"Lagi" (lit.'Always') is a song recorded by the Filipino girl group Bini. Star Music released it on June 24, 2022. It was the group's third solo single of 2022, following the non-album single "Pit A Pat". It was also the first single from their 2022 sophomore album Feel Good. "Lagi" is an upbeat bubblegum pop and electropop song about falling in love.
Louie Canaria wrote and composed "Lagi". Jonathan Manalo produced "Lagi". Ramaru Mataro is credited for musical arrangement, Anna Graham is credited for vocal arrangement, Theo Martel is credited for additional synths, and Jeremy Glinoga is credited for recording.
The song achieved moderate success when it was first released in 2022. It topped the iTunes Philippines chart and was included in several curated playlists by Spotify. In 2024, following Bini's surge in popularity, "Lagi" enjoyed a fresh wave of success. It debuted on Billboard Philippines' weekly Philippines Hot 100 and Top Philippine Songs chart, peaking at nine and five respectively.
The 2022 romantic comedy film An Inconvenient Love and 2024 romantic comedy series What's Wrong with Secretary Kim featured "Lagi" in their soundtrack. Bini member Gwen acknowledges "Lagi" as a musical turning point for the group. It is also widely regarded as a showcase for the members' singing abilities.
Background and release
Bini, a Filipino pop girl group, dabbled in different genres before returning to the bubblegum pop and electropop sound of "Lagi".[1] It was the first single from Bini's second album Feel Good.[2] It was released in June 2022, months before the album itself was released on September 29, 2022. It followed the non-album single "Pit A Pat",[3] as well as the final single from their debut album Born to Win, "Na Na Na", their official cover of The Itchyworms song "Kabataang Pinoy" with SB19, and their collaboration with BGYO, "Up!". The Feel Good album includes both the original version of "Lagi" and an acoustic version.[4][5]
A 15-second sample of the song's final chorus. Colet, a main vocalist in the group, sings the chorus in a higher key and with more intensity than the previous choruses, representing the heightened emotions of the narrator.
Jonathan Manalo produced the song, with musical arrangement by Ramiru Mataro and vocal arrangement by Anna Graham. Additional synths were provided by Theo Martel. Jeremy Glinoga is credited for recording "Lagi" at the AORG Studio. It was written and composed by Louie Canaria.[9][10] Lyrically, "Lagi" describes the giddy thrill of falling in love.[11] The narrator in "Lagi" talks about constantly singing in joy for their new lover and being unable to suppress their feelings for the person.[12]
Reception
The Bini members' vocal performances in "Lagi" garnered praise from critics and fans alike,[13][14][15][2] especially the climactic bridge and final chorus sung by the group's main vocalists Colet and Maloi and one of their lead vocalists, Jhoanna.[13][14] Rafael Bautista of Nylon Manila wrote, "From the lyrics, production, and vocals, Lagi hits the mark as a modern love song and wonderfully captures the feeling of having butterflies when you think about that special someone."[2]
The track steered the group towards the "cutesy" bubblegum pop niche for which they are now known. In a 2024 interview for The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Bini member Gwen identified "Lagi" as a major turning point for Bini. She said that after trying various genres, the group finally found success with "Lagi".[1] Mallorca later quoted Lai Frances, a Filipino-American journalist and moderator for the KCON LA panel, naming "Lagi" as an example of P-Pop songs promoting "honesty". Frances said, "It's refreshing to hear. It makes you feel like you're catching up with somebody and they want to get to know you. I think that's what I love about it the most."[16]
"Lagi" topped the iTunes Philippines chart when it was first released. The song was featured on three of Spotify's officially curated playlists: P-Pop on the Rise, Radar Philippines and New Music Friday.[9] In 2024, following the group's exponential growth in popularity, "Lagi" entered charts again, despite having been released two years prior. In July 2024, "Lagi" peaked at number five on Billboard Philippines'Top Philippine Songs chart.[17][18] "Lagi" peaked on their Philippines Hot 100 chart in the week of July 6, 2024, at number nine.[19]
Music video
Most of the music video for the song "Lagi" by Bini was filmed in the Dessert Museum.
The music video starts with the Bini members in an online class with a young man who hides his face behind a teddy bear mask. The members are then magically transported to a colorful candy land, sharing romantic moments with their masked classmate.[9][13] The masked classmate is played by model Brian Santamaria.[13]
Creative content agency YouMeUs MNL produced the "Lagi" music video. The video's director Amiel Kirby Balagtas, production manager Xavier Alfonso, creative producer Dale Reciña, assistant director Troi Bautista, and director of photography Jireh Bacasno were all from the agency.[9] It was filmed in the Dessert Museum, a candy-themed interactive art exhibition in Pasay, Philippines.[20]
Live performances
The group first performed "Lagi" live in July 2022, on the variety program It's Showtime.[10] In the following week, "Lagi" was one of the songs that Bini performed at the first-ever Tugatog Music Festival, which took place in the SM Mall of Asia Arena on July 15, 2022. Nikko Tuazon of PEP.ph reported that the group faced technical difficulties, but continued to perform.[21] In June 2023, the group's official YouTube channel uploaded a dance practice video for "Lagi" with live singing. The members' vocal stability as they danced was praised and the clip went viral.[15]
Bini performed "Lagi" as the opening act during the 2024 celebration of Philippine Independence Day at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. However, safety concerns arose during their performance, as unruly crowds led to medical emergencies for some attendees. Others climbed the scaffolding in an attempt to enter the venue and approached the stage at close proximity. Due to the escalating situation, the group was forced to cut their performance short.[22][23] At the Grand Biniverse in November 2024, Bini performed a brand-new R&B arrangement of "Lagi".[24]
