It’s a new era for Stefan Benz!
The 17-year-old is transitioning into more mature and relatable songs with the release of his new track “I Won’t Be Content,” which is out now on music streaming platforms.
Best described as a pop/R&B anthem for all that are stuck in the dreaded “friend zone” with that special someone, Stefan’s extraordinary talent shines with his stunning harmonies and relatable lyrics that emulate that feeling of wanting to be more than friends with the person you admire.
“The lyrics are about being tired of always being this girl’s second choice and being at a crossroad with her where you want to be with her, but you need her to choose what direction she wants to go in and you really hope she chooses you because you know you will treat her right,” Stefan tells Celeb Secrets in an exclusive interview. “I wrote the song in the Hamptons and it’s based on real life events and something I was going through with a girl at that time.”
Teaming up with KC Da Producer (Justin Bieber) along with Damon Sharpe (Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande) and Aubrey Mikel, the collaboration solidifies the 17-year-old’s place in the future of both pop music and Young Hollywood.
“I actually met Stefan at a conference when he was very young I would say maybe 11 or 12 years old and he hadn’t even moved to the US yet. Years later, his manager, and my longtime friend Manny Mijares, reconnected us to do some music together,” Sharpe tells us on how he connected with Benz.
“He is already such a professional at his young age. He’s been honing his craft and is like a sponge soaking up everything creatively. He also has a lot of soul that he channels into his music,” the famed producer adds.
“I Won’t Be Content” is just a taste of what’s to come from the star-in-the-making, as he shares that its “a large stepping stone in the direction of where his music is heading.”
“‘I Won’t Be Content’ and the songs coming after are going in a more mature and relatable direction and my own lane that I am creating for me and my music,” Stefan reveals. “‘I Wont Be Content’ is one of my favorites, but there is so much more to come.”
Keep scrolling to watch the music video for “I Won’t Be Content” along with our full Q&A from the budding entertainer and don’t forget to let us know what you think about the song by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our Instagram DMs at @celebsecrets.
You can connect with Stefan by giving him a follow on Instagram at @stefanbenz.
Celeb Secrets: Your new single “I Won’t Be Content” is finally here! How exciting is it for the track to be out in the world and what made you want to release it at this time?
Stefan Benz: “It’s super exciting for me for this song to come out because it marks the new age of my music and the new direction that I’m going in with my music. I’m newly 17, so the time is now to start transitioning into more mature and relatable songs. Everyone that knows me knows I love this song and I’m really excited to finally share it with my fans and with the world.”
CS: Can you tell us more about the song’s backstory and what fans can expect from it?
SB: “The lyrics are about being tired of always being this girl’s second choice and being at a crossroad with her where you want to be with her, but you need her to choose what direction she wants to go in and you really hope she chooses you because you know you will treat her right. I wrote the song in the Hamptons and it’s based on real life events and something I was going through with a girl at that time.”
CS: How does “I Won’t Be Content” stand out from your previous releases?
SB: “‘I Won’t Be Content’ stands out from my previous stuff because It’s a more serious song about a more serious topic. My previous releases ‘Joyride’ and ‘Getaway’ are all about having fun, living life on the edge and more surface level songs. This song is a more serious topic and more relatable to me and to my fans who are growing with me and going through similar situations to me. I think a lot of people can relate to feeling second best or feeling stuck in the friend zone.”
CS: What are some of your favorite moments from being in the studio and working on the track?
SB: “I was lucky enough to write this song at a house in the Hamptons in August and it was absolutely beautiful. I wrote it with one of Ariana Grande’s producers Damon Sharpe and Aubrey Mikel in a home theatre at night so the vibes were immaculate. What was really cool is writing this song came so naturally. Normally when I’m writing songs I have to second guess myself and re-write things and everything with this was first try and first take. It was a really fun experience because I had never wrote with Damon and Aubrey together before but magic happened in that theatre and we cooked up a hit. KC Da Producer who is one of Justin Bieber’s producers came through after and absolutely smashed it on the production with Damon.”
CS: In addition to the song, you also dropped the music video for “I Won’t Be Content.” Can you tell us more about the direction in which you wanted to take this and what it was like filming?
SB: “Pretty much every music video that I have filmed has been directed by my manager Manny Mijares so he came up with a lot of the ideas for the video, but I had a blast. My co-star is this girl named Makalah and she was such a pleasure to work with. There were some scenes where we had to get pretty up close and personal and she made it so natural and fun and not awkward. We shot this in a lot of different locations on different days so I got to experience a lot of different sets and props. I got to drive a lambo for several scenes so that was pretty awesome. All together I think we put together a music video with a lot of different scenes that looks really cool.”
CS: Is “I Won’t Be Content” a taste of what’s coming up from you music wise? What can you tease?
SB: “‘I Wont Be Content’ is a taste of what’s coming for me music wise. It’s a large stepping stone in the direction of where my music is heading. ‘I Won’t Be Content’ and the songs coming after are going in a more mature and relatable direction and my own lane that I am creating for me and my music. ‘I Wont Be Content’ is one of my favorites, but there is so much more to come.
CS: Do you have any goals you’d like to achieve for 2023?
SB: “My goals for the rest of 2023 are to finalize my tracklist for my upcoming album. I have so many songs to choose from and I’m really excited to narrow down my top songs and put together my debut album. I think every goal I have after that will fall in line with that body of work. I do however have a big goal of hitting the Billboard Hot 100 and winning a Grammy.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, what are some behind-the-scenes secrets from both making (in the studio) and filming (the music video) for “I Won’t Be Content” that we wouldn’t know just by listening/watching?
SB: “A fun fact and secret about the music video is there’s some really cool drone shots that actually took multiple days and multiple takes to film. We were using drones and the batteries died so quickly. In less than 10 minutes the drones would run out of battery so we had to shoot all the drone shots on multiple days. Me and Makalah had to be in the same positions sometimes even holding each other wearing the same clothes so it looked like the same shot but it wasn’t haha. Another fun fact and secret is that I wrote “I Wont Be Content” in a home movie theatre at 2am with my producers and writers Damon and Aubrey. We always joke that ‘the magic happens after midnight’ but that night it really did.”
