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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Corporation) |
In an ordinary afternoon of April 20, 2024, more than 6,000 gathered inside a mall in Antipolo City and literally entered a different world amidst the intense summer heat with the grip of alluring vocals and moves onstage of the Nation's Girl Group BINI. Many have cheered, danced and even sang their hearts out as the eight-member all-girl Filipino pop group performed their recent hit song "Pantropiko". Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, several BINI fans have formed an island of their own and, with confidence, danced to the tunes of the stage to the delight of those who have yet to enjoy the full BINI experience. Indeed, this is a strong sign that we have entered the summer of "Pantropiko".
If you would ask me of another strong sign of its trubitastically overwhelming impact in today's Filipino pop culture scene, it would have to be its growing listener count on the global music streaming service Spotify which eventually broke the record of having the highest of its kind for a contemporary P-Pop genre which was set by SB19, the certified 'golden standard' of modern Philippine pop. Let's not forget its consistent domination in the top music charts set by many radio stations across the country as well as Spotify and Billboard Philippines among others along with its other popular hit song "Salamin, Salamin". These numbers are, without any doubt, a testament to the talent, dedication and creativity of the talents making their own mark in the entertainment industry. Aside from the song, it seems that the dance moves resonated with it has also gained traction with thousands of fans and non-fans and even local and international celebrities jumping in and taking part in the "Pantropiko" dance challenge on social media, more particularly on TikTok.
Who would have thought that what was once released during the holiday season by Star Music further propel BINI's meteoric rise in the Philippine music and pop culture scene? Furthermore, the choreography for the song's chorus matches its summer and island vibe — arms outstretched a la Hawaiian hula then crisscrossing as if to mimic the waves of the ocean. We should thank BINI's youngest member and main dancer Sheena for what makes these steps and gestures an instant hit and understand that for the 19-year old former Pinoy Big Brother Season 8 housemate, coming up with the perfect dance combination for the sing is more difficult than what we think as she has experimented with several backup versions before finding “the one". In an interview with ABS-CBN News, BINI Sheena shared, “Every night, after training, nag a-ano ako ng ano bang magandang combination. (I would spend my nights experimenting with different dance combinations.)" She underwent a lot of stress to finalize the steps for the song which is considered a challenge to her by Star Magic resident dance choreographer and one of BINI's dance coaches Mickey Perz.
Despite the pressure, BINI Sheena managed to complete the dance with the help of the group's other dance coaches Matthew Almodovar and Reden Blanquera. “Napa-send po ako bigla so pagod na pagod na pagod po kami sa training nun pero wala po akong choice kung 'di mag-video na. (I was exhausted from training but I had no choice but to send the video.)" And to her surprise, the draft for the complement was approved and the rest is history. For FlipMusic Productions Inc.'s Mat Olavides who is the producer and co-composer of the song who is among those surprised and overwhelmed by the success of the summer love anthem, “Nabigyan nila ng justice ‘yung song. (They gave justice to the song)” A perfect balance of hip, leg, and upper-body work brought out what Olavides envisioned during the music production process. The song's co-composer Pow Chavez, also from FlipMusic, said the choreography added to its impact of the song, saying, “Malaking bagay kasi when people add choreo, parang nagkakaroon din siya ng something that makes you remember it easily." (Choreography is a huge deal. It makes people remember songs easily.)" Chavez added that beyond just singing, BINI’s ability to create their own choreography speaks volumes about their versatility as artists.
Launched in 2021 by ABS-CBN's talent management arm Star Magic and trained under the K-Pop inspired Star Hunt Academy, BINI's trubitastic journey is beyond a slow start but steadily growing towards its rapidly rise of its own accord from moments handing out flyers in the street a la Kpop icons BTS, to their older mall shows that are certainly far less chaotic than their recent ones, to their candid livestreams on the platform Kumu that have made them relatable and endearing to fans known as "Blooms" amidst the challenges the world has faced including the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with Rappler back in 2021, ABS-CBN's Head of TV Production and Star Magic Laurenti Dyogi said, "When I saw them [BINI and fellow Star Hunt Academy trainees SHA Boys now known as BGYO] perform [on ASAP], I thought to myself: ‘Wow, sulit ‘yung hirap. And you can only say na ‘di pwede ‘di mo suportahan ang mga batang ito (All the hardships were worth it. And it’s hard not to support them). Imagine, 2 to 3 years from now, how good they will be. We will all be so proud because we’ve tested their personalities, their dedication to their work. The training process was not easy but they braved it, and they really have the talent."
The summer of "Pantropiko" continues to run wild not just in the local pop culture scene, but also in the hearts of many Filipinos who are in need of something to cool them off with amidst the intense summer heat. It is now BINI's own moment in the sun and it will only be a matter of time before the Nation's Girl Group would come up with something that can make us grind, groove and jive in the heat of what awaits us in our everyday lives just like "Pantropiko", "Salamin, Salamin" and other songs that make everyone go "WOW!" By the way, don't ever think of BINI's "Pantropiko" as a prelude to the intense heat we are experiencing until now for that would upset a lot of Blooms in all areas.
