Benjamin Kheng and James Reid collaborate for the first time. Image: Careless Music
James Reid recently featured in Singaporean singer-songwriter Benjamin Kheng’s latest single “Rock Bottom Blues,” which was officially released on Friday, July 28.
The single, co-written by the pair with Olivia Knox and Saint Kid, is part of Kheng’s upcoming two-part debut album “Gloomy Boogie,” which is set to drop this year.
In his Instagram post on the day of the song’s debut, Kheng described “Rock Bottom Blues” as “a song about how hurt people end up hurting people,” but added that his first project with Reid is a “danceable” track.
The groovy, yet heartbreaking song, according to a press release, “delves into the depths of emotions experienced during difficult times and toxic relationships.”
With lines such as “I wish that I was better for you, but I can’t. It’s too easy, too easy, to fall right down again,” the record — produced by Saint Kid and Charlie Kurata — “explores the pain of feeling stuck in a cycle of self-redemption and longing for redemption.”
In the same press release, Reid sang praises for his multi-talented collaborator, and said that the duo purposely injected a “playful” vibe to the song, but also made sure that they work around its “heartfelt essence.”
“Benjamin is a talented musician, and it’s been an honor working with him on this track. The song holds a serious topic, but Ben’s playful personality couldn’t help but shine through. We aimed to infuse a playful energy into the song while staying true to its heartfelt essence,” shared Reid.
Kheng, who released his first solo single in 2019, celebrated the beauty of artists from different parts of the world connecting with one another and creating music together.
“It’s been amazing getting to work with James on this track, not just to witness, up close, a superstar of his caliber be the amazing talent and human that he is, but also how beautiful it is to be able to make music across borders and draw parallel lines between our journeys,” said Kheng, who wishes to see more collaborations between Southeast Asian artists.
“Here’s hoping we build more music roads across our barriers and get to see more Southeast Asians working together,” he said.
It was weeks ago through a video on Instagram that the former “Idol Philippines” judge teased his then secret project with Kheng, who started his music career as a member of the four-piece pop band “The Sam Willows.”
Last year, the Singaporean singer-actor got to work with another Filipino artist, Bea Lorenzo, for the breakup single “Good for a Time” — which has a Filipino version entitled “Panandalian.”
Meanwhile, Reid, who released the single “so fire” in May, dropped his sophomore studio album “lovescene:” last year. The 10-track album, which succeeds his 2017 debut studio album “Palm Dreams,” includes collaborations with American singer Destiny Rogers and WOOSUNG — the leader of South Korean band The Rose — for the songs “lie to me” and “hold on tight,” respectively. EDV