Uprising pop star Benson Boone visited Venice Grand Canal Mall, Taguig, last August 7. This is to provide dance and ballad tunes to his Filipino fans and promote his new EP, “PULSE.”
The five-track EP includes songs such as “Coffee Cake,” “Lovely Darling,” “What Was,” “Sugar Sweet,” and its carrier single, “Little Runaway.”
For starters, Boone’s notable songs include “In The Stars,” “Ghost Town,” and “Better Alone.” The success of these drops paved the way for him to release “PULSE.”
The 21-year-old Benson Boone is best known as an internet sensation who became famous for uploading his songs via Tiktok. He was later discovered by Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds, which led him to enter a bigger arena in his music career. Consequently, this gained him at present with over 1.2 billion global plays on streaming platforms worldwide.
While he was in town, Manila Concert Scene did not miss the chance to snag a quick interview with the uprising superstar about the unique song “Coffee Cake.”
A Piece of Cake
“PULSE” includes the indie song “Coffee Cake.” It is a lively indie track pumped by bass, snare, and claps. It can be something similar to songs from artists like Gang of Four, Bloc Party, and indie bands such as Two Door Cinema Club. The upbeat formula is combined with Lofi samples delivered to create a powerful haymaker for the EP.
Lyrically, it’s a melodramatic reflection that suggests a person’s aching affection for someone’s presence. This is because it envisions an unrequited plan to ask someone over for a laid-back reconciliation.
In an interpretation, it tries to paint imaginative pigments of perfect portraits with someone where the void is filled with the same fondness and existence. A note to self of what could happen when the past stays in the present. Leading to endless dimensions of “What ifs?” in case translated from a first-person perspective. Done In Thirty Minutes When Manila Concert Scene asked Boone how he wrote and conceptualized the song, he simply shared a big grin, emphasizing that the song was written in half an hour.
“Every song has a different story, but that one was possibly the craziest since it came on so quickly—in thirty minutes,” he stressed.
Boone also mentioned that a typical songwriting session would involve sitting down at the piano and thinking of chords that he usually likes. After crafting, he’d usually bring it over to the studio.
Yet “Coffee Cake” differs from that workflow.
The young matinee described it as something that came quickly and organically, in a snap. Something that spurs at that moment when time constraints are present.
“I had a session with two guys that I’ve worked with: Jack the writer and Jason the producer. [At that time,] I have a bunch of interviews, and I am two hours late. [So], I called them to make a soundtrack,” Boone expounds.
While on a fiasco against time, he mentioned instructing the writer and producer to produce a beat.
“Don’t think of any melodies, don’t think of any lyrics, don’t make a voice, just make a beat. And they did. It was a soundtrack for ‘Coffee Cake.’ And I came into the studio very late, [then] got a voice memo out, and just do it.”
“In one shot, I sent all the melodies for ‘Coffee Cake.’ And then we wrote it in thirty minutes and recorded it,” sharing how they gave birth to an impromptu brainchild.
Benson Boone’s new EP titled “PULSE” is exclusively signed under Night Street Records in partnership with Warner Records Inc.
The short-play record can be digitally streamed via select music streaming services.
Words and Photos: Aram Lascano
