Benedict Cua
One of the most important traits Benedict Cua has developed working as a digital content creator is consistency. And he hopes to bring with him this same work ethic in his foray into music.
After the release of his debut single, ‘Di Namalayan,” last year, Benedict has finally put out a follow-up song titled, “Something Beautiful.”
“You should never stop creating. On YouTube, I make it a point to upload at least one video a week. If you break the [routine], you will really notice the effect on your views. So that discipline is what I want to apply with my singing. I really want to create more,” he said in his recent virtual contract renewal with PolyEast Records. “If I stop, I will have a hard time to get back up and do it again,” added Benedict, who has 1.58 million subscribers on YouTube, 1.7 millions on Facebook and 3.2 million on Tiktok. “In order to be good, you have to continue trying and pushing your limit to grow.”
Though he has always loved singing and grew up listening to pop and R&B music, it wasn’t until recently that Benedict started taking it more seriously. “I have always been interested, but some things hindered me. There were times when I felt discouraged. But I tried to learn and attended workshops. And then, when I started doing covers, people started telling me that I should do more, that I should go for it,” he related. “So, I realized, ‘Why not?’ You can learn as long as you work hard.”
Refreshing start
And for his second single, Benedict had more time to prepare. “I had a vocal coach who guided me and made sure I was hitting all the right notes. I just kept singing and singing to improve my skills,” said the 28-year-old entertainer, who achieved popularity on the internet for his vlogs on travel, food trips and random musings. He also does comedy bits and song covers.“
‘Something Beautiful’ is about a refreshing start of a much deeper relationship with the person you cherish the most … about a person who never believed himself until he met someone who saw his flaws as something beautiful,” he said.
“I’m just thankful for what I have right now. No matter how small a milestone is, you can celebrate it. And I wanted the song to be about appreciation and having that genuine connection with people that makes us feel good,” said Benedict who enjoyed collaborating with music artist Izzeah on the feel-good track.
Next time, he hopes to write his own songs.
“I related a lot with the song when we were working on it. I mentioned things I wanted to see in the lyrics and he helped collate the ideas I had. After two singles, I have realized that it’s better if you’re more creatively involved in the process,” he said. “The feeling is just different if the song is something you can relate to, so I would like to write more in the future.”
No stranger
Aside from singing and vlogging, Benedict has also dabbled in television acting and other fields in entertainment. And while he has always loved exploring different avenues to express his creativity, he said that he may have to narrow his focus.
“I’m trying to improve on what I can do and build on my existing skills, so I can grow better at them. More than acting, I want to focus on music. I think it suits me better than acting. I also want to keep on creating content,” he said. “Now, it’s about how I integrate all those things.”
With the online reach he has, Benedict is no stranger to bashing. But such is the nature of the medium. “Whatever you put out on social media can either boost or break your career. Things move quickly. Before you know it, the whole world already knows about what you have posted,” he pointed out. “So, you have to think more than 10 times before you post something, especially if you have a big audience.”
He also said one has to be discerning as to what to share and what to keep to himself. “People expect to see more of your life. But in order to stay alive, you have to have something you can treasure … something you can keep to yourself,” he said.
But all things considered, social media, Benedict said, is a “great platform.” “It can help amplify voices. But with it comes great responsibility,” he said. INQ