Following the success of his debut studio album This Two Windows, the multi-platinum songwriter and boy-wonder Alec Benjamin returns with a new genuinely beautiful single inspired by the physical and emotional distance the world was forced to experience in 2020. The new song “The Way You Felt” sees Benjamin getting back together with longtime collaborators and producers Sir Nolan and Aaron Z. Knowing the track record these three have, it is no surprise the single is catchy, heartfelt, and sincere, which perfectly fit Benjamin’s trademarks.
He said in a press release, “‘The Way You Felt’ was written in the darker part of my COVID experience. It was a period when we were experiencing a lot of physical isolation. I was just thinking about what it was like to be close to somebody and missing that.”
Combining bright keys, a growing beat, and soft guitar strokes in an organic production that highlights the singer’s unusual and unique high register, the storytelling is quintessential Benjamin. From the first line, the incredibly clever songwriter generates curiosity in the listener and as the song unravels, every detail in the song and every word is placed to convey the message that everyone inevitably experienced loss and longing over the past year. The level of relatability is amplified by the poetic words selected by the young artist as he sings in syncopated rhythm over every syllable of lines like “I was so infatuated / but you left me in the dark / and my heart completely vacant.”
Although “The Way You Felt” introduces 2021 to Benjamin’s music, listeners cannot help but to feel as though the song actually is a way of closing the previous chapter. As we move on from these dark times, Benjamin certainly reminds us we all went through it together and individually experienced a collective feeling. With more music on the horizon, we cannot way to see what the legendary troubadour has under his sleeve as he continues to captivate an immense global audience.
Listen to “The Way You Felt” on Spotify below.
