Arthur Nery is one of the biggest male solo acts of his generation. Gifted with a freakishly good voice, a distinct style, and more than a handful of superb songs, he shot to fame not some five years on the strength of his debut album “Letters Never Sent,” released in 2019. That album and subsequent singles released with the Viva Records label cemented his current status as a top singer-songwriter of the modern-day Pinoy-style R&B genre.

But even after all that, Arthur would be the first to admit that he owes a big part of his success to his listeners. Especially those who have been with him from the start. In particular, his fandom calls themselves BINHI.

Taking their ‘Nombre del grupo’  after the hit single “Binhi,” the fandom celebrated its fourth anniversary this past weekend with a full house at The BINHI Soiree at Viva Café in Araneta Center. The fandom even decked out the bar and music venue with tasteful accents, like an imagined dinner date with Arthur Nery (which it was to a fashion) to commemorate their founding.

It's not uncommon for fandom to do such a thing for their ‘stan’ (the latter a term that combines the words ‘stalker’ and ‘fan’). It’s standard practice for any ‘admins’ worth their salt (fan group leaders) to organize such a thing for their idol of choice. From meet-and-greets to birthday-salubong to a full-blown dinner-and-show like the one we were privy to last weekend.

And this one went all-out. Food, drinks, and even entertainment included some BINHI fans (with the guts and talents to share) performing for their fellows. A shout out to Melbert Lim Jr and a certain ‘Oboy’ who came prepared to sing a tune when they were called to the stage. “Para kay idol Arthur,” as some fans said.

This says a lot about how important fandoms are for music artists. Those who have a solid fan base are rewarded with automatic adoration, which comes in the form of listens, views, likes, and clicks of whatever the artist is promoting. But those who get a genuine connection with their fandom are rewarded with lifelong support, appreciation of their artistry, and maybe even friendship.

The egotistic ones who think that all the success they experience is of their own doing don’t really last (and we’ve seen it), but the ones who recognize their fans’ worth never take them for granted.

And yes, Arthur was on hand. The singer sang several songs, including his latest single, “Segundo, Siguro.” It was a short set but every BINHI fan in the venue was easily singing along right at the onset. Arthur Nery kept it short and sweet. “Salamat mga Binhi! Beyond grateful for your love and support.”

Also performing that evening was “Gusto Wit Ya” singer DENY, those Eat Bulaga Music Hero aces FERODINA, and Bulacan-native solo singer-songwriter CARLO.

Janno Gibbs is back! The multi-hyphenate has been reclaiming his music roots and dropping some good singles while at it. His latest, titled “Sige Na, Sorry,” traces its influence in old-school R&B. Old-school only means that he’s doing it right, as Janno Gibbs has always been a solid and reliable singer with dulcet tones. This track finds Janno singing a Thyro Alfaro-Kevin Yadao written song, and this irresistible tune exudes classic R&B with some helping of Manila sound feels thrown in. This is to say that Janno Gibbs, who just debuted his new song at Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ listing, is still the best at what he does.