Adjeng combines retro and modern tunes in latest single
LAST year was a busy year for singer-songwriter
Adjeng Buenaventura as she released eight digital singles. This year, she’s continuing her streak with another single titled “More Than A Little.”
Yet releasing a new single signifies more than just Adjeng’s presence in the entertainment industry. It also shows her progress as an artist who doesn’t restrict herself within her comfort zone.
Compared to her previous tracks, there’s a stark difference between this single and her other songs. For one, Adjeng strayed some ways from her usual pop inclination to add elements of RnB reminiscent of the ‘90s.
“I wanted to bring in the sensibilities of the 90s RnB that I particularly loved and that I heavily resonated with,” Adjeng said during an exclusive online media conference.
“More Than A Little” is a love song Adjeng wrote about the value of putting in extra time and effort in love. It also serves as her thoughts on love. She added that when it comes to love, it’s always worth going the extra mile, hence the title and message of the song.
Adjeng wrote “More Than A Little” early in 2022 when there was a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in the country. Although she felt that there was some progress toward regaining normalcy, there are still some ways to go before achieving it.
She envisioned “More Than A Little” as a song that would transport her to a feel-good place whenever she listened to it.
Meanwhile, she also tapped Thyro Alfaro, another singersongwriter, as the song’s arranger because he has a better grasp of modern pop. Adjeng appreciated his arrangement of the song because she wanted “More Than A Little” to be “something people can resonate with but also sound timeless even though it sounds current.”
“I also have to give kudos to my arranger, Thyro, because he was able to bring to life the vision that I wanted: For people to play this over and over, on heavy rotation…I wanted that feeling that when they finish the song, they want to play it again and again,” Adjeng said.
Bringing in someone younger to help with the song, according to Adjeng, balanced out the 90s sensibilities evident in “More Than A Little.”
As a songwriter, Adjeng draws inspiration from her environment, especially her family. Whenever she sees them at opportune moments, like when her son was smiling while playing a mobile game, she gets the urge to write music.
Part of Adjeng’s inspiration in music and songwriting comes from the immense influence of the King of Pop, Michael
Jackson. She felt passion for his artistry, prompting her to study how he performed, sang, and wrote music. Eventually, she realized that being a musician isn’t as easy as it seems.
“When you get into something that you’re passionate about, it feels like home, and you don’t let that go. It’s given me a lot of blessed opportunities through the years,” she said.
The singer-songwriter was exposed to music from the ‘60s to ‘90s during her childhood, which now influences her music and songwriting greatly.
“More Than A Little” is now available on all streaming platforms.