{"id":881472,"date":"2026-10-14T01:38:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T01:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/881472\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T01:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T01:38:10","slug":"sb19-bini-embrace-grammys-asian-pop-category-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/881472\/","title":{"rendered":"SB19, BINI Embrace Grammys Asian Pop Category: Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAs Recording Academy members fill out their first-round Grammy ballots this month, two of the Philippines<\/a>\u2018 biggest pop acts are speaking out and making the case for the show\u2019s most debated new category.<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking exclusively to Billboard, SB19<\/a> and BINI<\/a> said they entered the inaugural best Asian pop music performance race and consider the category an opportunity for Filipino music. \u201cWe see it as a door opening, not a box closing,\u201d BINI members Aiah and Maloi share. SB19 leader Pablo goes further, adding: \u201cIt would show the world that the Philippines isn\u2019t just a market. It\u2019s a source of original, world-class music.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe support arrives after months of debate and discussion around the category. The Recording Academy announced best Asian pop music performance on June 16 as one of five additions for the 69th Grammy Awards<\/a>, with its official description specifically mentioning \u201cK-pop, J-pop and C-pop\u201d as examples of the \u201ccontemporary popular music originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets,\u201d where submissions \u201cmust feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSome critics argued<\/a> it risked walling Asian artists off from the general fields, instead of opening a path into them. On July 29, BTS<\/a> said it would not submit its music for consideration at all this year, sharing a hope that music would be heard \u201crather than being categorized by region or language.\u201d Stray Kids<\/a> also did not submit this year, and ATEEZ<\/a> leader Hongjoong later told Variety<\/a> he agreed with BTS\u2019 sentiment, saying a Grammy is a dream for the group but emphasizing that music has no boundaries.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Recording Academy shared that it spent weeks reviewing the award<\/a>, meeting with artists, labels and managers \u2014 including BTS\u2019 label company HYBE \u2014 before announcing on Oct. 1 that it would proceed under its current rules. \u201cBy far the loudest voices were those who passionately supported keeping this category,\u201d Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said<\/a>, and the Academy noted the category had drawn a substantial number of entries, ultimately receiving 116 submissions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile the Philippines\u2019 music industry still has a long way to go to compete with Japan, South Korea and China in global<\/a> market value, both SB19 and BINI have already laid years of groundwork to break into larger mainstream-pop conversations.<\/p>\n

\n\tDebuting in 2018 with a ballad single, SB19 embraced a viral-ready, dance-pop sound<\/a> and became the first Southeast Asian act nominated for top social artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. In 2023, the quintet of Pablo, Josh, Ken, Stell and Justin left their original label home to launch their own company, 1Z Entertainment, and scored their first No. 1 on a U.S. sales-based Billboard chart when the rhythmic Tagalog-English single \u201cDAM\u201d<\/a> topped World Digital Song Sales in 2025. Released this past February, \u201cVISA\u201d takes the group into more political territory, with the brassy dance-pop track discussing hurdles Filipinos face in securing visas to work abroad while shouting out Grammy winners of Filipino heritage like Bruno Mars and Olivia Rodrigo as inspirations. The quintet performed the song Stateside this summer, becoming the first homegrown Filipino act to play Lollapalooza. SB19 also entered best pop duo\/group performance for their largely English summer single \u201cLAWLESS.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tFormed through the Star Hunt Academy series from the Philippines\u2019 massive media company ABS-CBN, BINI debuted in 2021, and members Aiah, Maloi, Jhoanna, Colet, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha and Sheena became a phenomenon at home thanks to bright, bubblegum-pop hits like \u201cPantropiko\u201d (with over 127 million views on YouTube<\/a>) and \u201cSalamin, Salamin\u201d (98 million views<\/a>). In April, the girl group became the first act formed in the Philippines to play Coachella, days after releasing its Signals EP, which includes its surging synth-pop first single \u201cUnang Kilig.\u201d BINI is also entered for best new artist. Additionally, \u201cA Parallel World,\u201d an original song sung by BINI and written by Nathan Matthew David and Shawn Serrano for the DreamWorks-Universal Pictures animated film Forgotten Island, was submitted in best song written for visual media.<\/p>\n

\n\tDespite multiple submissions, both acts say they want to keep the conversation on the Asian pop category and ensure the Recording Academy is listening to musicians from around the world as it moves forward. \u201cThe most important change moving forward is ensuring that the existence of this category does not become a ceiling,\u201d SB19\u2019s youngest member Justin says.<\/p>\n

\n\tNominations for the 69th Grammy Awards will be announced Nov. 16, ahead of the Feb. 7, 2027, ceremony in Los Angeles. Read more thoughts from SB19 and BINI in their email interviews with Billboard.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhy did you feel it was important to speak publicly about the new Grammy category for best Asian pop music performance? <\/p>\n

\n\tJustin: We\u2019ve spent years trying to show that music from the Philippines belongs in global conversations, so when a new category like this appears, we felt it was necessary to speak up. The creation of the best Asian pop music performance category directly impacts the future of Asian artists on the global stage, so it\u2019s a moment that we\u2019d like to be part of, especially with artists from Southeast Asia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tMikha: For us, this category is about visibility within the global music sphere. Asian pop music has a huge, passionate global audience, and it\u2019s meaningful to see the Recording Academy create a space that recognizes it. P-pop is growing so quickly, and we want people who may not have heard of us, to discover that the Philippines has a lot of talented artists.<\/p>\n

