On 5th March, P-Pop queens BINI made their first comeback of 2026. Although they revealed the lead single “Unang Kilig” (First Kilig) at Kiligan Fest on Valentine’s Day, the girls surprised us with an unannounced B-side, “Honey Honey.” Two of &ASIAN’s resident Filipino journalists, Andros and Julienne, share their brutally honest thoughts on the songs and music video.
Note: The writers’ reviews here were translated from the original Taglish (Tagalog and English) to English.
On “Unang Kilig,” the lead single with Taglish lyrics:
JULIENNE: In terms of the music, “Unang Kilig” isn’t bubblegum pop at all, contrary to how it’s being marketed. For me, if the group is going to experiment beyond bubblegum, their team shouldn’t be afraid of shedding the “bubblegum” label. I know they’re doing this to appease BINI’s haters, and even a lot of fans who yearn for their old sound. But clinging to that label while clearly trying new things is going to be ineffective in the long run.
Most of their newer releases haven’t been bubblegum at all. For example, press releases called “Paruparo” (Butterfly) a bubblegum pop track. In reality, it had a house beat and some frankly outdated-sounding EDM riffs that reminded me of 2010s Chainsmokers songs. Dressing up a song in pink won’t make it bubblegum if it’s really not. Even if there’s some pushback at first, there’s nothing wrong with change. BINI is evolving—say it with your chest.
ANDROS: I agree with you that this isn’t bubblegum pop. In my opinion, it’s a blend of city pop and R&B. I also noticed that the song was distributed through The Orchard (note: a subsidiary of Sony Music based in New York), which is a bit new and surprising to me. I only found out on their credit section on Genius Lyrics and YouTube.
ANDROS: The bridge of “Unang Kilig” that goes from Aiah to Colet, then the final chorus by Jhoanna and Stacey? They nailed it. The song reminds me of music from the ’80s and ’90s, particularly Janet Jackson’s style and mood.
JULIENNE: Jeremy G produced, wrote, and composed “Unang Kilig.” He also arranged the vocals alongside BINI’s vocal coach Anna Achacoso-Graham. This guy is awesome. You can hear that same style that’s clearly heavily influenced by retro soul, pop, and disco in Jeremy’s own music. But one, he makes it sound so fresh. Two, the song sounds like an actual BINI song, not a Jeremy G track sung by eight women, even though his personal style is palpable in the production.
He accentuates each girl’s vocal colour so well, which you can hear in “Infinity” (a track from BINI’s 2025 album FLAMES) too. He didn’t just utilise the vocal line (Colet, Maloi, Gwen, and Jhoanna); the sub-vocalists also had ad-libs and other vocal highlights in “Infinity.” Seeing Colet get the bridge high note in “Unang Kilig” makes me so happy. She’s one of the best singers in P-Pop in terms of technique. But a lot of BINI’s newer songs fail to emphasise Colet’s prodigious vocal abilities. Thank you for showcasing each member properly, Jeremy G.
Our thoughts on the “Unang Kilig” music video
ANDROS: To me, this MV isn’t one of their best, but it’s still great. BINI shot this at the Dolphy Theater in Quezon City, Manila. I think this was the last shoot at the Theater before it was sold to Ayala Land, Inc. It’s also where BINI first performed as a group for their management after auditions and training. I would say that this was a great final tribute before the acquisition.
As a movie lover, I enjoyed the memorable scenes from She’s Dating The Gangster (recreated by Jhoanna, Sheena, and actor Vhong Navarro), Labs Kita… Okey Ka Lang? (recreated by Maloi, Mikha, and actor Gerald Anderson), Love You To The Stars and Back (recreated by Gwen, Colet, and actor Richard Gutierrez), and I Love You, Hater (recreated by Aiah and Stacey). The Gangster scene hit me particularly hard because it’s my favourite movie. The MV is also similar to High School Musical.
ANDROS: The whole cast gave good acting performances. I will also praise their stylist Ica Villanueva and the rest of the glam team for their splendid work in the MV. The ending where they parodied the MGM Lion logo, replacing it with Sheena doing the viral Alden Richards pose, was so funny.
JULIENNE: Speaking of Sheena, she’s not just a source of humour. She also created the choreography.
JULIENNE: Obron Propmaster and Robert Jose, the set designers from BINI’s “Cherry on Top” MV, did the sets here as well. “Unang Kilig” takes place in a far less whimsically stylised environment than COT. It’s pretty much just the theatre, but Obron and Robert elevate the visuals. The stage with the skyline lights in the background is so beautiful. Kudos to BINI’s frequent director Kerbs Balagtas too. He conveys the theatre’s size well. It looks like a big, roomy world even though everything happens in a single building.
On “Honey Honey,” the B-side with English (mostly, plus a Taglish rap) lyrics:
ANDROS: I don’t have a lot to say, but this one is definitely bubblegum pop.
JULIENNE: Cute track. It reminds me of PinkPantheress’ songs. “Honey Honey” follows Pink’s formula of catchy bubblegum pop + wispy breakbeat instrumentals.
ANDROS: I can imagine them singing this at Coachella along with “Sweet Tooth” (another English track from FLAMES).
JULIENNE: “Honey Honey” is super soft, bright, and easy to listen to. On that note, it’s strange that the description for the official lyric video claims that this song has “a touch of hyper-pop.” A touch of hyper-pop where? Hyper-pop is defined by aggressive beats, very far from this feathery light sound. Not every club beat is “hyper-pop.”
Our verdict:
ANDROS: I think “Unang Kilig” is a wonderful representation of P-Pop. If we have a SEAblings (Southeast Asian Pop) Festival, my dream BINI set would include this song, “Salamin, Salamin” (Mirror, Mirror), “Pantropiko” (Tropical), “Zero Pressure,” and “Sweet Tooth.”
JULIENNE: “Unang Kilig” and “Honey Honey” are on the right track for sure. The melodies are sophisticated and strong. BINI doesn’t need to go back to their old sound. Finding songwriters who understand them and can create robust toplines, not just good beats, is the key.
“Unang Kilig” and “Honey Honey” are out now on all streaming platforms. You can find BINI on Instagram here.