While BINI‘s first U.S. tour dates this summer already felt like a milestone for the Philippines’ biggest girl group, that proved to be only the start of a year filled with crucial crossover moments in music and beyond.

After the Biniverse World Tour hit major stops from Los Angeles and New York to Toronto, London and Dubai, the eight-piece act once again extended its global footprint by carving out a historic space for themselves on the American festival circuit, launching a complete beauty line and bringing a part of Filipino childhoods to the global-pop market.

Earlier this week, BINI made history as the first Filipino group booked to perform at Coachella — a festival that still functions as a key industry tastemaker and signal of who to watch each year. The announcement follows their newest single “Shagidi” and the launch of BINI Cosmetics, a beauty line the group says was built from the inside out for their fans — affectionately known as Blooms — and arrives at a moment when Filipino culture is gaining new visibility on the global stage. Together, the moves read like proof of intent: BINI now reaches more than 16 million followers across social platforms and they’re using that reach to put Filipino music and aesthetics in new rooms.

“When we were on the Zach Sang Show earlier this year, we said out loud that we dreamed of performing at Coachella and now it’s really happening,” the group says in an exclusive statement to Billboard following the news. “To see that manifestation come true is beyond surreal. Being part of the 2026 lineup isn’t just a milestone for BINI, it’s a moment for Filipino music and for everyone who has believed in us since the beginning. We can’t wait to bring our music and our culture to the desert stage.”

BINI’s latest single, “Shagidi,” is another modern-musical translation of Filipino tradition. Playful and upbeat, the track takes its cue from a children’s game in the Philippines called “Shagidi Shapopo” and reframes it as a pop hit — not so dissimilar from ROSÉ and Bruno Mars‘ massive “APT.,” which turned a Korean drinking game into a hook-heavy Billboard Hot 100 hit. Both songs are accessible cultural touchstones meant to connect new audiences with the singers themselves, but also their backgrounds.

A similarly personal ethos drove BINI Cosmetics. “Our beauty line is more than just colors; it’s our heart showing up,” the group adds. “We were involved in every step, choosing shades, designing packaging, even the naming of each product, because we wanted something that speaks to us and to every Bloom out there. We want people to feel seen, to feel confident doing their own thing, whether you wear makeup every day or just sometimes. It’s for everyone, no filters, no limitations.”

Below, members Jhoanna, Aiah, Gwen, Colet, Stacey, Maloi, Mikha, and Sheena walk us through late-night palette debates, as well as the pressure, joys and creative process behind their first U.S. concerts, and how these milestones fit into a larger plan to bring the Philippines’ pop sound — and Filipino creatives — to new stages around the world.

How did you feel about your first-ever U.S. show being in New York City?

 Sheena: Of course we felt so blessed, so grateful, and so proud with our first stop in the U.S. in New York because,  honestly, this whole world tour and especially here in North America, was really us taking a risk. We know ourselves that we don’t have that many Blooms here compared to our families in the Philippines. But we have a saying that even if we’re performing in front of a thousand Blooms, hundreds or even just one Bloom, we will always give our best and show and excellence because that’s the show that our Blooms deserve.

It’s interesting that you call it a risk given the big crowd you had at the Theater at MSG. What were your concerns?

Aiah:  When we learned about the venues, the capacity of each arena, we told our management, “Can we really feel this? Are you sure?” Or even just half of them, we were very doubtful. But like we said, we thought, “Let’s just take the risk,” you know? And perform for our Blooms.

Jhoanna:  And having a sold-out concert, that’s just a bonus for us.

Getting to see your concert showed me how important live vocals are to your show. Many times, you’re all singing the choruses, you get to show off some Christina Aguilera ad-libs moments. Why is the vocal aspect important to a BINI show?

Maloi:  I think that is what we trained for. Like we trained for almost — how many years? — two years. And we are still training now. So, I think it’s very important for us to show what we can really do.  Seeing people appreciate what we can do or what we have is so nice to see: to see their comments and even their constructive criticisms for us to be better performers. For me, I enjoy it more if I sing live and if I do make a mistake live, I think that’s the beauty of it — the rawness of our voices. You can hear the beats, the voice cracks and everything. It makes you feel more like, “I’m here and this is life.”

