The acclaimed singer-songwriter takes rom-com to an entirely different level as she revels in the idea of ‘what-ifs’
2022 has been a great year for Clara Benin. Aside from
getting featured on a Times Square billboard in New York ahead of the
International Women’s Day, the folk darling received two nominations at the
recently concluded 8th Wish Music Awards and collaborated with international
artists such as British singer-songwriter Lowswimmer. On top of her
achievements, Benin also dropped a song called "Affable Dork," which
garnered rave reviews for "adopting a jazz-pop approach."
This year is no different for the prolific act, as she continues
to delight Clarafied (her official fans club) with her remarkable consistency.
Benin opens 2023 with a soothing tune that revels in the idea of ‘what ifs' and
how it often sparks curiosity and wonder. Her new single, "different…"
draws inspiration from a rom-com classic, a common theme among her last few
releases.
"I wrote this song after being inspired by the movie, When Harry Met Sally," Benin admits. "My song "different…" is about having a really good friendship with someone and wondering if you two could take that relationship somewhere different."
In "different…," Clara Benin takes a familiar musical
route without losing the riveting earnestness of the subject. As expected, the
FIlipino singer-songwriter has mastered the art of subtlety, and on
"different," it’s here to stay: beautifully woven as if it’s an
integral part of Benin’s identity as an artist.
The track is produced by Francis Lorenzo and Gabba Santiago,
with her dad Joey Benin playing fretless bass. Clara initially recorded the
vocals and guitars of the song in her dad’s studio in December 2021, during the
time when she visited her family in her hometown. The rest, as they say, is
history.
"We went for a more stripped-down instrumentation so we
could really highlight the lyrics," reveals the talented
singer-songwriter. "I really wanted to play around with more organic
sounds. Majority of the percussive sounds that you hear in this song are
actually just Gabba tapping on random things around my studio."
Check out Clara Benin’s “different…”
is on all digital music platforms via OFFMUTE.
Follow CLARA
BENIN on socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarabeninmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarabeninmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarabeninmusic
Follow OFFMUTE
on socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offmuteASIA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/offmute
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offmute/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offmute
About Clara Benin
Clara Benin is touted as the indie darling of the Philippines. She is
one of the first artists under Sony’s new regional label OFFMUTE. Her signature
angelic voice and melodic acoustic guitar playing bring a kind of serenity that
her listeners gravitate towards. She has collaborated with Singaporean artists
Charlie Lim for a remake of her hit single “Wine” and Gentle Bones for the pop
track “A Day At A Time”.
Widely loved for her warm and quiet demeanor, the
acoustic-folk artist has played in notable festivals like Wanderland Arts and
Music Festival in the Philippines, Music Matters in Singapore, and Zandari
Festa in Korea. She sold out her first solo concert in 2016 for her album
“Coming Home” and had a back-to-back concert with fellow artist Ben&Ben in
2018.
ABOUT OFFMUTE
OFFMUTE is a new pan-regional label by
Sony Music Entertainment focused on championing new and emerging Southeast
Asian artists from across all genres, giving them a dedicated platform to
pursue their creative vision and reach audiences across the region.
The new label will support Southeast
Asian artists in amplifying their music and building a strong pan-regional
audience base with the enhanced promotional, marketing, and artistic
development of Sony Music’s global expertise and resources.
OFFMUTE is the first-of-its-kind in
Southeast Asia, embracing the eclectic appeal and rich diversity that Southeast
Asia has to offer, and empowering artists with the resources and expertise to
find cross-border success.
OFFMUTE was launched in March 2021 with
new artists signed from Indonesia (Mezzaluna), the Philippines (Clara Benin),
and Malaysia (liesl-mae).
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