Toyota’s ‘New Day Rising’ Turns Car Sounds Into Music With Ben&Ben
Last Updated on October 23, 2026 by Don Werner Salas
The click of a turn signal, the hum of a power window and a closing car door now have a second job: making music.
Toyota Motor Asia has brought together seven artists from six Asian countries for ‘New Day Rising.’ It arrived on October 23, 2026, on the album Move Your World Beat: Volume 1.
For fans of Filipino folk-pop band Ben&Ben, there are two familiar voices in the lineup. Twin brothers Miguel and Paolo Benjamin join musicians whose work spans pop, R&B, electronic production and regional folk traditions.
New Day Rising: Quick details
- Release date: October 23, 2026
- Lead track: ‘New Day Rising’
- Album: Move Your World Beat: Volume 1
- Lineup: Seven musicians representing Pakistan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand
- Listening options: Toyota’s project page and the seven-track album on Spotify
How Toyota turned car sounds into a song
Rather than begin with an ordinary sample pack, the musicians recorded familiar sounds from Toyota vehicles. Turn signals, gear shifts, power windows and closing doors became raw material for beats and melodies.
They paired those sounds with instruments linked to their home countries. Toyota’s release points to the Alghoza, a double flute from Pakistan, and the Đàn tơ rưng, a Vietnamese bamboo xylophone.
Each artist first worked on a separate composition. Their ideas later fed into ‘New Day Rising.’ Toyota describes lead vocal passages, softer sections, layered harmonies and guitar textures associated with shoegaze. Electronic arrangements connect the contrasting parts. The shared song still leaves space for the musicians’ different approaches.
Meet the seven artists and their individual tracks
The album contains seven songs: the group recording and six additional tracks credited to the participating acts. The joint track runs three minutes and 38 seconds. Spotify’s track listing offers a useful way to hear each artist’s approach before returning to the collaboration.
- Miguel and Paolo Benjamin (Philippines) – “Forward”: The Ben&Ben members bring their singer-songwriter background to the project. Their acoustic duo grew into the nine-member band known for Filipino folk-pop. The twins remain two of its lead singers and songwriters.
- Natasha Noorani (Pakistan) – “Soar”: A singer and ethnomusicologist, Noorani draws on South Asian music, R&B and electronic pop. She also co-founded Lahore Music Meet, a platform for Pakistan’s music community.
- 2pillz (Vietnam) – “No Need To Worry”: The producer and DJ works across pop, hip-hop and electronic music. His credits include work with Vietnamese performers tlinh and AMEE.
- Belle Sisoski (Malaysia) – “Further Forward”: Her music combines Southeast Asian instruments with electronic and cinematic production. She has also performed with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Shye (Singapore) – “Closer Than We Think”: The independent musician writes, records, produces and mixes her own dream-pop and alternative music. Her album The Doves Came Home arrived in May 2026.
- Valentina Ploy (Thailand) – “Stories”: The Thai-Italian singer-songwriter draws from pop, folk and electronic music in her songwriting. She opened for Coldplay in Bangkok in 2024.
How the collaboration came together
Move Your World Beat began earlier in 2026 as a Toyota Motor Asia music programme developed with creative partner VIRTUE Asia. Musicians first shared their vehicle-inspired pieces through a TikTok-led creator programme. They then contributed to the larger group recording.
The project also brought together different ways of making music. Shye handles most of her recording process independently, while Belle Sisoski works with traditional instruments and electronic performance. The Benjamin brothers contribute as a songwriting duo within a larger band.
Toyota says the wider programme aims to give Asian artists more opportunities to collaborate across borders. Its official project page points to further work but does not set dates for another album or a new collective song.
Where to listen to ‘New Day Rising’
Toyota’s official Move Your World Beat page features the song, artist profiles and a behind-the-scenes film. The full seven-track album is also available on Spotify.
Start with ‘New Day Rising’ to hear the combined result, then compare it with each act’s individual track. It’s a straightforward way to hear how one set of vehicle sounds led to several different approaches.
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