P-pop fever ignites as K-pop group UNIS takes on BINI’s ‘Pantropiko’

Screencap from 1TheK Originals

As the summer heat begins to sizzle, the fervor surrounding the P-Pop smash hit “Pantropiko” refuses to wane, with Universe Ticket’s latest debuted group UNIS adding fuel to the existing fire with their cover.

The P-Pop girl group BINI’s breakout hit continues to dominate the airwaves not just in the Philippines but worldwide, and the rookie K-pop group’s rendition, featuring Filipino K-pop idols Elisia Parmisano and Gehlee Dangca, together with Seowon, is stoking the flames of excitement even further.

Despite being only 13 years old and not fluent in the language, maknae Seowon added a fresh twist to the fan-favorite song with over 16 million streams on Spotify, seemingly making her being “part” of the “Filipino line” with Elisia, Gehlee and Filipino Korean member Jin Hyeonju.

The “Pantropiko” performance, which premiered on 1theK Originals on April 5, quickly gained traction, amassing over 940K views and soaring to the no. 4 spot on YouTube’s trending list as of writing.

Filipino fans were quick to positively notice Seowon’s outfit similar to BINI member Jhoanna, which they find adorable. The cover video had both P-Pop and K-pop fans wanting for more because it seemed like their world just collided.

In a fancall, Elisia, cousin of HORI7ON’s Marcus from the all-Filipino global pop group based in South Korea, shared that upon learning they would perform the summer song, “ate Gehlee” and she were so happy.

Hereee hahaha, she shared a little backstory when it was announced that they will cover PANTROPIKO by @BINI_ph 🏝️

Bakit ang cuteee mo ELIIIII 😭 #ELISIA #UNIS #엘리시아 #유니스 https://t.co/cK9lAsgwUy pic.twitter.com/yEro2CZpna

— WATER THUNDER SERVICES 🌊✨ (@WATERTHUNDERTWT) April 7, 2024

But UNIS didn’t stop there; they also flaunted their versatility by covering a medley of popular songs from around the globe, including tracks by Karol G, Tiesto, Beyoncé, Noa and PLAVE.

This latest achievement comes hot on the heels of UNIS’ debut last month with “Superwoman,” signaling their promising future in the music industry. With Filipino members Elisia Parmisano, Gehlee Dangca and Jin Hyeonju adding their unique flair to the group, UNIS is poised to make waves both domestically and internationally.

Meanwhile, BINI, dubbed the “nation’s girl group,” continues to solidify its position as P-Pop royalty. With 2.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify making them the biggest P-Pop group in terms of this and dominating Spotify’s “Viral Songs Philippines” chart with nine tracks, including their latest hit “Salamin, Salamin,” which soared to no. 1 in the country and no. 26 globally, the octet shows no signs of slowing down.

Their first solo concert, “BINIverse,” sold out within two hours of tickets going on sale, prompting management to add a second night due to overwhelming demand. Additionally, their EP “Talaarawan” continues to shatter records, surpassing 27.88 million total streams on Spotify just a month after its release.