Stacey: Most of the time and most of the performances, we’ll have issues with the technical [aspects], with the sound, our in-ears, our microphones; but we are grateful for the sound engineers because they can fix everything fast.

Aiah: Every show is unpredictable and you won’t always get to have a perfect one. So, sometimes it really is a trial and error because we go to different stages, we have to rehearse it in ways to make sure it’s all good and we’re ready just in case things aren’t working. But when you perform, sometimes, even if you have rehearsed for it, anything can really happen.

Mikha: Especially with the clothes. We don’t wear the same clothes every concert and we don’t really have time to do dress rehearsals [with every outfit], so it’s kind of hectic backstage. We’ll get our sound engineers to help us out, also, even though it’s not their job to do it. People who aren’t supposed to help us or be assistant stylists become assistant stylists because of everything. But that’s good, you know? We’re all all-rounders now. [Laughs] I think people think that we’re a big team, but in reality, it’s so few. We just make it look like a whole crowd is working for us, but it’s really quite intimate and small.

Speaking of clothes, the fashion on tour was really stunning and something I hadn’t seen before. Do you get a say in what you wear?

Maloi: Of course, every time we go out on stage, we always make sure that we show our branding, our true selves like this. The [regular] clothes that we are wearing right now, this is who we are and another representation of who we are, how we style ourselves, and how we want to be perceived by other people. I think it’s love also because our stylist, our visual director at the Ica [Villanueva], is always there for us to make sure that we look good on stage and, as much as she can, wants to make every stage unique. So, we are just so grateful that we have these unique looks that are at the same time cohesive. Every girl is different, but cohesive at the same time.

 Colet: When it comes to outfits, our visual director, Ms. Ica, always aims for the top Filipino designers. So, we always have our go-tos like Marian Zara, Iñigo [Villegas], RAFA Worldwide, everyone is Filipino. The New York show included a Filipino designer from here.

Gwen: And  we even do upcycling now, actually. So we’ll use bottles of soda and soft drinks and we put that into our outfits.

There were videos in between concert sections where we saw some elaborate headdresses, gowns and other looks. Was that another way to show your culture?

 Mikha: That was Ms. Ica’s idea, of course. She wanted to add the headdresses because I think it was designed locally.

Maloi:  And it’s very eccentric which is very good. Because we really want to be unique in this industry, not just being the traditionally Filipino look, but we want to be something more extra. I think it was  inspired from our Filipino farmer caps. But make it extra, make it fashion.

Mikha: They’re actually heavy, we were struggling. [Laughing] Our gowns were heavy too.

Jhoanna: The gowns were shipped from a province and each of the dresses came in a big, individual box. I think they weighed around, probably, more than two or three kilos [approximately 4.4-6.6 pounds] or something…

Group: More!

These all bring out so many cool messages, but I wonder from all these separate elements, what do you say is BINI’s larger message?

Gwen:  Just like the messages of our songs, we always want to inspire people to embrace their flaws, to be authentic, love yourself and celebrate each other’s uniqueness. We strongly believe that everybody is capable of inspiring, so we say let’s be a reason for someone’s confidence.

 How do you arrive at that message? Did you need to find that confidence within yourselves to share it with others?

Mikha:  I think it’s an everyday struggle. Yeah. You know, to be the best version of yourself and also accept your flaws. But I think I wouldn’t want to speak for everyone here, but for me personally, there are times that I don’t feel that great and that’s okay as long as you don’t really affect the people around you in a negative way.

Having a clear message is important when you’re actively crossing over like I see you doing. Do you have a mindset or strategy to approaching your global expansion?

Stacey:  Right now, I would say we are still in our testing of waters, but we really want to tap into people from all over the world and reach a wider audience. That’s also the reason why we collaborated with artists from different parts of the world like Belinda and Agnez Mo.  So, hopefully, in the future we get to tap more artists and that hopefully allows us to reach audiences and get them to like Philippine-pop and know more artists in our country. It’s really hard and pressuring but, well, I think pressure is good and just like our songs, “Zero Pressure” you won’t get  the diamond if you don’t have your pressure. So pressure is good.

