Growing up in a place as diverse as Los Angeles, it feels impossible to be a fan of just one genre; Benny Cassette knows this, and that’s why his new single “Sunrise, Sunset,” doesn’t just sound like the cumbia he grew up with in his youth — it sounds like the city that raised him.
So it’s only right that the video also include two other components of LA life that make our sun-drenched coastal haven so special: MacArthur Park and skater culture. The video features a group of skater chicks cruising the west coast landmark, the video perfectly captures the idyllic feeling of a Saturday afternoon spent at the park with nothing to do but enjoy the sunshine, the breeze, the people, and of course the music of the City of Angels. The fact that its girls tearing up the park only makes the video that much more epic.
Benny wrote the percussive, upbeat track as an ode to his grandmother, who he says “encouraged him to live his life as a dreamer and pursue his passion of music.” Likewise, the video is intended to link his roots with the hope for a brighter, more inclusive world. “One thing I never would have imagined seeing as a kid in MacArthur Park was girls skating,” he explained, “I wanted this video to show the LA I knew as a kid, but also to feel like something out of my imagination and this is what we came up with.”
Following those dreams has taken the young singer/songwriter and producer farther than he and his grandmother ever could have expected, from rapping as part of a youth-performance group in high school, to collaborating on Kanye West’s Yeezus and plenty more high-profile collaborations with everyone from The Cool Kids’ Chuck Inglish to superstar singers John Legend and Miguel.
With its refrain of “Oye, mami,” and playful guitars, “Sunrise, Sunset” evokes exactly what its title suggests: Lazy summer days spent lounging, relaxing, and flirting with summer loves. “Some days I wish that we could both just run away,” Benny sings, “Let’s dance to the beat while the sun sets.” The song is from Benny’s upcoming album, Broken Hearts And Dollar Signs, and the message is straightforward: “Don’t let the chaos of everyday get in the way of your happiness — let’s just dance.”
The simple melody is interspersed with light piano, but it’s the beat that stands out immediately. LA isn’t quite tropical, but the vibes given off in both the song and the video feel like white sand and palm trees would make for the optimal listening conditions. This song is the perfect soundtrack to a day at the beach, or, like the lovelies in the video, skating around the park on a sunny summer day. Watch the clip above.
