P-pop sensation Bini to bring Pinay pride to San Francisco
One city the group has circled on its first multi-continent 'Biniverse' concert tour is San Francisco. Singers, rappers and dancers Jhoanna, Stacey, Mikha, Maloi, Aiah, Gwen, Colet and Sheena perked up when informed of the Bay Area's sizable Filipino population (Daly City, Vallejo, San Jose) snatching up tickets to its June 17 concert at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium — less than 2 miles from SOMA Pilipinas, San Francisco's Filipino Cultural Heritage District.
'We can't wait to see our Filipino Blooms and to perform for the very first time in San Francisco,' said Sheena. 'Maybe we'll go out and shop and eat good food.'
(Serramonte Center, you've been warned.)
Bini is tops in P-pop, the Philippine equivalent of what K-pop is to South Korea or J-pop to Japan. Its music possesses much of the same razzle-dazzle qualities like catchy hooks, sharp choreography and immaculate visual style, but sung and rapped with a Tagalog tongue.
The group is already superstars in its home country, even having its own Jollibee tie-in. To push its popularity beyond the Philippine archipelago, the group's latest 'Biniverse' EP is the first to feature all English-language songs.
'At first, I think they had mixed emotions because (the EP) is full English,' said Maloi. 'It's a risky move for us, but we just want them to feel that change is not scary.'
Bini, which is short for 'binibini' or 'young lady' in Tagalog, formed in Manila through an audition program in 2018. The eight members, whose average age is 21, endured rigorous training. In 2021, the group released a cutesy cover of composer Ryan Cayabyab's novelty song ' Da Coconut Nut.' Bini followed with the more mature-sounding full-length album 'Born to Win' that better highlighted their vocal talents and comfort with English lyrics.
The early years had their bumps, Sheena admitted, as the group encountered indifference and other roadblocks exacerbated by the pandemic.
'No one liked our songs, no one recognized us,' Sheena said. 'But we kept pushing ourselves and helped each other.'
Perseverance paid off in 2023 as a streak of hits ('Pantropiko,' 'Karera' and 'Salamin, Salamin') were buoyed by viral dance trends and established their chart dominance. In 2024, a silky dance track ' Cherry on Top ' cracked global streaming charts. Its current English-forward singles ' Zero Pressure ' and ' Blink Twice ' reveal an even more sophisticated sound that draws from millennium pop, classic synth pop and chill R&B.
'Bini is not afraid to explore different genres, and so far our Blooms are loving it,' said Jhoanna. 'Change is normal, and that will help us to become better performers and individuals.'
Stacey added the support of fans, family and their team allowed them to push themselves personally and creatively.
'We are finally getting the recognition we deserve,' she said. 'We are also pushing to be more confident in our craft and to learn and grow more.'
'Aside from our craft and music, I believe we've improved and grown individually in terms of our skills, personality and character,' added Gwen.
Bini are key ambassadors of Filipino representation and pride in the larger Asian pop music diaspora and beyond. Its latest single ' Shagidi ' updates a popular Filipino relay game to a bass-heavy tropical banger for the masses.
'For Bini to be at this spot at this place and time is really exciting,' said Rueda-Reyes. 'It's something that I hoped for but didn't really expect to happen. I'm just thrilled.'
James Zarsadiaz, an associate professor of history and the director of the Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program director at University of San Francisco, sees Bini's rise as an indicator of the expansion and influence of Filipino people and culture worldwide.
'Filipinos are having an extra sense of confidence in the arts and willingness to expand beyond Asia,' Zarsadiaz said. 'There's been so much talent in the Philippines. And with the amount of Filipinos living around the world, this is an exciting time.'
To ease into global markets, it helps that Bini members are multilingual. In the beginning, Aiah and Mikha rapped in Tagalog, which they picked up after their primary languages Bisaya (also known as Cebuano, a Filipino dialect) and English. To them, it's a fun challenge to spit bars in Tagalog's rhythmic meter.
'There are some times that it's like a tongue twister for me,' said Aiah. 'But I do have fun whenever I get the chance to rap in Tagalog because there are some words that are very fun to utter. So it's really nice when I get to rap it well.'
Mikha believes her Tagalog has gotten much better because of it.
'I think I'm more comfortable rapping in English, but as long as I memorize the words in Tagalog, I'm comfortable,' she said.
English may be the lingua franca of pop, but to Bini, good vibes are universal. As the Bini jeepney circles the globe, Colet stresses the group will always pack its Pinay pride.
'Anything that speaks to your heart and conveys that message well, the language doesn't matter,' said Colet. 'We won't ever forget our Filipino roots.'
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