SB19 and BINI Take P-pop to Summer Sonic Festival in Historic Debut
The Kings of P-pop and Nation’s Girl Group have done it again.
Filipino music has taken over Japan as two of the country’s P-pop superstars, SB19 and BINI, raised the flag in the three-day Summer Sonic Festival.
Both groups, which drew massive crowds during their performances, made their debuts in Osaka on August 14, becoming the first two all-Filipino acts to have ever done so. SB19 performed for the second time on the Pacific stage in Tokyo on August 15, while BINI took the Mountain stage on August 16.
The Kings of P-pop delivered an hour-long, high-energy performance featuring their hits: DAM, Gento, Quit, Memories, Emoji, VISA, DUNGKA!, Lawless, and Crimzone. The quintet also brought out Filipino-Japanese artist Kento Nakajima, who had his own Japanese verse in Gento, during their Tokyo leg.
“That drip was unmatched! [….] You all turned that stage into one big shared moment,” SB19 wrote on social media after their day two. “Tokyo, you gave us solid memories we’ll carry long after Summer Sonic.”
BINI, wearing outfits that put the Sarimanok and the pamaypay tradition in the spotlight, debuted with a dynamic nine-track set including Cherry on Top, Zero Pressure, Out of My Head, Step Back, Blush, Sugar Rush, Salamin, Salamin, and Pantropiko. Come the second day, they swapped Sugar Rush for Unang Kilig.
The Nation’s Girl Group made sure to connect more with the audience by delivering a Japanese version of their debut single, Born to Win. Their performance of Salamin, Salamin also featured Nihongo lyrics.
“First kilig in Tokyo!” said BINI. “It was such a wonderful time spending it with everyone. Thank you for welcoming us with so much love and energy at Summer Sonic. Let’s meet again!”
Before their historic performances at Summer Sonic—which also marked the first time that they represented the Philippines at the same global festival—SB19 and BINI reunited to collaborate on content for their latest tracks, Lawless and Step Back. The latest milestone comes as they officially become the country’s faces, championing OPM in the international scene.
Just last month, SB19 made history as the first all-Filipino group to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago, while BINI brought P-pop to Coachella in their groundbreaking appearance at one of the largest music festivals in California. With one big stage after another, SBINI19 are proving their global domination is nowhere near over.