How BINI became the nation’s girl group in the Philippines

by Narah Faigal, Story Surfer
A visual showing BINI with the text "How BINI BECAME THE NATION'S GIRL GROUP IN THE PHILIPPINES"
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From their modern take of Ryan Cayabyab’s “Da Coconut Nut” to their own catchy summer anthem with “Pantropiko,” BINI certainly rode the waves to get their recognition as the nation’s girl group in the Philippines. But how did they get from performing K-pop and folk song covers to having a chart-topping song on Spotify?

Join SEA Wave Pilipinas as we explore how BINI rose to fame and became the nation’s girl group.

BINI’s Beginnings

Members of BINI during their early days in Star Hunt

Image from Star Hunt Academy

Just like anyone with a dream, these eight girls—Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena—started as young hopefuls looking to hone their talents. The girls began their journey by individually joining Star Hunt Academy, the idol training program of ABS-CBN Entertainment. Through the recommendation of various mentors and talent scouts, these eight girls were chosen to form a girl group together, and were trained to be an idol group.

With the guidance of their coaches and mentors, and their continuous training and drive to succeed, the girls progressed their talents further as they prepared to stand on the stage. In 2020, as a part of their idol training, the girls performed in various events and conventions by covering popular songs such as Red Velvet’s “In & Out,” Blackpink’s “How You Like That,” and TWICE’s “More and More.”

 

Pre-Debut Appeal

By 2020, the group was preparing for its pre-debut. Ryan Cayabyab’s folk novelty song “Da Coconut Nut” was chosen as the group’s first single, reflecting their focus on local culture while highlighting the members’ youth and playfulness.

In collaboration with Korean music producers MU Doctor Academy and Vo3e, the song was transformed into an electro pop remake that captures the modern pop sound and reflects a younger generation’s sensibilities. The choreography for the song was also created by K-pop dance instructors Moon Yeon Joo and Kwak Seong Chan, who have worked with renowned K-pop groups such as Twice, BTS and Seventeen.

Alongside the release of the cover, the group was also officially introduced as “BINI”—taken from the word “Binibini” which means “young lady.” The group reflected the values of the young Filipino lady—sweet, fierce, independent and informed. By the end of the year, the girls had signed a contract with Star Magic and Star Music—a talent agency and record label owned by ABS-CBN Corporation. This became BINI’s stepping stone and a solid start to their idol career.

 

A Fierce Debut, A Fresh Follow-up

BINI during their debut

Image from BINI

In October 2021, BINI showed off its fierce side with their formal debut single, “Born to Win,” an empowering anthem about breaking through boundaries and pushing yourself forward. The single garnered great reception from fans and critics alike, resulting in BINI steadily gaining traction as a P-pop group, coupled with their participation in various idol activities and events that contributed to the group’s recognition. Some of these activities include performances on TV shows like ASAP, It’s Showtime and Magandang Buhay, a live performance during the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 pageant, and a website feature on Metro Style and a cover feature on Dubai’s Xpedition magazine.

Almost a year after their debut, the group released their second studio album, Feel Good, resulting in their first single to make it to the Philippine music charts, “Lagi,” which peaked at number 25. The single showed off BINI’s versatility as performers, tapping into a more relaxed bubblegum pop sound that contrasted their debut. BINI also recorded the theme song for local reality show Pinoy Big Brother: Kumunity Season 10 Teen Edition, alongside fellow P-pop group SB19.

 

Going Viral with “Pantropiko”

BINI for their Pantropiko video

Image from BINI

Releasing a summer song in the middle of ‘-ber’ season is as unusual as it can get, even when you’re in a tropical country like the Philippines. But BINI did it, and the rest, as they say, is history. On November 2023, BINI released their pre-single track “Pantropiko” ahead of the summer 2024 release of their EP, Talaarawan. This drew mixed reaction from fans as they were confused why people would listen to a summer song so close to Christmas. Fast forward to 2024, and who would have known that this would be the country’s summer anthem?

The song gained traction and went viral with the help of their “Pantropiko Dance Challenge” dominating people’s TikTok algorithms. It eventually entered Spotify’s Daily Top Songs chart on February 11, 2024, where it reached the top spot after 68 days. “Pantropiko” has undoubtedly made BINI virtually a household name, with their latest single “Salamin, Salamin” currently at the third spot in Philippine charts.

 

The Nation’s Girl Group

BINI standing together

Image from BINI

Since BINI’s success with their most recent singles, the group has been reported to draw hundreds of fans in their mall shows, filling up the activity area from the ground floor to the top floor. They have also announced their first solo concert, “BINIverse,” which will be held this June 28, with a second and third date for the concert announced on June 29 and 30 due to popular demand. And as of this May, the group holds the top three highest charting OPM songs on Apple Music PH, and has gained 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making them the Filipino pop group with the most monthly listeners on the platform.

The group has also been recognized outside of the country, with BINI making a guest appearance in the Chinese reality program Show It All and the host, Exo’s Lay Zhang, commending them for their amazing performance. “Pantropiko” has also been covered by rookie K-pop group UNIS in their “World Wide Cover” video.

BINI has truly made a splash and changed the game for P-pop. And with the success the group has had in such a short time, we are all looking forward to seeing what more they have in store.

What’s your favorite song from BINI? Share them in the comments below!

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