Millions of people across the globe dream of becoming an idol. 

For many, such a lifestyle often demands a lot from them — both personally and professionally. And that’s exactly the kind of lifestyle BINI’s Aiah finds herself well-versed in most of these days.

Despite growing up with a plethora of experience in various beauty pageants and modeling gigs, nothing had quite prepared the 24-year-old P-pop idol for the changes that her life in BINI was going to entail for her moving forward.

As I sit down with Aiah, she’s somewhat restless in her place, even with the early call time that was required of their Billboard Global No. 1’s cover story shoot. “Our body is [still] reacting after everything that happened,” she mentions, slightly exasperated. “We just finished a whole series of concerts (referring to the Grand BINIverse showcase at the Araneta Coliseum), and also a whole lot of post content in between.”

Amidst their very busy schedule, the beloved BINI member still finds the time to look at the brighter side of things. To her, she notes their busy nature as a sign of “being productive” and a significant part of what made 2024 quite a momentous one for the entire group. In one year alone, the group had broken through to the Philippine mainstream — launching a barrage of hit singles, a critically (and commercially) acclaimed EP, and even two sets of sold-out concerts all within a few months. 

“I can’t believe how this year, in our eyes, 2024 is BINI’s year. Because every time we released something or every year that had passed before, we would always say that we hoped this would be our year,” she states.

bini aiah billboard global no. 1s

Photographed by Shaira Luna.

For Aiah, the group’s success throughout 2024 comes as no surprise to her — even if she could admit that she had expected their breakthrough success to happen at least a few years from the present day.  “We always dreamed of having a lot of achievements, so we can’t believe that almost all our milestones happened this year — because we always suspected it [to happen] a bit later.”

“It’s just been so crazy that we got to put out everything in one year.”

Throughout the whirlwind journey the group has had over the last twelve months, Aiah has always remained aware of the weight of their accomplishments, not merely for them but also for the overall Philippine music scene. As we joke about the famous Spider-Man quote, “With great power comes great responsibility,” she notes how it’s something that they have indeed discussed amongst themselves, and even with their own team at Star Music.

“This is what our Coach Miki always said: it’s to always do your part, because a lot of people have really invested a lot of their effort, their time, and so much love that they’ve poured into this project [of BINI], and for us,” she mentions. “I honestly think kulang pa lang ‘yung (it’s not enough to be) playing the part [on our end], eh. Because they’re all there — a whole group of people supporting us. And then there’s us, and we just be BINI, the girls that we are. The same as before, even before we boomed or something like that.”

Having such an immense amount of support behind her and her fellow members is something that further fuels her dedication to do her best throughout every performance, every recording session, and even every shoot. For not only is it a means of inspiration for Aiah, but it’s also a motivating factor that allows her to believe in herself, her BINI sisters, and in the team that firmly believes in them.

“Of course, we’ve all had those moments wherein we’ve questioned, like do we have to do this? Is it necessary? And you don’t the results of those things at first. But after a while, it begins to make sense. So, we also trust in the process,” Aiah says with a hint of pride. 

Such guidance from their management has encouraged the girls to navigate their careers in a more focused and disciplined manner, especially with their approach to their use of social media. Given that the group had made their debut amid a worldwide pandemic, their approach to cultivating a fanbase was one that had to be meticulous and methodical, yet simultaneously authentic.

“I think the pandemic was really the time wherein we tried our very best to be seen online, especially since that was a great opportunity for us to introduce ourselves. So with everybody in the online world, we did a whole lot of livestreams, as well as a lot of solo and group content,” she recalls.

In her words, the process behind it was a massive adjustment period — and not merely because of the pandemic protocols. A lot of it had required Aiah and her fellow members to familiarize themselves with handheld devices and to accurately convey their energy to their fans and audience through a digital set-up. Yet with her steadfast determination, it was something that she got the hang of in no time.

“As we would vlog solo, we would also have group assignments for that. There were so many factors involved because we had to tap as many markets as possible, including different age groups and all that. But at the end of it, I really think it helped us a lot.”

Today, that audience has translated into thousands of fans who have clamored for tickets across some of the Philippines’ biggest concert venues, including the New Frontier Theatre, the Araneta Coliseum, and now, the Philippine Arena. Though several online skeptics have not only wondered but doubted the massive appeal of BINI, Aiah remains confidently aware of what has allowed the group to enamor millions of Filipinos and listeners all around the world. 

“People want people who are relatable. Because, like me, actually if I try to find someone I want to idolize, someone I can relate to, I can feel like, oh, they’re just a human being, just like me. That’s why when there are so many people who tell me, with all the attention or papansin (attention seeking) we’ve made online, it turns out we’re relatable, which is honestly the best thing they could say about us.”

bini aiah billboard global no. 1s

Photographed by Shaira Luna.

With their immense reach in the Philippine mainstream, many Filipinos have recognized BINI’s platform as an opportunity to serve as flag-bearers for the OPM scene — in addition to their recognition as “the nation’s girl group.” Such a title comes with several responsibilities, many of which Aiah herself describes as a “great opportunity” for both her peers and the local community. 

“It is such a great responsibility. We’re not just bringing our name, but we’re incorporating the Philippines’ name to BINI. And it’s really an honor to have that. We really started out as a bunch of girls from different parts of the Philippines.” 

She continues, “Because of that, it’s motivating. Even though it’s a lot of pressure, we more of see it as a motivation that, okay, because a lot of people trust us, we can really do more than what we expected. And not because we’re just doing this for ourselves, but there are also so many artists out there who believe in this for us, [both] old ones, and new ones.”

