Filipino singer-songwriter Clara Benin gets candid about dreamy teen romance in the music video of her latest single “Affable Dork.”
Shot in Enchanted Kingdom, the music video treads along magical-realist trickery and romantic sweetness in a relationship. “[It’s] about finding all the parts that you hate about a person and realizing that you’re just like that too,” director Simon Te said.
“The song is about the thought process of a girl overthinking her relationship with an affable dork because she feels unworthy of his attention,” Benin said.
The rising folk-pop artist’s new song “Affable Dork” breathes life into a beloved fictional character only to realize that life is a far cry from fantasy.
Co-director Summer Puertollano compared the song to a “fragile, almost surreal, innocent kind of love.”
Inspired by coming-of-age classics with sharp satirical bite, from Ruby Sparks to Stranger Than Fiction, the track also examines the delicate balance between infatuation and fantasy.
“I’ve always been fond of coming-of-age films and books,” says Benin. “I think that when you’re head over heels over someone, you start to romanticize your relationship like you’re in a cute romcom.”
The Ringmaster-produced single “Affable Dork” becomes the perfect backdrop in any French bar or café with its stripped-down eloquence and jazzy pop elements.
The song is also arranged by frequent collaborator Gabba Santiago with Chico Macorol on drums and Miko Villena on upright bass.
“Affable Dork” is out on all digital music platforms via OFFMUTE.
Its official music video, which premiered July 15, has since garnered over 21,600 views on YouTube.
