WITH a three-day solo concert coming up in June, P-pop girl group BINI has been busy practicing in private and performing publicly on smaller stages in the lead-up to the major gig.
On May 2, BINI members Mikha (a.k.a. Mikhaela Janna Lim), Aiah (Maraiah Queen Arceta), Colet (Nicolette Vergara), Maloi (Mary Loi Yves Ricalde), Gwen (Gweneth Apuli), Stacey (Stacey Aubrey Sevilleja), Jhoanna (Jhoanna Christine Robles), and Sheena (Sheena Mae Catacutan) talked of their summer plans in a Facebook livestream — most of which are preparations for the concert, with vacation and travel on the side.
The stream was hosted by Samsung Philippines, the latest brand that they now endorse. The BINI members, clad in pastel blues and purples, opened the livestream by singing and dancing to their smash hit “Pantropiko.” Then, they settled in, to give away prizes to viewers and tell all about their recent endeavors.
“Summer plans namin ay concert kasi iyun ang naka-schedule (Our summer plans are concerts because that’s what’s scheduled). We already have a month-long schedule planned for us,” said Aiah.
Before that, though, she traveled a bit to Vietnam and to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Gwen opted to vacation at a beach resort with her family.
Jhoanna, despite being an only child, was said to be notorious for bringing home two barangays’ worth of pasalubong for her extended family in Laguna. Aiah, ever the conscientious traveler, was revealed as the one most likely to overpack her luggage.
The members also discussed how their first solo concert, BINIverse — set to run on June 28, 29, and 30 at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City — was sold out.
It was initially meant to be a one-day gig, but in less than two hours, all tickets for that day were snapped up by the public, according to the group’s leader Jhoanna. This led to many Blooms (the name for BINI fans) crying online about how they weren’t able to secure tickets.
BINI then decided to add two more performances to accommodate their fans.
“Tinanong ng management kung kaya namin at nag-meeting muna kaming girls at nagkasundo na mag-day two and three para sa Blooms namin (Management asked us if we could do it and, after we girls had a meeting, we agreed to add a second and third day for our Blooms),” said Jhoanna.
Last week was a particularly hot one for the girls, both onsite and online. Their April 30 appearance at the Bangus Festival in Dagupan, Pangasinan, was cut short after an unconfirmed number of audience members fainted amid a heat index that soared to 48°C.
It was around this time that Star Music announced BINI’s achievement of four million monthly Spotify listeners, a mere three years after their debut in 2021 with the single “Born to Win.”
In March, BINI really took off after releasing their extended play Talaarawan, which included the viral tracks “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin.”
Asked why they continue to do mall shows and festivals despite the heat, their undeniable success, and the major concert coming up, Stacey said, “Gusto namin ikutin ang Pilipinas — Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao — para di magtampo ang mga Blooms. Gusto namin ma-treat sila nang maayos.” (“We want to travel the Philippines — Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao — so that our Blooms won’t sulk. We want to treat them right.”) — Brontë H. Lacsamana
