BINI aims to empower women, kids with first-ever EP ‘Talaarawan’

BINI at the recent media gathering to launch the all-girl group’s EP “Talaarawan” —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Know your value and worth,” declared Jhoanna, a member of the all-girl P-pop group BINI, as a message to their younger supporters who excitedly waited for the release of their first-ever EP (extended play) titled “Talaarawan” on March 8.

The release coincided with the International Women’s Day celebration. The two events were “a perfect match,” said BINI member Colet, because “there’s really a group of women who got so involved in doing this EP. Aside from us, there’s our Team BINI, who make up the strong women in production, as well as in management. We want this to be inspiring not just for women, but also for kids.”

“A lot of people perceive BINI and women in general as very emotional. With this EP, we are able to make use of our emotions to make songs,” Colet pointed out. “We hope they will take inspiration from that. As a woman, you can do so much with your talent.”

READ: BINI explains why EP ‘Talaarawan’ will drop on International Women’s Day

BINI refers to its supporters as Blooms, whom they advised to “just continue all the good things that you’re doing,” added Jhoanna. “Whatever standards and expectations others have set for you, we know you can achieve them. But while you’re aiming for excellence, don’t forget to celebrate your achievements along the way. Also, just enjoy being young because it’s so much fun. That’s what one of our mentors (at ABS-CBN) would always remind us.”

Mikha said she has been a fan of the K-pop group Itzy for quite some time now. “I’ve followed them since their training days and have been inspired by them since. Watching their videos reminded me of BINI so much in terms of how they tackled their insecurities, how they tried to move on from them, and how their mental health also got affected but, at the same time, they were still able to give their best,” added Mikha. “That’s what I want for BINI. I want us to strive hard, like Itzy. Maybe we could have a collaboration with them, too!”

BINI (with other members Aiah, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey and Sheena) attempts to tackle youth’s perspective on friendship, love and navigating life in “Talaarawan.” It features six songs: “Salamin, Salamin” (its key track), “Ang Huling Cha Cha,” “Na Na Nandito Lang,” “Diyan Ka Lang” and their recent hits, “Karera” and “Pantropiko.”

‘Boomed on TikTok’

“When we released ‘Pantropiko,’ we didn’t expect people to dance to it because it’s so much harder than ‘Karera,’” Mikha recalled. “It boomed on TikTok organically. That’s what made us really happy. We’re glad people liked it, not just Filipinos, but also other nationalities. There were even K-pop idols who danced to ‘Pantropiko,’” Sheena added.

The single spawned countless dance videos on TikTok, including the ones uploaded by global stars Irene of Red Velvet and Ryujin of Itzy. It has earned more than 6 million streams and peaked at No. 3 on Spotify Philippines’ Viral Chart and debuted at No. 38 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart.

Sheena said “Talaarawan” is diary in English. “It’s where you write down your feelings, the different emotions you feel during the day. Your diary is like your best friend,” she said. “Just like a diary, our EP offers a roller-coaster ride of emotions with our six songs. We want our Blooms to feel that we are their best friends, too.”

Cover art of BINI’s first EP

Jhonna then discussed the sequencing of the tracks in “Talaarawan.” “We had listening sessions while completing it. We had several meetings, and people close to us know this. We didn’t want to just put any song in the EP. We want it to be able to tell a story, to describe the different stages of love and life,” she said.

“Whatever you are feeling, the EP has an appropriate song for you,” said Maloi. “If you’re feeling sad, you can listen to ‘Diyan Ka Lang.’”

“If you’re happy with your love life, you sing ‘Salamin, Salamin,” added Jhoanna.

“If you’re too tired of school, then ‘Karera’ is for you,” said Maloi.

Exploring other genres

Aside from their trademark bubblegum pop songs, BINI said they also want to explore other genres. “We want to do some R&B and explore the girl-crush concept,” said Gwen. “We feel that our Blooms are excited for us to reach that point. We’re looking forward to that, too.”

“We’re hoping to collaborate with Denise Julia, the R&B queen of the Philippines,” said Aiah. “We’re also keen on working with Arthur Nery and mrld.” INQ