After gaining recognition in the Southeast Asian region with the release of “Suara Hati,” a reimagining of her 2015 acoustic ballad in Bahasa Indonesia, Filipino singer-songwriter Clara Benin conquers music on her own terms with brand new single “blink”—out on all digital music platforms worldwide via OFFMUTE.
On her first original single under the international record label, Benin honors memories like it’s a fundamental aspect of human nature. She finds refuge in reliving the past without any hint of regret, treating it as part of her personal journey.
“I had a series of sleepless nights just recollecting and reliving different times of my life,” the folk-pop artist shares in a statement. “Some were peaceful times. Some were turbulent times. Some were traumatic times. I didn’t really understand why these memories were resurfacing in my head. Writing ‘blink’ just helped me resolve these thoughts.”
Sprawling past the three-minute mark, “blink” propels Benin’s songwriting to compelling new heights. The track is deceptively simple by standards, but its introspective quality, paired with an incredibly moving arrangement, ups the stakes on a purely artistic level.
“I particularly wanted this song to be a sonic journey that is metaphorical to one’s journey towards healing,” Benin shares. “This song is very intimate with my vocals and the acoustic guitar upfront but there are a lot of atmospheric undertones to it if you listen intently.”
The song features gifted multi-instrumentalist Gabba Santiago on drums and electronic musician The Ringmaster on production duties. Breathing so much life into the song, both Gabba and The Ringmaster display unassuming brilliance with subtlety and character—all while giving Benin’s voice an opportunity to flutter and soar.
“Aside from The Ringmaster, I got Gabba Santiago to play the drums,” the 27-year-old hitmaker said. “I enjoy working with Gabba and The Ringmaster because I feel like they really understood my vision for blink.”
The release of “blink” is accompanied by a lyric video made by Clara Benin herself. A music video directed by Josh Elefan will drop sometime February next year.
Check out Clara Benin’s “blink” on all digital music platforms via OFFMUTE.