Laufey surprised her Manila crowd with a very special guest appearance, and one of them even celebrated her birthday on that stage.
Nearly a month after their first meeting at the Billboard Women in Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, girl group BINI and Icelandic singer Laufey reunited in Manila.
The collaboration took place during the second night of Laufey’s “A Matter of Time” tour, where she invited BINI onstage as special guests.
The crowd erupted as soon as Laufey mentioned BINI’s name, underscoring the group’s growing popularity and their ability to attract audiences beyond the P-pop genre.
"Is BINI here? What?" Laufey said to her fans, playing up the excitement before BINI stepped onto the stage.
The girls arrived in Vania Romoff gowns and wore them with effortless elegance, which suited them perfectly, given Laufey’s audience is known for its discerning fashion sense.
Together, they performed "From The Start," with the members taking turns on the lyrics in pairs: Mikha and Aiah, Maloi and Jhoanna, Colet and Stacey, and Sheena and Gwen.
As the song drew to a close, Laufey switched up her own lyrics to sing, "Manila, I love you from the start," sending the audience into a frenzy.
The night held an extra layer of meaning for one member in particular. It was Maloi's birthday, and Laufey made sure to mark the occasion by presenting her with a signed vinyl as a gift.
Maloi later posted a selfie with Laufey on her Instagram Stories, which Laufey quickly reposted on her own page along with a heartfelt message.
"Happy birthday angel!!!! Thank you for spending your special day with me on stage," Laufey wrote.
Fans flooded X with videos of the surprise appearance, with many expressing just how much the moment meant to them.
“sobrang di ako makahinga! biglang lumabas ang BINI and couldn’t believe na ganto kasobrang lapit,” one fan wrote on X.
Laufey also took to TikTok to share a behind-the-scenes clip with the girls backstage.
Laufey Sigríður Jónsdóttir, an Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, first gained a following on social media before entering the mainstream with a distinctive blend of jazz, classical, and indie pop.
Her 2023 album Bewitched earned the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2025, reinforcing her status as one of the most acclaimed young artists of her generation.
Her fan base is known for its strong support and the sophisticated fashion often seen at her concerts, a standard that BINI has always been recognized for as well.
BINI, meanwhile, is composed of Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Jhoanna, Sheena, Stacey, and Mikha. They debuted in 2021 under Star Music and Star Hunt Academy and have since grown into a cultural phenomenon.
Often referred to as the Nation’s Girl Group, they have topped local music charts, sold out major venues, and gained recognition beyond the Philippines.
Their appearance alongside Laufey underscored both the rise of P-pop and BINI’s leading role in the genre.
—By Paolo Lim