Folk-pop band Ben&Ben remained unbothered by new and upcoming Filipino artists making their way to the local music scene.
In an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment, one of its main vocalists, Miguel Benjamin, opened up about the resurgence of local musicians.
The vocalist then explained that it was a good sign that Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is slowly dominating the music scene again. He also emphasized that as music fans, it also gives more listeners, like them, a wide range of music they could listen to.
Miguel added how young artists would ask for their advice and how they would genuinely share what they had learned during the time when they were just starting to build their own name in the OPM music scene.
“There were a lot who would ask for some advice and we wanted to be that kind of people who could advise them. Because during our time, we didn’t have those people who we could ask on what should we do or what we needed to do,” he shared.
In a separate interview with some members of the press, Miguel highlighted how great it is to have such kind of diversity right now in the local music scene.
“I think one of the obvious things that we have right now unlike five years ago was the diversity [in music] today,” said Miguel.
“It’s like there’s something for everyone. If you like [to listen] to P-pop, there’s P-pop. If you’re more into bands, there’s a lot. If you want upbeat songs, there’s also a lot. And if you want to listen to mellow music, you can. It feels so good. Because, I think, ultimately, it feels good to be a listener because there’s really a lot of choices,” he explained.
The vocalist further explained how artists became each other’s inspiration in creating and bringing music—no matter what genre they belong to.
“And for an artist, it’s so good. Because I think, when you’re surrounded with so many different kinds of music and of musicians, you’re bound to inspire each other,” added Miguel.
Andrew, handling percussion and backing vocals, highlighted the growing appreciation for local music among Filipinos today.
Meanwhile, Miguel gave credit to all music listeners who were open to exploring new music.
“Ultimately, we throw it back to the listeners. Because there’s no artist if there’s no listener. And no one will thrive to different sounds if there are no people who are open to trying new sounds. That’s why, aside from the music scene in terms of the artists, there is a big change in terms of listeners,” continued Miguel.
On the other hand, the nine-member Pinoy band is making their comeback in the music scene with the release of their newest single “COMETS”.
Under Sony Music Entertainment, member Paolo Benjamin explained that “COMETS” was written way back in 2020 during their stay at Ben&Ben House. It was also played multiple times on their gigs, however, they felt that it wasn’t still the right timing to officially release the song.
Until they met this Indonesian music producer who had helped them with “COMETS.”
“Fast forward to this year, we met an Indonesian music producer named Petra Sihombing and basically, he completed the picture of what music we had created for “COMETS” that you guys are about to hear. It’s a four-year process, basically, and four years in the making,” he added.
Talking about the much-anticipated track, Miguel shared that it delved into the fleeting nature of love that was lost.
“As we matured, we realized not everyone chooses us daily. Over our four-year career, we’ve grown to understand that some people are temporary, and that’s okay—it’s part of life,” he shared.
“But as you remember your memories with them, you’ll think of the good ones, and that’s what ‘COMET’ is about,” added Miguel.
“COMETS” is officially released today and is now available on all digital music platforms worldwide.
