Lagi (song)

"Lagi" (lit. 'Always') is a song recorded by the Filipino girl group Bini from their second album Feel Good (2022). Written and composed by Louie Canaria, "Lagi" is an upbeat bubblegum pop and pop rock song about falling in love. It was released by Star Music on June 24, 2022.

"Lagi" achieved moderate commercial success and garnered praise from critics and fans alike. Rafael Bautista of Nylon Manila lauded the track for its seamless blend of meaningful lyrics, polished production, and compelling vocals. In a 2024 interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Bini member Gwen highlighted "Lagi" as a pivotal moment for the group, explaining that after experimenting with various genres, the song marked their breakthrough success. Inquirer writer Mallorca also cited Filipino-American journalist Lai Frances, who described the song as an example of P-pop songs that convey genuine honesty, noting its refreshing tone and conversational style. The song entered Billboard Philippines' Philippines Hot 100 and Top Philippine Songs charts, peaking at number nine and five, respectively. Additionally, "Lagi" was featured as a soundtrack in the 2022 romantic comedy film An Inconvenient Love and the 2024 Philippine romantic comedy series What's Wrong with Secretary Kim.

Bini dabbled in different genres before returning to the bubblegum pop sound of "Lagi".^[1] It was the first single from Bini's second album Feel Good.^[2] It was released in June 2022.^[3] On September 29, Bini released their second album, Feel Good, which includes both the original version of "Lagi" and an acoustic version.^[4]

The song was later included in the soundtrack for the 2022 romantic comedy film An Inconvenient Love,^[5] as well as the 2024 romantic comedy series What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, the Philippine adaptation of the 2018 Korean series of the same name.^[6]

Various sources have described "Lagi" as a bubblegum pop song.^[1][7][8] However, Julienne Loreto of Pop Journal argued that bubblegum pop was vaguely defined as a musical genre, and functioned more as a branding element. They identified "Lagi" as a pop rock song, pointing out the "hard-hitting" percussion, which was placed high in the mix.^[9] 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.^[10][11]

Lyrically, "Lagi" describes the giddy thrill of falling in love.^[12] The narrator in "Lagi" talks about constantly singing in joy for their lover and being unable to suppress their feelings for the person.^[13] The Philippine Daily Inquirer's Jelou Galang wrote that the song "perfectly" captures the scenarios that somebody may imagine when a new person is "overstaying" in their head, listing it as a song that matches the first stage of infatuation.^[14]

The vocal performances in "Lagi" was praise by critics and fans alike,^{[15][16][17][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.^[15][16] Rafael Bautista of Nylon Manila wrote that "Lagi" was reminiscent of Filipino bubblegum pop music from the early 2010s, but with a "fresh coat of paint".^[8] In a separate article, he stated, "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] Pop Journal's Julienne Loreto called "Lagi" one of the Philippines' "greatest" pop rock hits of the past few years.^[9]

The track steered the group toward the "cutesy" bubblegum pop niche for which they are now known. In a 2024 interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Bini member Gwen identified "Lagi" as a major turning point for the group, saying that after experimenting with various genres, they finally found success with the song.^[1] Lai Frances, a Filipino-American journalist and moderator for the KCON LA panel, cited "Lagi" as an example of P-pop songs that promote "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."^[18]

"Lagi" was featured on three of Spotify's officially curated playlists: P-Pop on the Rise, Radar Philippines and New Music Friday.^[10] In 2024, following the group's growth in popularity, "Lagi" entered charts again. In July 2024, "Lagi" peaked at number five on Billboard Philippines' Top Philippine Songs chart.^[19][20] "Lagi" peaked on their Philippines Hot 100 chart in the week of July 6, at number nine.^[21]

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.^[10][15] Brian Santamaria portrays the man in the bear mask.^[15]

The video was produced by the creative content agency YouMeUs MNL and directed by Amiel Kirby Balagtas. ^[10] It was filmed in the Dessert Museum, a candy-themed interactive art exhibition in Pasay.^[22]

The group first performed "Lagi" live in July 2022, on the variety program It's Showtime.^[11] 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.^[23] 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.^[17]

Bini performed "Lagi" as the opening act during a 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. Due to the escalating situation, the group was forced to cut their performance short.^[24][25] At the Grand Biniverse in November 2024, Bini performed an R&B arrangement of "Lagi".^[26]