P-Pop sensation Bini reaps rewards of hard work

Bini, an eight-member girl group, has made significant strides since training under ABS-CBN's "Star Hunt Academy" in 2019. Comprising Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena, the group embodies the Filipino Gen-Z binibini — meaning 'young lady' —and aims to represent the modern Filipina, who is sweet, fierce, independent and informed.

Their pre-debut single, "Da Coconut Nut," released on November 20, 2020, set the stage for their official debut on June 11, 2021, with the empowering anthem "Born To Win."

Since then, Bini has earned the title of "Nation's Girl Group," with hit songs like "Pantropiko," "Salamin, Salamin," "Karera," "Lagi," and "Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi" becoming staples in the Philippine music scene.

In fact, "Pantropiko" became the third OPM song in history to reach 1 million daily streams on Spotify Philippines chart. Now, Bini is the most streamed OPM group, boasting 6 million monthly listeners, and holding the top spot as the number one OPM female and girl group on the platform.

In a press conference during their launch as the newest face of e-commerce giant Shopee, Stacey expressed disbelief and gratitude for their achievements saying,

"We can't believe that we've reached this point where millions are listening to us and we're gradually becoming known and loved by our own country. So we are super thankful, especially to our fans, Blooms, who are there for us, and of course to our management who loves us so much."

Just on May 24, popular American online publication "Teen Vogue" named Bini one of the "12 girl groups to watch in 2024." The article highlighted their rapid rise, collaborations with P-pop leaders SB19 and their chart-topping hits.

"First of all we want to say thank you to Teen Vogue and of course, everyone else who made Teen Vogue see that we are a potential to be in one of those international girl groups to look out for. We're very honored but at the same time, there's a lot of pressure. But we hope to take that pressure to be able to perform well and better and always show our best and perform in more international stages outside the Philippines," Mikha shared.

With their growing success, more brands, including Shopee, have partnered with the girl group. Their selection as the new brand ambassador is part of the brand's efforts to captivate Gen Z — the digital era's rising star. As the new face of Shopee, the girl group embodies Gen Z's values, reflected in their commitment to keeping it real, heartfelt connections with "Blooms," and their shining individuality in every performance.

"We are really thankful to everyone who supported our music, especially our management and Blooms. We're grateful to brands like Shopee and look forward to more years with them," Maloi expressed.

Sheena, on the other hand, attributed the culmination of this historical moment not only to their hard work and Shopee's cooperation but also to the power of manifestation.

"We have been manifesting certain brands, and Shopee was definitely one of them because we have been Shopee girls since Day 1 and we really use it," Sheena shared.

Shopee mirrored this sentiment, expressing their desire to work with Bini because of their vibrant energy and impact on the young generation.

"Their vibrant energy perfectly embodies how we want our users to feel when they shop on Shopee — easy, reassuring, and fun. Capturing the essence of their generation, Bini is truly the ideal ambassador to represent Gen Z and inspire young Filipinos across the country to feel na Ang Dali-Dali sa Shopee. We are thrilled to be working with them," said Huiyan Pan, regional marketing lead at Shopee.

Recently, the e-commerce platform released a TV commercial featuring Bini, along with the catchy jingle "Ang Dali-Dali sa Shopee."

Meanwhile, addressing the pressure of being dubbed "Nation's Girl Group," Aiah said, "The very first time we heard the name Nation's Girl Group, we we're very honored and very pressured kasi it's not just the name and it's really a big deal for us. We're really bringing this name wherever we perform, we always say this before we dance so I think pressure will always be there. It's just a matter of turning the pressure into a good one."

"How we view the pressure is that we use that be better whenever we perform and be better whenever we make our craft, our music. And thanks to our management, they are always there to guide us and hone our skills even more so mostly just focus with just being ourselves. We don't look at the outside noise, but we look at ourselves on how we can grow together," she added.

Amid engagements and endorsements, Bini members are also preparing for their first solo concert, a three-day event at the New Frontier Theater from June 28 to 30.

"Right now, we can't focus on rehearsals due to guest appearances, shows, and school tours, but this June, we will start rehearsing. If we can do full-day training for the entire week, we will," Jhoanna noted.

"This is our first solo concert, so we want to give our all, our best, especially since our fans, the Blooms, really competed for tickets. Hopefully, this won't be our last concert this year. We hope to have more so that those who couldn't secure tickets can still watch us," she finally said.