The track navigates the heart-melting feeling of infatuation and young love
Acclaimed Korean producer Ziv collaborates with up-and-coming Filipino musician Jolianne on the sticky-sweet pop soul song “Kuryente,” which perfectly encapsulates the early phases of infatuation.
Miguel Benjamin of the award-winning band Ben&Ben co-wrote “Kuryente” as a love letter to his wife, with Jolianne and Ziv contributing equally. The song was inspired by the couple’s personal stories about how they get little shocks of static electricity everytime their hands come into contact. This delicate detail helped to define the song, which Ziv’s elaborate yet lighthearted production and Jolianne’s shimmering rendition later brought to life.
“That inspired me to make and produce this playful song about how infatuation and early romance feels,” shares Ziv. “I really wanted to hit the right balances of expressing who I was through my musical background. Being Korean yet being born here in the Philippines, I wanted to find the right balance of putting both of those influences into the production, which I feel makes it unique.”
For Jolianne, embracing that feeling meant channeling innocence, excitement, and the thrill of being lit up by someone’s presence. To prepare for the vocal take, Jolianne envisioned herself as the lead in a teleserye, where every glance and touch is charged with meaning. She wanted to interpret the material with the right mix of sweetness, playfulness, and kilig—a uniquely Filipino word that captures the fluttering joy of being overwhelmed by romance.
“Vocally, this was one of the more challenging songs I’ve put out because it pushed me to access my voice in a different way,” the “Plain Girl” songstress adds. “From a technical standpoint, I experimented a lot with dynamics and registers. And of course, singing in Tagalog also shaped the way I sounded here, adding another layer of character to the performance.”
Blending funky pop groove with heart-stopping charisma, “Kuryente” pulls off its tricks by pairing Jolianne’s silky, infectious vocals with Ziv’s soulful and Korean R&B-style production.
“I always want to include a blend of ease and tension in my productions,” Ziv says. I therefore aimed for a groove that was infused with a romantic vibe in this composition. Additionally, a lot of the musicians and music I’ve been enjoying lately served as inspiration.
“Kuryente” by Jolianne and Ziv is currently available on all digital music platforms globally through Sony Music Entertainment.
No Comments