Written by Gayeng Makinang | June 20, 2025

all photos taken from the crowd

Ain’t no party like a Pinoy party. Kids approach their elders, compelled by their parents to “bless.” A lechon larger than your baby nephew is sprawled out on the dining table, an apple planted in its open mouth. Titas stack piles of lumpia, pancit canton, and chicken adobo onto your plate, barring you from biting into the bibinka and turon until you’ve completed your dinner. Titos place newspapers onto the ground for the group to play games with later.

A party hosted by Texan Filipinos simply adds more flavor to the festivities. Your titos brought brisket and tamales for dinner. Someone drove all the way from Corpus to introduce the family to his new partner. Cowboy Carter serenades y’all during musical chairs. After your cousin croons Como La Flor during karaoke, your mother makes you perform Miley Cyrus’s The Climb.

Growing up as a Pinoy in San Antonio—specifically Helotes, if you’re from town (or a stickler)—I witnessed the surprising communion of Southern and Philippine hospitality every day. I love being a Texan Filipino. We celebrate; we welcome; we sing. It was with this same openness and excitement that the Filipino community of Texas greeted the girl group BINI during their tour stop in Houston.

At 713 Music Hall, I hadn’t seen so many Filipinos in one place since my last paternal family gathering several years ago. The venue housed an abundance of teen and young adult visitors. A solid portion of older Filipinos in small groups was present, ready to support their kabayan. Many guests donned their best iHeartRaves dresses, cowboy boots, and Uniqlo sets for the occasion. Some pulled their BINI World Tour t-shirts and hoodies over their clothes; others put on their BINIverse baseball caps. I paired the lightstick I bought at the merch table with an app specially made for the event. One group of fans—collectively styled BL∞M(S)—created hand banners welcoming the girls, handing them out as freebies for passersby. BL∞M(S) settled in the nosebleeds or by small tables at the tiered balconies. My family and I had floor seats at the back of the venue.

BINI introduced themselves to Houston with cinematic, psychedelic graphics emblazoned on a Jumbotron. Galactic, floral images flashed as BINI opened with Salamin, Salamin. Most BL∞M(S) had the fan chants memorized—but if you were like me, and you didn’t, occasional subtitles scrolled on screen. Fitting with the location, BINI wore denim and cowboy hats for the first act of their performance. Their vocals were unbelievable, and they belted in perfect harmony for every song.

In 2019, BINI’s eight members first graced the world stage. They competed for positions in a new girl group on ABS-CBN's Star Hunt Academy (SHA). Since then, they have joined the ranks of the most popular Filipino musicians in history and accumulated over one billion streams on Spotify. They have surpassed even the likes of Taylor Swift on the Philippines’ music charts and were the first Filipino pop group to perform at KCON USA.

Relatedly, I would be remiss not to mention BINI’s clear K-pop influences. The similarities do not end with BINI’s tour merch, which included lightsticks, originated by Korean boy bands like H.O.T. and BigBang, as well as photocards popularized by Girls’ Generation. BINI’s members have entries on K-Pop Profiles, a popular website detailing Korean idols. Sonically, BINI seems to be inspired by the more tropical tunes of TWICE. The K-pop formula is global and lucrative. Other Southeast Asian artists have adopted it, such as MXFRUIT from Thailand. Dolla from Malaysia has worked with K-pop producers, and another Filipino group, SB19, operates under a South Korean label. Like these other groups, BINI emulates a Korean pop sound and business model using the languages and cultural landmarks of their home countries, curating an enjoyable, though naturally derivative, experience.

Walo hanggang dulo! BINI is the girl group of a nation; BINI is the girl group of the universe.