Sheena:  Even with these changes, we always make sure to stay true to who we are.

Maloi:  We’re just so grateful that we cross borders through our music. We always try to make music that can capture through generations, from young to old, we’re just so happy that people resonate with our music because we really just want to share our experiences in life, be relatable and someone that you can be with or feel with.

Stacey: And music is a universal language.

Belinda on the “Blink Twice” remix was very cool and really speaks to how you’re reaching out to audiences. Is there any connection you see between Filipino pop and Latin music?

Mikha:  Actually, our management, they’re the ones who set it up with Belinda, but we were so excited because she’s an icon in her country and we listened to her music. It’s really amazing her voice and she can switch her voice depending on what type of song she’s singing. She’s also a good dancer! I guess we were also interested to tap into Latin [music] because there are a lot of similarities with Tagalog and Latin American country languages and Spanish. She was amazing in that song too.  We actually heard a version of just her singing the song and I was like, “You know what? She should just take the song!” [Laughs] Hopefully we can perform it and share the stage together.

Are there other artists you think would fit well on a BINI song?

Colet: “Out of My Head” with Dua Lipa!

Mikha: I was thinking “Zero Pressure” with Dua Lipa.

Sheena: A whole album with Dua Lipa. [Laughs]

Mikha: We actually have a song that hasn’t been released that I think Sabrina Carpenter would actually fit really well on, but that’s just a sneak peak!

How do you describe BINI’s sound?

Colet: On the technical side, I think BINI’s sound right now is diverse and experimental. Yes, we already found the bubblegum pop genre, but I think it’d be nice  if we have a lot of genres for people to listen to and choose whatever they feel at the moment.  But on. On an emotional level, we’re always aiming for uplifting, light and inspirational songs. So, whenever we put out music out there, it should feel like a hug — we hug everyone — it should feel comforting.

I felt that sense of comfort, particularly at the NY concert, when you shouted out Pride Month several times. Why was that important to emphasize?

Jhoanna:  Pride month is something we hold close to our hearts because BINI is all about inclusivity, empowerment and love, and that includes our LGBTQIA+ Blooms. We believe in celebrating everyone for who they are.  We just wanna be welcoming and very accepting of them. So that’s why we are all about that. We support them.

Mikha:  I think women and feminism has come a long way in the past, and I think women and all the LGBTQ community have become united and I think it’s very nice.  I think we’re almost there. You know, there’s still so much to do but I think that we’ve come a long way from how it was before in the past.

Jhoanna:  We want to remind them that they’re valid, that they are feeling our love and using our platform — it’s a really big help for them.

Sheena:  And personally I feel like we have a lot of gay friends or look up to a lot of gay icons and we try our best to protect them.  Because we also feel hurt when people say some things about them that are not true.  Actually, I feel like the RuPaul’s Drag Race really help in the Philippines to love gay people. Even me honestly, I started learning about RuPaul’s Drag Race because of the Philippine branch. And because of that I started watching different branches here in U.S., Australia, everywhere. Right now, it’s very active — we’ll even go to gay bars, we watch the shows, we perform.

Jhoanna:  She’s the Drag Race ambassador. We were supposed to celebrate her 21st birthday and she invited a lot of drag queens to perform for her.

I feel like your cosmetics line aligns with that mindset: you want to accept everyone and share what you love.

Mikha: We were very hands on when involved, it was very draining actually. There are so many ideas, products and colors to choose from — not just the formulas. There was so much going on in that meeting. Thank God though we have a team who are also helping and guiding us on what’s best and everything like that so we could come to an agreement.

Gwen: We made sure the products are easy to use and affordable. Cherry Blush can go on your eyes, cheeks, and lips. It’s not just for girls; it’s for everyone who wants to feel fresh and confident in their own style.

 Stacey: We love products that will stay because it’s very humid in the Philippines. So when we were creating the formulas, we not only thought of what we like, but also for everyone. Like, “Is it going to work with morena?” Morena is like the brown skin of our beautiful Filipinos.

