Ben&Ben members (top, from left) Andrew De Pano, Miguel Guico, Keifer Cabugao, Paolo Guico, and Poch Barretto (bottom, from left) Patricia Lasaten, Jam Villanueva, Toni Muñoz, and Agnes Reoma. Image: INQUIRER.net/Dale Calanog
Nine-piece ensemble Ben&Ben went out of their comfort zone for their latest single “Could Be Something,” which, fittingly, tackles the idea of taking risks.
The “Kathang Isip” hitmaker released the groovy yet relaxing track on June 30, offering listeners a new sound which they paired with a retro-inspired look.
During the media conference for the single’s launch on June 27, one of the band’s lead vocalists Paolo Guico shared how they came up with the song, which he said materialized “organically.”
“Gumawa kami ng demo, and then, we jammed it as a band. And then, we started really just taking these risks for this new chapter of music para sa band (We made a demo and then we jammed it as a band. And then, we started really just taking these risks for this new chapter of our band music),” he shared, adding how they were inspired by different things such as the music around them and the people they meet — as well as their clothes and their stories.
He also shared an encounter with a random person whose experience is reflected in the song’s narrative. While having lunch with his twin brother, the band’s other lead vocalist, Miguel, someone approached them and “out of nowhere” told them, “[S]obrang thank you (so much), thank you for your music. Thank you for your band. “Dati, hindi na ako naniniwala sa pag-ibig pero napaniwala niyo ulit ako sa pag-ibig.” (Before, I no longer believed in love, but you made me believe again.)
That moment left the twins thinking how it’s uncommon to discuss the point when you’ve given up on love, then someone makes you believe that it’s possible to love again. The single’s chorus opens with “You made me believe in love again.”
While the lyrics of “Could Be Something” carry a romantic theme, the song’s message of overcoming doubts and taking risks can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. In fact, Miguel shared that the song, lyrically, was influenced significantly by “where a lot of us are in our lives.”
“We’re at that point na pati sa personal lives namin (that even in our personal lives), marami rin kaming tinatake na risks (we are also taking a lot of risks) like moving on to other phases, like some of us got married. Some of us are having major changes in life,” shared Miguel.
Percussionist Andrew De Pano shared a different perspective of the song, and discussed the idea of rediscovering things that you used to love to do.
“[A]fter the pandemic, ‘di ba andami mong nakakalimutan na gawin (you forgot to do a lot of things, right), even with meeting old friends [and] doing things that were kind of different. So, [it’s] nice to fall in love with those things again and to…just let your story, as a person, continue to grow,” shared De Pano.
The band’s lead guitarist Poch Barretto shared how producing “Could Be Something” pushed them to the point that they “almost maxed out” their creativity. He reiterated earlier that the band took a lot of risks with the song, and also admitted that they struggled with the record.
For the single, Ben&Ben got to work with producers Sam Marquez and timothy Run, which Barretto said was “a fun and very big learning experience” for the band. He added that working with the two “took the song to a whole new level, more than we could ever imagine at that point for the song.” Barretto also appreciated that Marquez and timothy Run incorporated sounds that the band would not “naturally” include in their previous releases.
Aside from the Guico twins, De Pano, and Barretto, the other members of the band are Jam Villanueva (drums), Agnes Reoma (bass), Toni Muñoz (percussion), Keifer Cabugao (violin), and Patricia Lasaten (keyboards). The band, which was formed in 2017, has made its mark in the music industry with singles such as “Araw-Araw,” “Pagtingin,” and “Maybe the Night,” among others. EDV