winning plus Women on top: BINI dominated 2024 with hit songs, undeniable charm

BINI during their “Grand BINIverse” concert in Araneta Coliseum. Image: X/@bini_ph

There was no doubt that BINI took the Philippines by storm in 2024. “Pantropiko” became a stepping stone that propelled Jhoanna Robles, Aiah Arceta, Colet Vergara, Maloi Ricalde, Gwen Apuli, Stacey Sevilleja, Mikha Lim, and Sheena Catacutan into widespread stardom, almost to the point where a mere glimpse of them or a simple social media activity is enough to drive anyone into excitement.

The success came at the perfect time. 2024 was a year where girl groups continued to dominate the market. K-pop witnessed the growing popularity of aespa, Kiss of Life, NewJeans, ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM, Red Velvet, ARTMS, IVE, Loossemble, and fromis_9, as well as solo artists such as Rosé, Jennie, Lisa, Lee Young-ji, and IU.

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Western acts like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande also enjoyed success on the charts and were greeted by massive crowds in every appearance.

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P-pop was no different. BINI’s rise was made possible with the right timing, along with hard work, captivating performances, and an undeniable grit to take their careers to the next level. But while they led the industry in the past year, their platform became an avenue for fellow groups and other OPM artists to be discovered as well.

“It means so much, like a lot to us. We never expected this could happen so soon in a few months after reaching these dreams. We couldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for our Blooms and management,” Mikha told INQUIRER.net during a Billboard Philippines Women in Music event in March 2024.

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“We feel as if we have so much responsibility and pressure to bring with us. At the same time, we take it as something positive to be better and eventually go into the international stages,” she added.

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BINI. Image: X/@bini_ph

One stage after another

One of the first appearances of BINI since their rise to fame was Billboard Philippines’ Women in Music ceremony where they bagged the Rising Star award. The moment they stepped on the blue carpet, excited screams filled the venue. Reporters were rushing to get photos of them. It was clear the group was one of the most awaited guests at the time.

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Overwhelming crowds were also seen in the girl group’s mall shows (one of their most notable mall show was in Market! Market! which attracted over 8,000 attendees), joint concert performances, brand launch events, All Star Games 2024, and “BINI day” third-anniversary event, among other appearances. Even just a few minutes of them either posing on the red carpet or being spotted at an event is enough to generate attention.

Not to mention the ticket selling of their “BINIverse” and “Grand BINIverse” solo concerts turning into some sort of a competition among fans (or Blooms) on who would be able to snag a seat. Their shows themselves were an extraordinary display of their superstardom. It was almost hard to hear some of the performances as it was drowned by cheers. Even the mere flash of a member’s face was met with a resounding response.

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“Pinaghirapan talaga namin ‘to. Parang nagpe-pay off lahat ng taon at sakripsiyo. Nakikita namin ang fruit of our labor (We worked hard for this. The years and sacrifices paid off. We are seeing the fruits of our labor),” Maloi said of their massive success in an interview on ABS-CBN News’ YouTube channel in April 2024.

BINI also made history as the first P-pop group to perform at KCON LA 2024 in July, a feat which according to Filipino-American journalist Lai Frances, happened at the “right time for the right people.”

“I felt like they always present themselves [in a way] that what you see is what you get. It’s a breath of fresh air. What BINI brings is a piece of modern nostalgia… It’s an ageless thing with BINI. Their music is ageless. It’s open to everyone,” she told INQUIRER.net in an interview. “You see them selling out at events — you see kids, parents, and grandparents [enjoying their music].”

They also appeared in Billboard Korea’s K Power 100 with SB19, where both groups accepted the Voices of Asia Award.

READ: How BINI’s historic appearance at KCON LA 2024 will promote P-pop’s rise

From hit songs to awards

A rare feat for artists, BINI’s fame was evident as many of their songs including “Pantropiko,” “Salamin, Salamin,” “Karera,” and “Cherry On Top” topped the charts — which lasted for months. While the beginning of 2024 started with 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, they currently have over 3.7 monthly listeners on the music platform as of January 2025.

To recall, at the time the contract was terminated last August—four years after it was awarded—AllCard delivered 49.9 percent of its commitment to supply raw materials for the production of 116 million blank cards.

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BINI was also lauded as the top group by the music platform in its Spotify Wrapped event in December and was tagged as the “undoubted” chart-topper of Billboard Philippines. Overall, the girl group is the fourth biggest artist in the Philippines in the past year, per Spotify.

BINI still in disbelief over ‘Voices of Asia’ award at ‘Billboard K Power 100’. Image: X/@bini_ph

Their contributions to OPM weren’t unnoticed, as they were recognized in their home country and other countries for their dedication to taking Filipino music to the global stage. Some of their notable awards include Awit Awards 2024 Breakthrough Artist of the Year; Breaktudo Awards 2024 International Breakthrough Artist; MTV Europe Music Awards 2024 Best Asia Act; MYX Music Awards 2024 Song of the Year and Pop Video of the Year; P-pop Music Awards 2024 Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Concert of the Year; and PMPC Star Awards for Music 2024’s Duo/Group Artist of the Year, to name a few.

But for the girl group, the recognition is a reminder to “strive for excellence” not only to represent themselves but also the P-pop industry.

“We will continue to strive for excellence at dadalhin natin ang P-pop sa world stage. Hindi lang namin nire-represent ang group, pati na rin ang P-pop groups ng aming bansa (We will continue to strive for excellence and bring the P-pop on the world stage. We’re not only representing the group but also the P-pop groups in our country),” Jhoanna said in their acceptance speech at the Billboard Philippines Women for Music event.

Yet it’s clear that BINI doesn’t want to take the glory for themselves. They make an effort to promote the local music industry in their own ways such as by appearing in music videos, constantly using Filipino songs on their social media platforms, and interacting with local artists, to name a few.

No secret ingredient

BINI has always pointed out that there was no secret ingredient to their success. Their massive fame came from a combination of hard work, joint efforts to establish themselves, relatable personalities (as seen in several “BINI core” videos on social media), captivating performances, distinct vocals seamlessly blending into one, and luck finally being on their side.

BINI during their National BINI Day celebration in Makati. Image: X/@bini_ph

“When you’re coming from the Philippines, they pride themselves on balladeers and soloists. And then there are boy groups, but boy groups are always at the forefront of everything,” Frances said of BINI’s fame. “But what we’ve seen in trends and pop, is that female acts are on the forefront now. There’s a girl group renaissance happening and BINI is a part of it.”

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As the girl group is gearing up for their “BINIverse” world tour, new music, and other activities ahead of them in 2025, there’s no sign of stopping their reign in the local music scene.

It’s clear that BINI is only getting started. And their dedicated fans and music enthusiasts will be on the lookout for what will happen next.winning plus

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