Jhoanna: BINI Cosmetics is us, in color, choices we actually made together from the shade names to the packaging, down to how it should feel when you wear it. We wanted a kit that travels with you: Eye Candy for quick looks, touches like Lip Jelly that make confidence feel easy. If it empowers our Blooms to show up as themselves, that’s the win.

Mikha: We built this line to move the way we move, from rehearsals to show time to rest days. The goal was pigments and textures that play well together, so you can turn it up with Pout Pop and Cloud Lash. It’s not just about looking pretty; it’s about owning your mood and telling your story.

Now that Coachella has happened, are there other goals you want to put out there?

Stacey:  Well, our goal in being is always to improve And in terms of music. We want to hopefully be like a song book wherein whenever they open it, we have various songs that will really hit all their emotions. So hopefully with the future songs that we’ll be producing, we’re not only gonna capture their hearts, but also their ears in a way that it’ll also make them feel seen.  We really aren’t stopping. For whatever opportunities that are there for us, we’re always explorative and on the hunt for whatever it is that will add to our growth.

Jhoanna: Also, more international awards and collaborations.

Sheena: We want to perform on the main KCON stage as a complete eight. And shoutout to ENHYPEN, I miss you.

You’ve filmed TikTok challenges together with the ENHYPEN members at KCON. How was that?

Sheena: So, with ENHYPEN, I feel music-wise that me and Me and Colet really like their sound — when they release “FEVER” back in 2021 is when we started being a fan. Our collaboration was arranged by our managements in LA and  we also did a TikTok together when they had a concert in the Philippines. So, we already have two interactions. One more to go and we’re friends. [Group Laughs] I just need to manifest. I appreciate them.

Any other shoutouts?

Mikha: Hi Dua Lipa. And hi Sabrina. Hi BLACKPINK!

Jhoanna: Everyone, really, all the talented artists.

Sheena: Hi Clairo!

Anything else we can look forward to for what’s next?

Jhoanna: We have a lot tracks to be released soon and it’s all new flavors, new vibes, different feelings. We’re very excited for these songs to be out with both English and Tagalog songs.

Aiah: Thank you so much to our Blooms for always supporting BINI. Expect more songs, more performances, more meet and greets and…what else?

Jhoanna: I hope you don’t get overwhelmed with all the activations and changes for this year with BINI! We are so excited. See you soon!

The Guitar Center Music Foundation and Nashville engineering/production icon John McBride have teamed up to launch the Blackbird Music Student monthly grant program. McBride owns Music City-based Blackbird Studio. Since opening its doors in 2002, the studio has hosted recording sessions for a host of music stars such as Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake and Jack Harlow.

McBride also serves as institutional director of The Blackbird Academy. McBride and his wife, country star Martina McBride, launched the academy in 2013 which, as its website notes, is “dedicated to advancing the quality of recording education through a hands-on, professional training curriculum.”

The Blackbird grant program’s launch follows on the heels of the Guitar Center Music Foundation’s fourth annual benefit gala (Sept. 11) during which McBride and Grammy-winning songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis were both honored. McBrider eceived the foundation’s lifetime achievement award, presented by Martina and country legend Garth Brooks. McBride revealed the grant initiative’s launch during his acceptance speech noting, “Music can improve your life … and the whole world.”

Jam & Lewis were honored with the Vanguard Award, presented by Nicole Avant, daughter of the pair’s late mentor and music industry pioneer Clarence Avant. The foundation also honored firefighters and educators during the ceremony.

According to the foundation, this year’s gala doubled 2024’s fundraising efforts. Proceeds raised will go toward the foundation’s disaster relief program, helping musicians impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires by providing replacement instruments, gear and other recovery resources. Established earlier this year, the foundation’s program has already supported 600 individual musicians.

In addition to a silent auction, the gala staged a rousing musical salute to Jam & Lewis — under the direction of Adam Blackstone — which featured performances by Durand Bernarr, Eric Bellinger, Tina Campbell, Johnny Gill and Estelle. Jam and Lewis themselves closed out the evening inside Beverly Hills’ Maybourne Hotel ballroom, joining forces with former bandmates Morris Day and The Time.

