What To Expect in BINI’s Chapter 1: Born To Win

What To Expect in BINI’s Chapter 1: Born To Win

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Witness the nation’s girl group journey to stardom—the hardships, the growing anxiety, and the blood, sweat, and tears the girls shed

Before stellar performances, statement airport-to-stage outfits, and sold-out concerts, there was an untold story of BINI’s journey before their debut. Before holding the title as the Nation’s Girl Group, they were eight hopefuls in the reality series Star Hunt Academy. As they continue to make their mark in the entertainment industry, they prove that their success is not an overnight achievement; rather, it’s a humbling story of grit and persistent passion. Chapter 1: Born to Win tells this story.

RELATED: Voices of Asia: SB19 and BINI Prove that the Future of Pop Music is Filipino

Girlhood in a Nutshell

What do you get when you place more than 10 girls in one house for several years? Chaos and competition. Even when there were already a select few, it didn’t stop there. It was tough for the girls gathered in one house; for several years, they had to undergo rigorous and intensive training, facing frequent evaluations that could possibly remove them from the program. 

bini mikha colet maloi jhoanna born to win ppop
BINI Mikha, Colet, Maloi, and Jhoanna in Chapter 1: Born to Win’s Advanced Screening

Between battling homesickness and training, the trainees were determined to see it through, even if it meant not seeing their families for years. In those years, however, this was the opportunity to get to know each other. They’ve seen each other grow up and witness the different phases of their lives. From the highs and lows, the P-Pop girls had each other. They had found a family within each other despite the competitiveness.

The key personalities who have been guiding BINI through their journey also shared a lot of their thoughts during the process of choosing the members as well as managing the girl group. This included director Lauren Dyogi, manager MQ Mallari, road manager Maan Manauis, dance coach Matthew Almodovar, vocal coach Anna Graham, visual director Ica Villanueva, and more.

The Impossible Obstacles

How does one form and promote a P-Pop girl group in the middle of the pandemic? Do they let them go home with their families? Will they even come back? The world was at a standstill—and so were the managers and the members of BINI. 

To make matters even worse was the shutdown of ABS-CBN. In the midst of retrenchment, both the BINI members and management were in front of a huge obstacle with an even bigger question: What happens to the girls now?

BINI at Billboard K Power 100 jhoanna gwen colet mikha sheena maloi stacey aiah
The Nation’s Girl Group, BINI

BINI’s docuseries is a testament of their rocky journey to the top—and this was just the beginning. 

The Nation’s Bubblegum Pop Girl Group

It took a long while for BINI to find their sound. From Da Coconut Nut, Born to Win, Na Na Na, and Lagi, they weren’t quite there yet. Shown in their documentary were their efforts to promote each song, from pre-debut to post-debut. It was a steady climb, but of course, they didn’t settle there. But with “Pantropiko,” that’s where it clicked: bubblegum pop.

With just a flick of a switch, the summer song was everywhere—in every radio station, in all the dance challenges on TikTok, in everyone’s Spotify playlist—and it took over the Philippines for a long while. To some, they were the nation’s girl group that seemed to have overnight success. To BINI, their title and three-day concert BINIverse were the fruits of their labor.

bini docuseries chapter 1 born to win jhoanna gwen colet mikha sheena maloi stacey aiah
BINI’s docuseries Chapter 1: Born to Win

Chapter 1: Born to Win is not just their journey from Star Hunt Academy to the Nation’s Girl Group. It is their humble beginnings, their hardships and their vulnerable selves.


P.S. Stay until after the credits. There’s a surprise waiting for you.
Featured Image and Photos: BILLBOARDPH, METRO PHOTO FOR BRANDS (via Instagram), & IWANTTFC (via X)

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