“It’s so cool how much trust they’ve put into us. So we hope that in the future we can release more music — because it’s not just our success, but it will also come up as everyone’s success.”

While numerous popular figures have adjusted to fame in various ways (some of which are unpleasant), Aiah mentions how she’s adapted to this new lifestyle by remaining grounded because of the people in her life. “With my family and friends, they know me as Aiah first, and not as BINI Aiah. It’s a compliment, really, because they balance me out.”

“Despite all of the stuff that we’ve experienced as BINI girls, at the end of the day, I’m still Aiah as Aiah — and not BINI Aiah.  In a sense, I get to be normal and be how I was before [with these people]. I don’t really get to feel that wherever I go, especially when I don’t have work.”

“I’m just Aiah — a regular girl, ganun [like that],” she mentions, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

Although she notes how silly it sounds at face value, she stresses a point that there are some people (including some fans) who always feel as if they know who they are, based merely on what they’ve come to know of their social media accounts, or even their music and performance videos. While Aiah notes that she appreciates the devotion of their fans, she gets candid about the various struggles she and her fellow BINI sisters have gone through in the past year, which range from a multitude of hate comments to real-life privacy invasions.

“[Sometimes] they (the fans) think they know you. With criticisms online, parang nung una, ay parang ba’t ganito ‘yung mga tao (like at first, I was like, why are people like this)? But I was like, I’m unbothered. I pray for you. God bless you. You really need this in your life. You just need some light, I guess,” she jokes. “With social media, anyone can hide from a fake account. But then it’s all just words. So it’s up to you if you digest it all and let it affect you. And I’m like, hmm, let’s just do me!”

“But the one that I would say of all that affected me, I’m still a bit anxious about is the privacy thing. Because I guess the first phase that we experienced was where people really, by choice, do not understand nor do they choose to respect our privacy. Kahit alam nila na parang too much na — pero inuuna nila ‘yung self nila. (Even if they know that it’s too much — they still prioritize what they want for themselves).” 

“At first, it was really overwhelming and it gave me so much anxiety. Now though, medyo nangangapa pa rin (I’m a bit wary), but we try to understand that they’re excited and they rarely see us. And it’s also a test of boundaries for us — a test of patience. And at the same time trying to balance it while being polite, pero minsan (but sometimes) they’ll follow us to the restroom. And they’ll knock on the doors asking us to make pa-picture lang (just take a photo with us).”

Given the seriousness of it all, Aiah notes how such aspects of their lives have really taken a toll on the entire group. However, it’s something that they note comes with the life of an idol — which, although unfortunate, is something that they had to adjust to. “It’s a learning process. But now that we started speaking up about it, we also learned that other people, not just by choice, lack awareness. Yeah. They’re like, oh, they’re also human,” she says.

Pero ang dami din palang takot. (Apparently, there are so man people who are scared because they go through the same thing). Ever since we spoke about it, there were a lot of messages like, thank you for speaking about it from some of our fellow artists. Because you’re also speaking on behalf of us. They’re also afraid.”

bini aiah billboard global no. 1s

Photographed by Shaira Luna.

Still, Aiah has no regrets about using her voice to speak up on behalf of others. In fact, she’s attained a sense of clarity on what she would want her and her fellow BINI to be remembered as, even all these years later in the music scene. “With all the success and the music that we have, I think I still want everyone to know us. How we are as people. How we are as the BINI girls. We’re just being ourselves, still the same with our signature sense of humor, but also empowered to speak up about what’s right.”

“Although people are going to remember us for the cheerful, very poppy, and feel-good kind of music, those are the words we want to incorporate whenever they hear the name BINI. We want people to remember our personalities, and also to be reminded that we’re a bunch of cheerful youngsters,” she says with a laugh.

“But through it all, being together — it’s what makes us happy. We’re together, we see each other, and we’re together for the better.”

As Aiah reflects on her journey, it’s clear that despite the pressures and sacrifices that come with being a rising P-pop star, she remains deeply rooted in the values that matter most: authenticity, gratitude, and a sense of responsibility to both her fans and the Filipino music scene. The success of BINI last year is not just a testament to their hard work and talent –– but also to the bonds they share as a group and the unwavering support they receive from their community.

Through all the triumphs, the challenges, and the constant balancing act of fame, Aiah and her BINI sisters continue to grow, not only as artists but also as individuals who stand together, grounded in their shared sense of purpose and joy. As they look to the future, it’s clear that their journey has only just begun, but with their unwavering authenticity and deep connection to their fans, one thing is certain — BINI are here to stay.


Read BINI’s Global No. 1’s digital cover story here.

Photographed by Shaira Luna. Creative Direction by Alannah Mitra. Art Direction by Nicole Almero. Styling by Quayn Pedroso. Makeup by Angeline Tan (Maloi, Mikha, Gwen, & Stacey). Makeup by Theresa Padin (Colet, Aiah, Sheena, & Jhoanna). Hair by July Vito (Stacey, Aiah, Colet, & Sheena). Hair by Cristine Benoman (Jhoanna, Mikha, Gwen, & Maloi). Photography assistants Emelito Lansangan & Albert Calaguas. Styling assistant Renan Pacson. Produced by Mika Cruz.

Featured artwork by Orley Ypon, Blooming Flowers in Pussian (Alcala, Cagayan Valley)