Why is it that when OPM artists push for the international market, Filipinos from the motherland are the first to bash them as Ambisyosa? We see this narrative everywhere across all social media inluding Reddit. Calling them too AMBISYOSA or FEELINGERA for holding concerts abroad in multiple stops. But shouldn't we be asking the exact opposite?
Why aren't more OPM artists pushing themselves out there? Expose themselves and take calculated Risk?
Let's be real. There are other OPM acts who even have higher streaming numbers than them.
Ang laging excuse ng iba, they have ABSCBN's backing. Yes, ABSCBN is a massive media company, but let's be real, it's bleeding money. It's not the same ABSCBN we know pre- Duterte Era. What they’re doing is simply reinvesting what BINI earned locally from concerts and Endorsements and back into their international gigs. And look at SB19, they operate as an independent company, yet they are successfully pushing themselves overseas and used their established connections with Live nation PH and Sony Music It became instrumental since Live Nation owns 51% of C3 that organizes the Lollapalooza Festival. Other giants like GMA, TV5, Cornerstone, and VIVA can definitely adopt this model for their artists or partner with established acts. We also have a lot of OPM Artists signed to the big 3 like Universal, Sony, and Warner.
Then there's the "walang demand" argument. The truth is, you don't wait for demand to fall into your lap, you create it. Just look at BINI’s top 10 listeners on YouTube Music. The Philippines is number one, followed by the US, Canada, Indonesia, UAE, Australia, Japan, India, the UK, and Saudi Arabia. This isn't just limited to BINI. We have other mainstream OPM acts with massive Spotify and YouTube monthly listeners like:
Cup of Joe (backed by the powerhouse Viva)
Dionela (under EMI of Universal Records)
IVOS and Ben & Ben (Sony Music)
I think these acts are also performing overseas as well. But I believe they can pull off a massive Tour with multiple City stops and can also draw massive crowds.
Yes, we have other OPM acts who also do overseas shows. But not Multi Cities that exceeds 10 stops.
One major thing BINI got bashed for was dropping an all-English EP in 2025 instead of Playing Safe and just stick to being Viral in the Philippines. They took a huge risk with first with "Cherry on Top," and it worked because it got non-Filipinos to finally notice them and try to listen to them and finally checking their deeper discography with the Tagalog or Taglish Songs. To the naysayers saying you don't need English songs to capture a foreign audience: that might be partly true, but OPM isn't K-Pop yet. Westerners willingly invest time to study Korean lyrics because the K-Pop infrastructure is already deeply established globally for decades. We just don't have that luxury or machinery yet. Not to mention a lot of OPM Artists release English songs since the Manila Sound or even earlier.
Did you know that English EP is exactly what got them invited to KCON LA 2024? It is super rare for non-K-Pop acts to get a spot there. That single move opened the floodgates for their 2025 World Tour covering the UK, Dubai, Canada, and the US. Most importantly, that World tour became their portfolio to be pitched for COACHELLA 2026. This is a far cry from the ridiculous bashers claiming ABSCBN paid a million dollars or whatever amount they claim for a COACHELLA spot. As if ABSCBN has that kind of money to just throw away right now? There's even a Youtuber spreading that BINI gave illicit favors just to be in COACHELLA and connected it to Epstein files because their Booking Agency Wasserman's founder was included which happened in 2003, kung saan hindi pa nga pinapanganak ang ibang members that time.
That COACHELLA stint led the CEO of Summer Sonic Japan to personally invite them to play on their second biggest stage in both Osaka and Tokyo. They even landed the OST for DreamWorks' A Parallel World for Forgotten Island. The producers explicitly confirmed in interviews that they approached BINI, debunking the fake news that ABSCBN also PAID DreamWorks for the feature. Like seriously? ABSCBN paying DREAMWORKS is laughable and pathetic.