\n\tCan you share what you submitted to the category and why you felt they were the right songs to submit as potential nominees?<\/p>\n

\n\tStell: We submitted \u201cVISA\u201d for best Asian pop music performance. We felt that it truly represents our vocal performance and culture, and makes a strong case for the struggles we experience as Asian artists. We also submitted in best pop duo\/group performance category, but we\u2019re keeping our focus on best Asian pop music performance category.<\/p>\n

\n\tJhoanna: We submitted \u201cUnang Kilig\u201d and chose that for the best Asian pop music performance category because it captures our sound and what BINI stands for in terms of the energy, the Filipino identity, and the way it connects with fans. BINI was also submitted for the best new artist category, and \u201cA Parallel World\u201d was also submitted for best song written for visual media! We\u2019re thankful to be part of the Forgotten Island soundtrack since it\u2019s a movie that shares stories from the Philippines. Ultimately, we want to focus our submission on the best Asian pop music performance since we are representing the Philippines on this stage. We wanted to put forward the music that best tells our story.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBefore the creation of the new category, did you feel you had a chance of being recognized at the Grammys<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\n\tStacey: Honestly, it felt like a huge long shot. As a Filipino group, we dreamed about it, but the path wasn\u2019t clear. Having a category that celebrates Asian pop makes that dream feel real and reachable. It tells young artists back home that there\u2019s a place for them and that\u2019s powerful for us.<\/p>\n

\n\tJosh: To be honest, the Grammys weren\u2019t something we planned around. When we started, the goal was simply to prove that a Filipino group could build a career in pop on our own terms, and that was already a big fight. Prior to this, Asian artists largely had to compete in the best global music performance category or the broader general pop fields. Breaking into those general categories has historically been a massive hurdle for international groups.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile there has been controversy around the category, are there positives people are missing around best Asian pop music performance?<\/p>\n

\n\tPablo: There aren\u2019t enough conversations about who gets to be in the room now and many artists in this region have worked for years with little industry visibility. A dedicated category puts their work in front of voters who may not have heard it before. Exposure like that can change careers, and it can inspire the next generation of Filipino and Asian artists to aim even higher.<\/p>\n

\n\tAiah & Maloi: We think the biggest positive is the opportunity that can come out of this. This category brings attention to artists and scenes that haven\u2019t always had a spotlight, and it introduces new listeners to music they might never have found. We see it as a door opening, not a box closing. Music still speaks for itself and now more people have a reason to listen.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat kind of statement do you think that would make if you won the 2027 Grammy for best Asian pop music performance?<\/p>\n

\n\tPablo: Winning the very first award of the category would be a monumental honor. It would send a loud message that Filipino music and artists belong in global conversation. Years ago, a P-pop group on a global stage sounded unrealistic, so a win would validate everyone who built this scene alongside us with fellow artists, producers, creatives, and fans. It would show the world that the Philippines isn\u2019t just a market. It\u2019s a source of original, world-class music. And it would tell kids picking up a mic or a laptop in Manila, Cebu, or Davao that this path is possible.<\/p>\n

\n\tColet: It would be a message that talent from anywhere can reach the world stage. For the Philippines, it would be a proud, emotional moment for Filipinos everywhere, and for our fans \u2014 the Blooms, who have supported us every step of the way. For P-pop, it would show that the movement is real, and ready to be recognized alongside the best in the world.<\/p>\n

\n\tAre there any other changes you would like to see the Recording Academy or Grammys make for the future?<\/p>\n

\n\tJustin: We\u2019d love to see more about how the category is shaped and having voices from Southeast Asia involved in the process would help the category reflect the music properly. The most important change moving forward is ensuring that the existence of this category does not become a ceiling. We need to see that participating in regional categories does not prevent Asian artists from being nominated in the major general fields.<\/p>\n

\n\tGwen: We\u2019re hopeful about continued growth in how the Grammys celebrate music from around the world. We\u2019d love to see more representation, more voices from different regions in the voting body, and continued openness to feedback from artists and communities. It\u2019s encouraging to see steps being taken and we\u2019d love to see that momentum continue.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat else do you want to share about this topic? <\/p>\n

\n\tKen: We\u2019re so grateful to [SB19\u2019s fandom] A\u2019TIN who have been with us from the start and pushed us when things were uncertain. We also want to acknowledge every Filipino artist who came before us and everyone coming next. P-pop is bigger than any single group and whatever happens with our consideration for this category, we\u2019re proud of where the movement is headed.<\/p>\n

\n\tSheena: Thank you to our Blooms, who inspire us every day, and to the Filipino community for always believing in us. Thank you to all the Filipino artists who remain passionate and tireless in pushing the boundaries of where Filipino music can be taken globally. We\u2019re so proud of how far Filipino music has come, and this is only the beginning.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Recording Academy members fill out their first-round Grammy ballots this month, two of the Philippines\u2018 biggest pop…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":881473,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[3995,10546,88,497,10254,65662,216,498,3155],"class_list":["post-881472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-asia","tag-awards","tag-entertainment","tag-genre-pop","tag-global","tag-grammys","tag-music","tag-music-news","tag-philippines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=881472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/881472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/881473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=881472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=881472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=881472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}