Columbian singer-songwriter, producer, and Latin Grammy-nominated artist Beto Vargas delivers a message to the masses in his recent single and music video for "Hang Up."
The Berklee College graduate has become a force in the Los Angeles music scene, working alongside names like John Legend, Jane's Addiction, and Barbra Streisand. Founder of The Record House and BV Music Productions, Beto Vargas' music spans from Latin and rock n' roll to pop, blessing listeners with various irresistible tunes that keep 'em coming back for more.
In his latest single, "Hang Up," Beto Vargas is a hot reminder we all need to hear. The playful yet discerning song hears Beto Vargas making his way through the week, wishing to escape life's hectic ways. With beaming pop-rock instrumentals and his equally radiant vocals, Beto Vargas highlights his message even further in the song's music video.
The new visual for "Hang Up" sees Beto Vargas kicking it in a dark room with the curtains shut, feeling cooped up and ready to flee the scene. As we transition into scenes of a young man strolling the streets, we see that he's locked to his phone and missing everything surrounding him. All while this is happening, Beto Vargas keeps the energy alive with his attention-grabbing performance and boundless passion.
The video continues to remind us of the importance of 'looking up.' With shots of the young man strolling past a beautiful woman, a fire-juggling street performer, and even stepping into traffic, he's left speechless when he finally drops his phone on the concrete. But, to his surprise, he looks up and greets the sunset over the city - a reminder that there's much more to life beyond our screens.
If you or someone you know is glued to their devices, check out Beto Vargas' latest music video for "Hang Up" and remember to look up. The video is on YouTube, and the single is available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Beto Vargas! We love the meaning behind your recent single and music video, "Hang Up." What inspired you to create a song about distancing yourself from devices and looking up?
This is a subject that has weighed on me for a while. But last year, I had an experience that left me dismayed. I went to a show where the artist invited 5 fans to get on stage and sit next to him by the piano while he performed a very intimate song for them. The 5 fans took out their phones and witnessed this beautiful unique moment and gift through their phone camera! I've felt for a while that we have become too attached to our phones, social media, and the digital worlds we have created, but this was the moment I said, enough! I need to do something about this or at least create awareness. So, I sat down and wrote "Hang Up". And I hope it serves as a beacon of inspiration and awareness to the world and especially the younger generations. We need to learn to be alone with ourselves and our thoughts, to appreciate how rare each moment is and how fast it drifts away and becomes the past, to LOOK UP and make eye contact with the people around us and connect physically. I even want to encourage fans at my shows to put away their phones for this song and enjoy the moment. Even if there has never been a documented live video of this song, haha! That would mean I've done something right.
What was your songwriting process like for "Hang Up?" Was it easy to pen such engaging lyrics and get your message across?
It is a message I've been wanting to get across for so long that, once I had the groove and melody for it, the words just poured out of me like a Damn rupturing and letting all the water through. I guess the challenge for me was, "How do I write a song about this without sounding like I'm trying to instruct or educate the world?" So, I started imagining a moment on stage and a groove and melody that could feel like we were celebrating life and this moment. Then, once that feeling was there, it was just about finding the right words.
How does "Hang Up" stand out in your discography? What makes this song different from your previous releases?
A lot of people have told me that this song feels very honest to them. And I guess that makes sense because I was so into the message and words of the song that I wasn't too concerned with the production of it and just kind of let go. I wanted to create a production that wasn't very distracting from the words and just served its purpose. To support the song and just give a cool vibe that you can move and sing to. I do feel that all my songs on this album have a common thread though. I have grown so much during the process of making this album, that it is almost as an evolution of the soul as each song has been created and released. I really hope that people can hear the authentic, honest version of myself.
What was your experience shooting and creating the music video for "Hang Up?" Did you collaborate with any directors or producers to bring your vision to life?
It's kind of funny how this video came to be. We were doing a photoshoot here in LA with director, Santiago Fierro and photographer Javier Bayona and we found a really cool location in this studio in downtown Los Angeles. But once we started shooting, we realized this location had the potential for an amazing video. So, we shot the performance part of it right there and then. So, after that, me and Santiago sat down and started thinking of an idea for a story. I knew I wanted to involve really cool moments that would be great to experience first hand and in person. But then my friend Manolo Rodriguez suggested, "Why not have someone going by these moments, but completely unaware of his surroundings and the beautiful moments he is missing because he is completely immersed in his phone and his digital world?" And then I thought, "Let's push it even further and show, at a few points, that the situations he is looking at on his phone, are actually the things he is passing by and missing." I loved this idea because it gives you that feeling of, "Ahh man, look up, look up!" I can't imagine how many things we are missing, simply because we are not looking out at the world. But besides the story, I was very lucky to have an amazing cast and crew to make this happen. The lead, Reed Mayer, was such a genuine and cool guy, that he would be down to try things and throw out ideas. It was great working with him. The skater, Lilia Kasanova, was so talented that we shot her scene super quick and easy. Marina Braun was just hard to look at because she is so incredibly beautiful. But also, incredibly sweet and easy going. Ricky Otterstrom is a good friend and a kick ass fire dancer. I always wanted him to be in one of my videos and I am just lucky he was down and available to be on this one. And last but not least, the director, Santiago Fierro was incredible. Anything I thought was not viable due to time, or money or whatever, he would figure it out. He would say, "No Beto wait, let me think about this". And then, boom it was done. Besides he is a great guy to work with and makes the shoot fun and enjoyable. All in all, I had a blast making this video and I am so grateful to everyone that was in it and made it possible.
What do you hope listeners feel and take away after watching the music video for "Hang Up?" What was your goal in that respect?
I really hope that when people hear this song, it inspired them to live in the moment. That it plants a small seed in their lives so that next time they are at a show, or see something cool on the street or anywhere, that they pause before taking out their phones and say, "You know what? I think I'm going to enjoy this for me." That it inspires them to look up and connect with others, to walk down the street and say hello to a stranger, to read a book instead pf scrolling down reels, to lay on the grass and think of nothing, perhaps make shapes with the clouds, I don't know, just be with yourself for a change. And finally, that hopefully soon, we can all be singing this together at a show and make that memory that will stick with us forever.