After drawing over 65 thousand fans for their homecoming concert last year and gaining accolades for their performance at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival 2023, Filipino nine-piece collective Ben&Ben marks the introduction of a new era with the release of “Could Be Something”.
Signaling a new chapter of musical growth and evolution, Ben&Ben’s first single of 2023 is a big step forward. This time, the multi-awarded band infuses their guitar-driven folk/pop-rock roots with city pop elements, tropicalia beats, and twinkling production touches, for a more electronic-leaning track. Together with co-producers timothy Run and Sam Marquez (both from One Click Straight), they collectively brought a new dimension to Ben&Ben’s sound. “We wanted the instrumentation and production to capture a more mature kind of hope, so we used slightly darker chords, coupled with tight rhythms, to bring out a unique kind of catharsis for the listener, for our Liwanags,” Ben&Ben explains in a collective statement. “Together with our co-producers, we built the soundscapes to reflect a lush, yet tighter than ever sound for the band.”
According to the "Pagtingin" hitmakers, “Could Be Something” delves into the often-overlooked phase before taking a leap of faith. It candidly addresses moments of overthinking and overprocessing, providing a relatable narrative for all.
“'Could Be Something' is a song about turning doubt into belief,” Ben&Ben shares. “It’s the revival of hope after being caught in a very cynical place. It’s the feeling you get after meeting someone who unexplainably makes you believe in love again, or finding a new passion that sparks life in you.”
The nine-piece act reveals that, beyond being a love song, their new single doubles as an anthem for people grappling with doubt. “It offers a reminder to believe, surrender, and let go during challenging times,” the acclaimed Filipino group adds.
In a recent press conference, the twins talked about the musical and lyrical inspirations behind the song. “It’s a long time coming, after we came from Hong Kong to perform at Clockenflap, I think it all came together na we feel na ‘it Could Be Something’, it could be the start of something different. Then gumawa kami ng demo, we jammed it out as a band and we started taking risks to start a true new chapter of music para sa band. Yung inspiration nanaggaling siya sa music na naririnig naming all around, mga tao na nami-meet naming, yung mga kasuotan nila, mga kuwento nila, and I think it’s something that organically came together."
“Lyrically naman, it was influenced mainly by where we are in this point in our lives. We’re at the point that pati sa personal lives namin, marami din kaming tine-take na risks like moving on to other phases. Some of us got married while some are having major life changes, and I guess that’s part of it because six years old na kami as a band, so yung Samahan madami na kaming napagdaanan and gaya ng lahat ng long-term relationships, darating kas a point na madaming pagbabago. Eh siyam kami, so mas madami pang changes yun."
And the band is excited to unleash more new sounds in their upcoming releases. “It’s not just the kind of music you hear on ‘Could Be Something’, we want to try out a lot of new sounds and new things. We find that very exciting.”
The band worked together with Ben&Ben Music Production, the management team behind the band’s entire operations, music production and marketing efforts, to embark on this new journey. Since the pandemic, the band has been self-managed by a tightly knit, yet efficient team of people that the band believes in, and trusts wholeheartedly.
An official live performance video of “Could Be Something” was just released and they are slated to headline a nationwide tour in key cities across the country. Additionally, for the first time ever, they will be taking the song to an international audience with an international tour that kicks off in London this July 8, followed by Los Angeles, Toronto Sept. 10, Sydney Oct. 8, and Dubai. This is in collaboration with ABS- CBN Global and 1MX Music Festival. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks via their social media accounts and official website.