The Bogotá, the Colombia-born Singer, Songwriter, and Producer, Beto Vargas, returns with the second single off of his forthcoming 2021 album.
Fusing together his inspiration from American Rock n Roll, Latin, and roots, from his childhood, the now Los Angeles-based artist is rising to success with deeply emotional lyrics to accompany a powerful and modern production. Delving into an atmospheric realm that combines equal parts of tantalizing hues and effervescent liveliness, “ON FIRE,” takes us through the depths of Beto Vargas’ imagination.
With the basis of the narrative coming to him in the form of a dream, the entrancing lyrical motifs that are propelled into this arrangement have us hanging onto every euphonious timbre that Beto Vargas conveys. The brilliant production quality submerges us in an energetic expression of acoustic guitar chords and purposeful percussion that make up the main components of the instrumentation.
Blessing us with a smooth vocalization that serenades us in a representation of that feeling you get when you meet someone so beautiful that it burns inside, Beto Vargas takes the artistic beauty of his dream and delivers it in a way that is uniquely him. Stating, ‘I dreamed of a beautiful girl completely covered in flames, mesmerizing, unique. I woke up and couldn’t get it out of my head, so I wrote a song about it,’ you hear the emotion overflowing as the passion that is placed into “ON FIRE,” surfaces in your mind with a striking series of images to match.
Weaving ingenuity into the exquisiteness of this compelling record, we see Beto Vargas in a newfound spotlight that illuminates his messaging like no other.
The entire soundscape of “ON FIRE,” has our mind blown, what a brilliant concept to bring to life. With the idea coming to you in a dream, did you find this concept easier or more difficult to create than past creations?
Writing and producing On Fire was definitely a challenge for me for a few reasons. This idea came from a dream, so I had to figure out a way to write about this without it coming out cheesy and like a cliche. But the feeling was so real and authentic that I just let the words pour out organically without giving too much thought into it. I think that what really helped with this was that I came up with a production direction and mood and produced a quick beat and chord structure to write over. I knew that it had to be emotional, powerful, and hopeful. Then once the song had a base I invited a good friend and amazing singer/ songwriter “Mimi Rose” to help me write the rest of it and she helped me bring it to life! It really flowed once I realized how this dream was a representation of the longing many of us have felt during the pandemic of not being able to meet someone or touch someone or fall in love with someone. It reminded me how natural and instinctive it is to crave and desire another human being.
Do you hold “ON FIRE,” to a different standard than the rest of the pieces in your music catalog? How does it compare to your previous release of ‘I Can Make It Better?'
After the release of “I Can Make It Better” and the incredible successful reaction it had with the audience, I knew that I had set a high standard for my next song. But I challenged myself before beginning this album and told myself that I would aim to make each song better than the one before. To break boundaries and explore new sounds. Each song in this album has its own vibe and it is influenced by the music I am listening to and producing at the time. Each is a small part of me and I hope that the album together will be a complete representation of myself, who I am, and what I want to say. So yes, right now you can say I hold every song in this album to very high standards.
Could you please share a glimpse into what the creative and recording process looked like when bringing this song to life?
I had a great time writing and recording this song. For the first time I decided to involve someone else in the writing process and it has been an eye-opening experience. I have co-written many times before but, funny enough, never for my own project. I realized how your music and ideas can expand by bringing another mind into the process. In regards to the recording and production process, I started this song how I do most nowadays, in my home studio. It began with creating a beat and chord progression, to which we wrote the song. Once the foundations of the song were done I decided I wanted to have a more organic feel to the song so I got Pepe Hidalgo to record drums. He did an amazing job bringing the groove into the song. His groove on the hi-hat and tasteful drum fills really gave the song an epic and uplifting feel. I then recorded the guitars, piano, synths, acoustic guitars, and pads to the song, along with some cool samples and textures, and the song was complete. Finally, I recorded the vocals and sent it off to the incredible Tiago D’Errico who mixed the hell out of it. He’s an amazing mix engineer who takes the time to listen to what makes the song emotional. And lastly, the cherry on top, Brendan Duffey mastered the song with tasteful precision and punch. I have to say, I am blessed to work with such an amazing team of talented artists.
What do we have to look forward to in terms of the themes and messaging on your forthcoming album? What are you able to share with us about this release?
If I can leave the world with one thing to take back from this album, it would be to not be afraid to be exactly who you are and to fight for anything and everything you desire in life. I tried for so long to become someone I thought people wanted me to be that I realized it was completely slowing me down and stopping me from achieving everything I desire in life. Be authentic, be bold, take risks, and above all enjoy it! I’m still writing the second half of the album but the recurring theme is not hiding your emotions and fighting for what you want. So hopefully this album can help motivate others to do the same. And possibly celebrate it all on a stage real soon!
What's next for you?
This year I plan on releasing a few more singles off the album that will most likely come out at the end of the year or beginning of 2022. Depending on how the world develops, hopefully, I can be back on stage sharing my music and this new album with everyone face to face. It's strange to think how long it’s been since we can share a concert. That is my main motivation to keep working on this album so that we can celebrate life and music and never take it for granted again!