Technical glitch mars BINI, SB19’s Billboard PH performance

Blooms and A’TIN, fans of BINI and SB19, respectively, were utterly disappointed when a technical glitch marred the performance of their idols at the recently concluded Billboard PH event held at the Mall of Asia Arena.

In a lengthy post made by ABS-CBN reporter MJ Felipe on his Facebook page, he provided a detailed account of what transpired.

“Ang BINI and SB19 ay ang last two artists na naka-schedule na mag-perform. Sila ang pinakahuli. Kaso sila pa ang nagkaproblema sa audio (BINI and SB19 were the last two artists scheduled to perform. They were the final performers, but they encountered audio problems),” Felipe initially shared.

BINI, as per Felipe’s report, performed at 1 a.m. and sang a mashup version of “Cherry on Top” and “Pantropiko.”

“Sa ‘Cherry on Top’ pa lang, after pa lang ng first two lines ni Stacey, nawala na ang tugtog. Live ang performance ng BINI kaya kahit nawala ang music, nagpatuloy ang grupo a cappella. Sumabay pa ang crowd at mas chineer ang grupo hanggang sa umabot sa chorus part (During ‘Cherry on Top,’ just after Stacey’s first two lines, the sound cut off. BINI’s performance was live, so even without the music, the group continued singing a cappella. The crowd joined in and cheered louder for the group until they reached the chorus),” Felipe recalled.

The sound eventually returned, and Stacey could be heard saying, “Let’s do it one more time.” This inspired the group to give their best, especially when they performed “Pantropiko.” After their performance, BINI’s Jhoanna thanked the Blooms who sang along with them when the sound cut off.

However, SB19’s experience was even worse than the technical glitch BINI faced.

““Sa unang salang, synchronized ‘yung music habang kumakanta sina Ken, Pablo at Josh. Parang ang dating is may dalawang tugtog, parehong kanta, pero ‘yung isa parang delayed ng konti. Pinahinto nila ang pagtugtog at nakita na lang namin na umexit ang lima pati ang dancers (In the first performance, it seemed like the music wasn’t synchronized while Ken, Pablo, and Josh were singing. It felt like there were two sound sources, both playing the same song, but one was slightly delayed. They stopped the music, and we just saw the five members exit, along with the dancers),” Felipe recalled.

Tension ensued at the MOA Arena as SB19 fans didn’t know if the show was already over or if the five members would return to the stage. After a while, an SB19 logo flashed on the screen, which made the fans scream.

Then SB19 returned to the stage and started performing again. However, they faced the same problem, prompting Ken to wail, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’

As the production team tried to fix the problem, there was a voice-over announcement assuring the fans that the SB19 members would be performing again. This was around 1:40 a.m.

For the third time, SB19 performed with gusto on stage, but this time there was no live band. According to Felipe, the group ended the show on a strong note.

Billboard Philippines has released an official statement after the tech glitch.

“Billboard Philippines, along with BINI and SB19, are united in our commitment to celebrate the tremendous success of this historic event, which brought together 33 Filipino artists. This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to promoting the vibrancy of OPM and reinforcing the message that OPM is alive. All parties have agreed to move forward with a positive outlook, focused on further elevating Filipino talent and music on the global stage,” the statement read.