Last January 2020 alone, the acclaimed folk-pop band won Wish FM’s Group of the Year and Urban Performance of the Year for their chart-topper “Pagtingin.” On top of this milestone, the band is currently at number one on Spotify Philippines Top 50, with their cover of “Make It With You.”
“It really boils down to the heart behind the song,” Miguel Benjamin, vocalist and guitarist points out. “When a song is written as a vessel to carry a message that is beyond ego or prideful intent, and simply mirrors the feelings, experiences, and lessons that come from a higher place, then somehow it may find its way from the artist’s soul to at least one other person’s heart, and that is always enough. We fully know that it isn’t up to us to produce these works out of our own will, but we are simply vessels for some greater message to fulfill itself through us.” Striking a balance between relatability and raw honesty, the band has managed to push things forward with songs that not only capture an emotional spectrum but also throb at the core moment of one’s personal experience.
To give back to the community responsible for contributing to the group’s unrelenting success, the award-winning ensemble is releasing two new music videos from the best-selling full-length album, Limasawa Street and a brand new single this month, under Sony Music Philippines. “We just really wanted to put out new material that reflects the blissful and bittersweet experiences we’ve been through over the past few months, both visually and sonically,” Miguel Benjamin stresses.
According to Miguel, the treatment for “Fall” represents them “as a band and the themes and moods” their art stands for, while “Masyado Pang Maaga,” depicts “a real story that most of us have found ourselves in at one point of our lives.” The talented musician-performer adds, “Both of them aim to paint a visual universe that is uniquely Ben&Ben, with whatever sabaw ideas we’ve come up with so far.”
The Sindikato-managed outfit debuted a performance of the highly anticipated tune at the Samsung Awesome Concert last February 5, 2020, which trended on Twitter Philippines for several hours. “We don’t want to say much about it yet, but it’s our most personal, painful song so far,” says Paolo, the other half of the Benjamin brothers. “Miguel wrote and sung it, and we’re playing it in our live shows.”