"Cherry on Top" is a song by the Filipino girl group Bini. It was released as a digital single on July 11, 2024, through Star Music.
Background
After the successful promotion of the group's EP Talaarawan, which spawned the chart-topping singles "Pantropiko" and "Salamin, Salamin", Bini announced the release of the standalone digital single "Cherry on Top" to great fan anticipation.[1][2]
Promotion and release
Bini first teased the single "Cherry on Top" in early June 2024 through their social media platforms.[3] The promotion also included a photoshoot clip with the caption, "All eyes on us! Our upcoming single 'Cherry on Top' is serving soon!"[2] Another teaser later released on Instagram featured the group singing in their signature bubblegum pop style, with lyrics that describe them as sweet and spicy, embodying the phrase "Cherry on Top".[4]
Prior to the song's official release, Bini performed the single for the first time during their first solo concert Biniverse, which ran for three nights from June 28 to June 30, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.[5][6] A snippet of the song was also previewed on the mobile rhythm game Superstar Philippines, allowing fans to play the first sixty seconds of the song in-game starting July 1, 2024. Bini became the first international artist after the K-pop group Exo to have a song previewed in the Superstar game series.[7][8]
Bini released the official teaser for the "Cherry on Top" music video on July 1, 2024,[9] followed by a second teaser on July 10.[10] The single, along with its music video, was released on July 11, 2024.[11] Later that month, on July 27, Bini performed the song at KCON 2024 in Los Angeles, which marked the first act by a Filipino pop group at the event.[12] On September 6, Bini released "Cherry on Top (Single Pack)", a three-track release featuring the original song, a sped-up version, and a slowed + reverb version.[13]
Composition
"Cherry on Top" has been described as a bubblegum pop song[14] and is set in the key of C major with a tempo of 76 beats per minute.[15] The track was produced by Shintaro Yasuda and Skylar Mones and composed by Boy Matthews, Gaby Ramirez, Shintaro Yasuda, and Skylar Mones.[14] It was created in a collaboration during a writer's camp in 2023, with Bini members Colet and Maloi involved in the creative process.[16]
Music video
The music video features Bini wearing ensembles in shades of pink and red while walking along a busy street. The scene transitions to the group dressed in pastel outfits, performing a dance routine in an all-pink set adorned with cherries and a graffiti wall displaying the song's title.[17][18]
The music video incorporates several references to Filipino culture, such as a depiction of the pagmamano tradition, a balikbayan box, and the Filipino delicacies banana cue and halo-halo. The video also portrays scenes of a typical morning in the Philippines, including the use of items such as a walis tingting (broom) on the streets and pandesal dipped in coffee.[19] The music video was directed by Kerbs Balagtas.[20] Outdoor shooting for the video was held at the PonteFino Residences in Batangas City.[21]
Commercial performance
Following its release on July 11, "Cherry on Top" topped iTunes Philippines' Top Songs chart. In addition, it became the top trending music video on YouTube.[14] Less than 24 hours since its release, the music video garnered over two million views on the platform.[18] It became the highest new entry on Spotify Philippines' Weekly Top Songs chart, debuting at number eight with over three million streams.[22] The song made its debut on Billboard Philippines charts two weeks after its release, placing 8th on the Philippines Hot 100 and 5th on Top Philippine Songs.[23][24]
Critical reception
Writing for Billboard Philippines, Gabriel Saulog praised Bini for their "endless charm and flirtatious energy" and deemed the track a "certified bop", further describing it as "a sweet auditory sensation that will surely delight their rapidly growing fanbase of Blooms".[1]
The American bureau of the Philippine Daily Inquirer praised the song's music video for its depictions of Filipino cultural references despite its being aimed at international audiences.[19] The song was also listed on Teen Vogue's Best Songs of July 2024.[25]