Talent is homegrown—and she’s BLOOMing now more than ever.
From the OG worldwide sensations apl.de.ap and Lea Salonga, to presently established names like Olivia Rodrigo and beabadoobee, to even rising stars like Sophia Laforteza of global girl group KATSEYE, Filipino performers have always been global—so what makes BINI at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival so special?
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is not merely a music event, but a cultural one. In recent years, thanks to its rise in popularity on social media, festival-goers endure the desert heat and crowded grounds to experience the fashion and arts scene just as much as the music—arguably even more so. Influencers are paid simply to attend and cover the event. Thus, with its big stages and even bigger audiences, it is considered a huge honour and opportunity for an artist to see their name on the Coachella lineup.
By existing in that lineup, the Nation’s Girl Group BINI makes room for our culture as a whole. Yes, it was an exceptional chance to perform their songs, but it goes beyond just the music. They also showed off cultural fashion like the salakot in their iconic Gold Warrior outfits from Weekend 1 and even employed the sound of traditional instruments like the kulintang in the “Pantropiko” dance break. On Weekend 2, they surprised us with two new outfits and a swap of song from “Shagidi” to “Strings” as the opener to their 45-minute setlist—a reflection of the Pinoy instinct to go above and beyond.
Evidently, the entire production is a Filipino production. After their act, a piece of the Filipino now remains out there.
If anything, BINI is the face of contemporary Filipino sound—alongside many others who continue to prove it through international charts and performances. Kings of P-pop SB19 and Billboard Global chart-toppers Cup of Joe, for example, appeared at the D.U.N.K. Showcase in Japan just last month; and the former will go on to be the first homegrown Filipino act at this year’s Lollapalooza, another music festival that rivals Coachella in audience reach.
This continual rise of our artists matters to the youth more than anyone. Their fresh, animated take on our beloved OPM builds a sound that is distinctly Gen Z—but still distinctly Pinoy—capable of keeping pace with modern tastes while shaping its own place in today’s music landscape.
For BINI at Coachella, this manifested as a sea of recording phones, turquoise bandanas, Bloombilya lightsticks, Philippine flags, and—arguably even more touching—awed faces of those who may not have even heard a second of P-pop before that day, but will perhaps be curious enough to explore this new genre on Spotify when they come home.
And with artists like BINI, who so clearly burst with pride in representing our home nation, those curious new listeners will naturally be led to a whole new, rich culture. Meanwhile, for us being represented, it is all the more reason to feel seen—like when the members introduced themselves in their native tongue, languages barely ever heard on the world stage. Aiah’s “SHAGIT UG KUSOG!” (Cebuano for “Scream out loud!”), for example, was met with many approving shouts in response.
In an interview with ANC after their Weekend 1 set, leader Jhoanna expressed that the reception of their performance truly made her feel that “May lugar talaga tayo sa global stage.” And that “tayo” is not only them, but all of us Filipinos whose identity they bring with them to the stage. That confidence was palpable in their Weekend 2 run, where the group seemed simply to enjoy doing what they are passionate about.
To hear my language on the booming sound systems, to see girls with features similar to mine on an international livestream—I want more young people to experience that, even those not necessarily born or raised Pinoy. For them to never again feel insecure about our music and turn to what is considered “mainstream,” because we can be what is mainstream—that is the future this moment points toward.
In the first place, Filipino performers never had to prove anything. But we must persevere on this path of asserting our place in front of audiences who continue to fall in love with our soul and artistry.
Mabuhay ang BINI, and as they put it themselves, mabuhay ang musikang Pilipino!
