yahoo! Philippines OMG! sat down with the boys (except Ullyses was sick at the time of the interview) recently to find out why girls (and boys) continue to adore them.
 

Yahoo! Philippines OMG! (YPO )

: What is your most unforgettable moment with your fans?
 
Owy: 'Yung guard po hinarangan na 'yung escalator na pataas pero 'yung Chicserific tumaas pa rin gamit 'yung pababa na escalator. Para siyang nag-treadmill! Sobrang na-shock po ‘ko. Pag-akyat niya hinug niya ko at may binigay po siya. Tapos ako deep inside naiyak-iyak ako. Wow!
 
Oliver: Kapag aalis na po 'yung van namin (from a gig), hahabulin po nila. Magtatakbuhan pa.
 
Clarence: Tapos hinahampas nila 'yung door. Parang "World War Z" po!
 
Owy: Hindi po namin pewede buksan 'yung bintana kasi iniisip din namin 'yung safety nila. Kasi baka 'pag binuksan namin mahila 'yung kamay at makaladkad sila.
 
 
YPO: Your fans sometimes tend to go overboard. What steps do you take in order to ensure that your avid supporters won't forget for example, their studies?
 
Oliver: Sa secret group po namin, nag-post ako na okay lang na hindi sila makapunta sa gig namin, basta sundin lang nila 'yung parents nila, masaya na kami. So pinapaintindi rin namin sa kanila 'yung mga tamang bagay. Hindi namin sila bini-BI (bad influence). Tsaka sa show namin sinasabi rin namin na sundin din ang parents nila.
 
Biboy: Kami rin po pare-parehas kami, tini-tweet namin na unahin 'yung studies, ganun.  Tsaka sundin 'yung parents para at least kapag nagawa mo na parehas 'yun, good vibes ka na sa parents. Papayagan ka nila.
 
 
YPO: What makes your group click?
 
Clarence: Lahat kami may pare-parehong ugali, kahit iba't iba po kami (ng personality).”
 
Oliver: “Pare-parehas kami ng gusto," he seconded.
 
Biboy: Puro kakulitan. Kapag 'yung isang bagay pumasok sa utak namin, alam na namin. Hindi na namin kailangan pag-usapan."
 
Owy: Magtitinginan na lang kami, gets na!
 
Oliver: Pare-parehas kaming nagseselfie vain. Upload nang upload ng pictures sa Internet.
 
YPO: Buboy said you guys always fight. What causes these disagreements?
 
Biboy: Minsan isang maliit na asaran, lalaki tapos magkakapikunan. Pero pagkatapos ng 1 hour or 30 minutes, tapos na.
 
Oliver: Usually 'yung away namin pagkatapos ng gig kasi pagod at gutom. Pero ang best part dun, mabilis kaming magbati-bati.
 

YPO

: Where do you usually hang out?
 
Ranz: Sa mga malls.
 
Biboy: Minsan sa house nila Oliver.
 
Oliver: Kahit saan bahay para iba-iba kami ng gagawin.
 
YPO: Individually, how do you contribute to the group?
 
Oliver: Ako 'yung nagiging guide nila. Lagi ko po silang natutulungan sa pagdedesisyon.
 
Owy: Ako 'yung nagpapatawa. Pinapasaya ko po sila.
 
Clarence: Pareho kami ni Owy. Parang kami 'yung bonjing. Kengkoy.
 
Ranz: Ako 'yung nagdi-direct ng videos namin.
 
Biboy: Minsan ako rin 'yung nagsasabi ng tamang gawin.
 
 YPO: You seem to spend most of your time online. But what do you usually do when you’re offline?
 
Ranz: Nag-aaral.
 
Oliver: Bonding with family, nag-gigitara at nagluluto.
 
Owy: Ako nagja-jogging.
 
Clarence: Workout.
 
Biboy: Nagpapractice ng skills na kailangan pang praktisin.
 
YPO: Do you play any sport?
 
Owy: Chess
 
Ranz: Soccer

Oliver: Basketball
 
Clarence: Swimming
 
Biboy: Basketball

YPO:

You’re no longer just ordinary kids uploading stuff online. What are the things that you have to sacrifice for your career?
 
Biboy: Minsan nagkakataon na may show every Friday. Kapag may pasok, hindi na nakakapasok, didirecho na sa venue.
 
Owy: Ako 'yung iba kong kaibigan sa school niyayaya ako. 'O, basketball tayo 'pag Saturday!' Ako naman hindi ako pwede. Hindi ko sila nasasamahan.
 
Oliver: Ako rin may ibang friends na nagyayaya pero 'di ako nakakasama. Syempre uunahin ko Chicser.
 
Ranz: Minsan may mga planong hindi natutupad gaya ng pagpunta sa Enchanted Kingdom. Ilang beses namin pinaplano.
 
 
YPO:Aside from singing and dancing, what are your other talents?
 
Ranz: Ako po marunong mag-DJ. Mag-mix ng music.
 
Clarence: Sobrang flexible ng katawan ko.
 
Owy: Chess master (laughs!)
 
Oliver: Kaya ko mag-piano. Hindi ko alam 'yung basics. Kaya ko siva tumunog.
 
Biboy: Nag-gi-gymnastics.
 
YPO:What did you learn from heartaches?
 
Owy: Ang babae ay huwag lokohin. Dapat mahalin.
 
Clarence: Dapat maging faithful.
 
Ranz: Dapat ang babae hindi niloloko. Dapat minamahal ng todo.
 
Oliver: Narealize ko sa pag-ibig hindi kailangan magmadali. Kasi kung nagmadali ka, wala 'yan, hindi pagmamahal 'yan. Hintayin mong dumating sa'yo.
 
Biboy: Hindi naman masasabi 'yung love. Basta mararamdaman at mararamdaman.
 

YPO:How do you compare your generation with the ones before you?
 
Ranz: Dati sa radyo at TV, ngayon napunta na sa Internet. Puro gadgets na.
 
Oliver: Kumbaga sa generation po dati, hindi ginagamitan ng Internet.
 
Owy: Kasi sa Internet, marami na kayong magagawa e.
 
Biboy: Lalo na kung mabilis 'yung Internet!
 
 
YPO:If you were not online celebrities, what would you be doing now?
 
Owy: Ako nag-aaral tapos tambay-tambay lang.
 
Oliver: Parang ganun pa rin, magma-mall pa rin kami. Ganun pa rin gagawin namin. Ang kaibahan lang ngayon, naging busy na (because of gigs) pero 'yung lifestyle ganun pa rin.
 
Clarence: Gamer pa rin (They like the role-playing game DoTA [Defense of the Ancient]).
 
Biboy: Magmu-movies pa rin kami. Tambay-tambay sa kanya-kanyang bahay.
 
 
Chicser recently signed a five-year contract with Viva Records which released its first single “Hello, I Love You.”