P-Pop girl group VVINK gets a second chance to shine

When a new girl group steps into the ever-growing Pinoy Pop spotlight, expectations are inevitably high — especially when the name behind them has a track record for turning musical dreams into viral hits.

Enter VVINK (pronounced “Wink”), the newest five-member girl group under FlipMusic Productions. At their official launch last week at a buzzing club in Quezon City, FlipMusic CEO Jeli Mateo and COO Jumbo “Bojam” de Belen spoke candidly about how VVINK — stylized with two Vs — represents not just a debut but a reinvention.

“The two v’s in VVINK stands for two victories,” said Mateo. “One victory from their past, and one they are working toward in the future.” This concept is drawn not from fairy tales or glossy auditions but from real-life resilience. “These girls are ‘contesteras’ (contest veterans) — they’ve joined major and minor competitions, some even coming close to winning,” she explained. “But they never quite got that big break — until now.” VVINK is made up of Angelika, Jean, Ayaka, Odri, and Marie — young women aged 17 to 22, many of whom have already made individual waves in the local music scene. Notably, Angelika co-wrote “Pantropiko,” the viral hit performed by P-Pop frontrunners Bini. Marie, meanwhile, has songwriting credits for Calista’s “AlasGoce.” Their journey, however, didn’t begin as a group. Before debuting together, each member was introduced as a solo act through “VVINK: The Pre-Debut Album” — an unconventional move in P-pop, but one that FlipMusic felt strongly about.

FlipMusic’s Jeli Mateo and Bojam de Belen usher in a new era with VVINK.

“We’ve always supported solo acts,” Bojam said, referencing the label’s history with artists like Nica del Rosario, the award-winning songwriter behind Sarah Geronimo’s breakout hit “Tala.” “So we wanted to honor each girl’s individual journey. That’s why they each released two solo songs before becoming a group.” The result? A rich tapestry of sound and personality that culminated in VVINK’s first group single, “Tulala” — a dreamy, upbeat track about the surreal feeling of falling in love. It’s the first of seven original songs set to roll out through 2026, including “Tatlong Hiling,” “Baduy,” “Kailan Aamin,” “Ikaw Lang Ang Kulang,” and “Tulog Pa Si Ganda.” “We’re not new to P-Pop,” Mateo said. “Like I said FlipMusic has produced for artists like Sarah Geronimo and done hits like ‘Paligoy-Ligoy.’ We’ve worked with Bini, G22, Calista — but VVINK is our first fully in-house P-pop group. So this is a second chance for us, too.” When asked about inevitable comparisons to Bini — a group FlipMusic has worked with — Mateo and Bojam were both gracious and hopeful. “We admire Bini,” Bojam said. “It’s flattering to be compared. But we hope VVINK gets their own fair chance.” “Sana po hindi sila ma-compare (I hope they don’t get compared to Bini),” Mateo added. “Let’s give them a fair shot because we’re all Filipinos. SB19 and Bini opened the door for P-Pop on the world stage. They’ve been doing this for five, six years. Kami po, one month pa lang (it’s only been a month for our girl group).” And that’s precisely the energy VVINK brings — hungry but humble, talented but teachable. FlipMusic trained the girls for two years in both vocals and dance before introducing them as a group, keeping their training local to champion homegrown talent. “We believe in building opportunities here first,” Mateo emphasized.

At their core, VVINK isn’t out to outshine anyone. Their mission is simple: to connect — with their stories, their struggles, and their songs. With backgrounds rooted in near-misses and almosts, they are stepping into the spotlight not as underdogs but as artists who have already overcome plenty.

Their debut may mark only their first month, but the foundation — and fire — they bring is years in the making.