Also claiming the Billboard Women in Music Global Force award in 2026, the same award that Jennie of Blackpink got in 2025 is the culmination of these international push. They also claimed ABS paid Billboard USA for that award. LOL
Now, we always hear this argument: Masyado silang ambisyosa, bakit kailangan mag-abroad? Why seek Western validation? Let's be real, my dear Pinoys, it's not just about validation. It’s pure business and market expansion. We might have a population of over 100 million, but our purchasing power is low. We need to tap overseas markets like North America, the Middle East, and the UK because the audiences there have much higher purchasing power than we do. We have to create more opportunities not just for performers but also to our talented composers, Sound engineers, producers, and everyone involved in the Music business.
Another legendary bashing script: “Pinoy at OFW lang din naman ang nanonood.” To burst your bubble, not everyone abroad is an OFW, and even if they were, what's wrong with that? Masama ba na madaming OFW ang manonood ng isang OPM act Abroad? Also, the diaspora in North America is an untapped goldmine with over 5 million people of Filipino descent across the US and Canada combined. Many of them are US/Canada-born, Fil-Ams, and full citizens.
Do you really think these people will automatically buy tickets just because BINI is Filipino? Hell no. Gaining the loyalty of the Gen Z and young Millennial diaspora is incredibly hard. These aren't our typical titos and titas who are suki of ASAP Kapamilya shows or TFC. These younger generations are now more culturally American or Canadian. Capturing this market is tough, but once you do, they go all out for you. Just look at the crowd during their COACHELLA set. They rallied behind the barricades and showed up. Seeing this specific demographic show up for an OPM and PPOP act is a huge deal. These are the exact same fans lining up for massive K-Pop concerts. Never belittle the power of the Filipino diaspora, because they were highly instrumental in the global explosion of K-Pop and the support of our famous Fil-Am acts.
Think about how many Fil-Ams since the 90s have tried to make it in the US music industry. How many joined American Idol, The Voice, or X-Factor, but never reached the point of doing multi-city tours? Not everyone becomes Apl.de.ap, Bruno Mars, Nicole Scherzinger, or Olivia Rodrigo.
Another thing they bash is that pop music is not deep or that the artists don't play instruments. Their lyrics are mababaw. Let's put it this way: There are paintings that are so abstract and complicated that they require deep analysis and interpretation. They make you think, and there's no problem with that. However, there are also paintings that feature great scenery, landscapes, cityscapes, and vibrant graphics that simply make you happy.
It is the same with music, it doesn't necessarily mean you are less cultured or intelligent if you also love FEEL-GOOD MUSIC. Because sometimes, there are these gatekeepers and purists who think they are far superior just because their music taste is different from the masses. Let's not forget that music is also a business, and it puts food on the table for a lot of people involved in it, from the performers, composers, and producers to the engineers, technicians, etc.
And another thing that it gives is the Experience, Happiness, and Joy to listeners and concert goers.
The Real Question Moving Forward
So the real question we should be discussing is this: How can other OPM artists, labels, and managements walk through the doors that are currently being opened?
And what kind of government intervention should we be pushing to finally make OPM as a whole a Cultural global export?
Kasi before, hanggang Viralism lang tayo sa Youtube kasi ang galing ng pag Cover ng songs or ang taas ng birit to the point mas magaling pa sa original. Then it eventually fades along the way. It did not translate in expanding our OPM market as an export.
Talking about Preference, Totoo naman not many people don't like BINI or SB19 Music. Kaya nga they wanted to expand outside of our domestic market and find their audiences daihil niche padin sila kung tutuusin. Now for our other OPM Artists na magagaling din, they can also be that PREFERENCE outside of our domestic market. Hindi pa lang sila nadidiscover masyado. Kaya hindi ito Topic about Music Preference but the expansion of our Audience that may eventually turn into someone willing to spend money for you and contribute in our music industry. Paano tayo makaka upgrade sa production kung tayo tayo lang naman din ang nakikinig at gumagastos for them?
KPOP alone generated around 24B USD last 2025. Kahit katiting lang nyan ang maging share natin it would significantly contribute to our Economy.
So if a Niche market like POP idols can push themselves outside our Domestic market, that means it can also be achieved by Bands or solo acts who even commands higher streams than them.
Anyway, This question is only applicable to those who want to go beyond our borders and expand their Market.
Also, see attached file for a Deep analysis and Report on these bashing.
BINI secret files on META
