BNZA Debuts New Project Band ben seasons
With his indie band ben seasons, BNZA explores a new genre — and proves he’s still unmatched as a musician.
BNZA has always believed in love, but in “Timeless”, the debut single from his new project band ben seasons, the singer is betting that it can make a relationship go the distance.
When we last heard from BNZA in March, he was deep in his feelings about the end of a significant relationship. The impact brought memories that haunted his dreams and made it feel impossible to sleep alone. That track, “HISTORY”, easily became one of my favorites and capped a year of excellent singles from the singer. With each release throughout 2023, BNZA proved how he’s created one of the most bulletproof discographies in the R&B scene – an impressive feat for an independent artist.
BNZA’s lithe voice means that he can make just about any production his own. He sings with a calm, cool confidence and spits out lyrics that read like poetry or rap bars. He’s at his best on tracks that give his voice the space to convey a multitude of feelings: Sometimes he’s at his cockiest, talking shit and rizzing up a girl, while in others he’s sincere about how he could settle down for the right girl. But “HISTORY” marked a shift towards an alternative sonic soundscape for the singer. The genre-switch is one that he officially debuts today as Ben Seasons.
For this debut, BNZA builds almost seamlessly from the alternative rock sound that “HISTORY” introduced. It’s a dreamy, slow-burn ballad that pulsates with live instrumentation: guitars, percussion and BNZA’s shimmering voice. On “Timeless”, BNZA writes about the work that goes into nurturing a long distance relationship. “You’re so far away,” he sings in the opening verse to his lover. “The seasons are changing,” he continues in a sly reference to his new band name, "You know I’ll be there for you/ You know you need it.”
In “Timeless”, BNZA reminds his partner that their love can withstand the distance put between them. “Look at the stars/ Distance like ours doesn't matter where you are,” he sings before reminding her to “believe in us/ believe in love.”
The new direction BNZA is headed won’t be a huge surprise to fans of his previous output. His music has always toggled a line between alt-pop and R&B, but Ben Seasons offers him the chance to explore a sound that fans of Cigarettes After Sex or Wave to Earth might enjoy. “This genre is something I’ve always wanted to try,” BNZA recently said. “And it’s a project I’m so passionate about.”
But “Timeless” reminds me how BNZA is one of the most underrated, and important, artists working in independent music right now. His sharp music is a cut above the rest and is as classic as the title of his song. “Timeless”, the song, is about how real love can withstand anything, but the title also could describe BNZA’s own music: He isn’t just setting the bar for other musicians who want to create future classics. He is the bar.
