The members of BINI have been everywhere lately, but not for the reasons they might have hoped.
The eight-member P-pop sensation found themselves in the middle of a social media storm over an edited street food video that, according to them, painted them in a bad light.
They could have stayed quiet, let the noise pass, and hoped everyone would move on. But that is not BINI.
This week, the group, represented by high-profile lawyer Joji Alonso, marched straight into the Hall of Justice in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, to file a legal complaint against the individual behind the video. The case cites unjust vexation under Article 287 of the Revised Penal Code, alongside provisions of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
And while some might crumble under the weight of online criticism, BINI showed up just a few days later at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater, smiling, radiant, and in full force, for a sold-out photo-signing event celebrating their very first official photo book, Journey Through the BINIverse: A BINI Photo Journal.
The timing could not have been more telling. Asked how they deal with the relentless noise, Gwen did not sugarcoat it:
“When criticisms or controversies come, we don’t just pretend they don’t affect us. Of course, we hear them, we feel them. But at the same time, as they say, it’s all part of the battles we face. So whenever we get hurt, we try to find the lesson in it and turn that pain into motivation to do better in our work.”
Aiah, meanwhile, struck a defiant tone.
“We use it as a reminder that people are still watching and that our voice still matters. It’s even scarier when no one cares anymore. No matter what we do, people will always have something to say,” she started.
“If I make a mistake, they’ll get mad. If I’m too nice, they’ll say I’m ‘too good to be true.’ So we choose to take the noise and turn it into something that will help us grow. That’s how we rise above it. We turn the pain into power,” she asserted.
Inside the theater, their fans, affectionately called “Blooms,” filled the space with cheers, laughter, and music. All eight members, Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena, took the stage, reminiscing about their journey captured in the 228-page photo book, which features never-before-seen moments from their rise since debuting in 2021 with Born to Win.
By Thursday afternoon, organizers announced that all 2,000 copies of the limited-run photobook had completely sold out.
It shows just how far the members of BINI have come. From topping Billboard’s Philippines Songs chart twice with “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin,” to winning “Best Asia Act” at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and being named Billboard Philippines’ Women of the Year, they are no longer just riding the P-pop wave. They are leading it.
And if this week is any indication, no amount of online noise is going to slow them down.
