Cape Town, 15 June 2022 – Singer, songwriter, producer, vocal coach and, most recently, the sweet musical magic behind a brand-new Nestlé television campaign for the equally loved Kit-Kat brand, RJ Benjamin and his 2007 smash-hit single, “Change the World” is precisely doing that, this time in elevating the world of confectionary and effecting rich reward, all over again.
Time in
Classic tracks must work incredibly hard to attain that status and enjoy respectful acclaim. Ever mindful and respectful of the place he rightly occupies, RJ is a man who’s done a great deal of heavy lifting in his professional career, and in so doing, he’s touched the lives of a great many people.
His music speaks to not only a nation but to a global community invested in quality song writing and arranging that stands the test of time, “Change the World” is one such song.
Surprise, not so
Ironically, when RJ first recorded the track, he didn’t think too much of it. “You assume to know which songs are going to be timeless, and you don’t,” he admits. “That’s why you must deliver your utmost best on every track you commit to delivering.”
“Change the World” first blew up in late 2008, through 2009 and all the way to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At that point, RJ believed that that was the life of the song, and by anyone’s standards, three years of high rotation airplay and album sales signal real success.
New opportunities
More interestingly, since “Change the World” was released, RJ has received an invitation to add the song to an advertisement or other commercial endeavour every year since the track first revealed itself.
Why it didn’t play out that way until now is multiform, but as with any great song, it will ultimately be heard and loved, regardless of the many unexpected hurdles put before it.
Since “Change the World” changed the world, RJ’s further aspiration beyond the song’s initial success was for it to be used in a jingle, an ad, or otherwise. All good things come to those who wait, as the well-known adage dictates; in RJ’s case, it did.
The change
In early 2022 yet another request came to include the song as part of a major advertising campaign. This time around, RJ and his team at Sheer Publishing were prepared and collectively paved the way and made it possible for “Change the World” to be re-recorded and presented as the contender and winner it remains, nearly two decades later.
For perspective, any artist who receives an offer to make their music a part of something else, be it a movie soundtrack, at an event or even re-recorded by a big-name artist, is often a gamechanger on a plethora of levels, both professional and personal. For RJ, it was poetic justice to a song deserving to be heard within an entirely new, relevant, and topical context.
The delicious delivery
A three-month-long marathon followed in-studio, re-recording RJ’s vocal parts and in post-production to deliver a re-ignited and entirely relatable song to an audience, a bit like RJ, wanting a real break.
Despite trying to recreate his 27-year-old self some 15 years later, RJ’s consummate professionalism in his craft delivered an arguably better take on what formed part of a classic legacy recording.
As with anything, the proof is in the eating, so get out there, embrace “Change the World” in 2022, and while you’re at it ‘Have a break’, as they say, and remember that memories are created from inspiration, and RJ is one such sweet spot we should all look to relish.
Watch the commercial
For more information, contact: Martin Myers @ martmyers@gmail.com
Triple M Entertainment 