“I’m delighted by the overwhelming success of this year’s gala,” said Guitar Center Music Foundation chairman David Helfant in a statement. “We raised a very large amount of money to further the foundation’s mission and programs. Special thanks to our honorees Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and John McBride, sponsors and everyone who attended. We look forward to utilizing the funds raised to continue to provide musical instruments and grants to musicians, schools, educators and hospitals for music education and music therapy. Music saves lives and the funds raised will help so many people across the country.”

Added gala chair Herb Trawick, “It was a magical night with amazing music, musicians and music people.”

For information about the Blackbird Grant and other programs, visit the Guitar Center Foundation website.

“Five Years of Impact.” That was the celebratory vibe reverberating inside the jam-packed ballroom during the Black Music Action Coalition’s (BMAC) fifth annual gala at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton on Thursday evening (Sept. 18). Presented by Live Nation, the dinner/awards ceremony saluted five music industry honorees: John Legend (BMAC Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award), Irving Azoff (BMAC Icon Award), Sherrese Clark of HarbourView Equity Partners (inaugural BMAC Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award), Kai Cenat and Apple/Apple Music (BMAC Social Impact Award) and Primary Wave Music (BMAC 365 Award).

Grammy-nominated country artist Mickey Guyton, who co-hosted the gala alongside multimedia entertainer Kenny Burns, opened the gala with an impactful performance of “Black Like Me.” Then, BMAC CEO/co-founder/president Willie “Prophet” Stiggers set the tone for the evening — celebrating the organization’s accomplishments since its inception five years ago while also emphasizing there’s still more work to be done when it comes to industry diversity, equity and inclusion, social justice and other issues.

“BMAC is in it for the long haul,” said Stiggers. “We don’t just gather to celebrate; we gather to measure progress, to honor the shoulders we stand on, to recommit ourselves to the fight for equity, justice and opportunity within the music business and beyond. We’re building an infrastructure to make sure that change lasts while still pushing our culture forward. We’ve seen corporations make big promises about justice, equity and inclusion … But today, too many of those same corporations have pulled back. They cut budgets, walked away from partnerships, abandoned the very movement they claimed to champion right when the fight got hard.”

Before the award presentations got underway, Stiggers also noted, “Equity is not charity. It’s smart business. Tonight, as we honor those who have used their platforms to drive real social change, let’s recognize this truth: BMAC is no longer just an organization. We are in fact a movement rooted in accountability and action, an unwavering belief that the future of music must be as just and as free and as powerful as the music itself.”

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds presented the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award to Legend, drawing audience laughs when he playfully confessed to being jealous of Legend’s EGOT status. Declared Legend from his seat, “You have nothing to be jealous of.”

During his acceptance speech, Legend referenced following in the footsteps of other outspoken humanitarians such as his friend/industry icon Jones and Nina Simone. “Use your voice, use your platform, use your influence to fiercely protect those who are being brave, to shield the truth tellers facing retribution, to make space for more of us because the fight is as urgent as it’s ever been,” he proclaimed to fervent applause and a standing ovation. “Excellence is beautiful, it’s important, but freedom is more important.”

Babyface was just one in a cast of surprise award presenters that included Cee Lo Green (to Primary Wave Music), Amina Diop (Cenat, who accepted via video), the Apollo Theater’s Kamilah Forbes and BET’s Connie Orlando (Clarke) and Nicole Avant (Azoff). Prior to receiving his award, Azoff — and the audience — were treated to another surprise when Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and Verdine hit the stage to perform two of the group’s classics: “Let’s Groove” and “September.” One of the evening’s most inspirational moments focused on a tribute to clemency recipient and criminal justice reform advocate Michelle West.

BMAC’s fifth gala follows in the wake of its recent announcement of a new $500,000 direct relief fund supporting families impacted by the Altadena, Calif., fires. BMAC also plans to expand its advocacy efforts globally, starting with the U.K. and Africa in 2026.

Since BMAC’s inception in June 2020, Stiggers noted the organization has distributed over $4 million in direct economic relief. And through its various initiatives and grant programs, BMAC has worked with more than 5,500 students, mentored more than 500 emerging music artists and industry professionals, and established more than 200 paid internships and job placements.