Some songs don’t start with a plan. They start with a feeling — a bassline that hits like a slow grin across a dimly lit room, a pocket that refuses to let your body stay still, a jam session that accidentally stumbles into something dangerous.

That’s exactly how “Devious” came to life: a groove-heavy Pop/R&B debut collaboration between Q*Bensis, The Guanz, and Andrew Rathbone that turns funk flirtation into a late-night anthem with teeth. It’s seductive, it’s playful, and underneath the shine, it’s quietly unsettling — the kind of track that makes you dance first and think later.

Built on a hypnotic bass line, thick low-end, and an irresistible rhythmic pocket, “Devious” pulls you straight into the tension of nightlife attraction and modern power dynamics. The instrumental began as a casual studio moment between Q*Bensis and The Guanz, laying down bass, drums, and guitar until the groove practically stood on its own. But months later, when Andrew Rathbone finally heard the track, the missing piece clicked instantly.

His hook — “she’s so damn devious” — didn’t just complete the song. It defined it.

And once that line lands, it doesn’t leave.

“It’ll get your head boppin’ and your booty shakin’ like poolside palm trees.”
— The Guanz on “Devious”

A Slow Burn That Turns Into a Full-Blown Funk Fixation

“Devious” moves like a slow burn, but it’s not background music — it’s a groove monster disguised as a good time. The track balances modern funk textures with pop accessibility and R&B swagger, threading the needle between clean, catchy, and slightly chaotic in the best way.

It’s the kind of production that understands restraint: letting the bass do the flirting, letting the drums do the convincing, letting the hook do the damage. And when the chorus hits, it doesn’t feel like a climax — it feels like a trap snapping shut.

As Q*Bensis explains, the first session wasn’t even about making a “single.” It was about chemistry.

“The jam was super fun, just Q and Guanz in the studio messing around,” they share. “Q took the bass and guitar tracks and built a dope instrumental around them. While Andrew was over working on his record, he heard it and immediately started writing the hook, and that’s when it became a bop.”

“She’s So Damn Devious”: The Hook That Gave It a Voice

Hooks are easy to write. Hooks that feel inevitable are rare.

On “Devious,” Rathbone’s chorus arrives like an intrusive thought you can’t shake — a phrase that captures the song’s entire personality: confident, amused, and just a little haunted. The inspiration was instant, almost physical.

“When I heard that bass line, it felt very promiscuous to me,” Andrew says. “‘She’s so damn devious’ was the first thing I sang to myself when listening to the instrumental.”

And while the story is personal, it’s intentionally not too specific — because the point isn’t one person. It’s the pattern.

“The lyrics are definitely inspired by someone from my past,” he adds, “but for the time being ‘she’ will remain nameless.”

Feel-Good Funk With a Darker Subtext

Here’s what makes “Devious” stick: it’s funny, sexy, and addictive — but it’s also a song about manipulation. It explores the blurred lines of contemporary dating culture, where charm becomes strategy and attraction becomes leverage.

As the artists put it bluntly: she’s not playing the game — she is the game.

Instead of over-explaining the narrative, the writing stays open enough for listeners to project their own experience into it. The goal isn’t to lecture. It’s to reflect.

“I try to write lyrics in a way that the listener can interpret the story in what way suits them,” Andrew says. “The lyrics aren’t so specific to me alone… I want the listener to feel like they can insert themselves into the story being told.”

That duality — the danceable and the disturbing — wasn’t forced. It was baked into the DNA.

Q*Bensis has always been drawn to the idea of darker meaning hiding inside bright music. “Q has always been into musical subtext and darker undertones hiding inside fun songs,” the group explains, referencing the evolution from playful praise to predatory energy: “like the woman from ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama’ letting all of Carl Carlton’s praise go to her head and turning into the woman from ‘Maneater.’”

Late ’70s Funk DNA, Updated for Now

Sonically, “Devious” feels rooted in funk history — but it’s not cosplay. It’s not trying to sound like a museum piece. Instead, it takes the late ’70s funk foundation and pushes it forward with a modern palette: heavier bass, louder drums, and the punch of today’s production tools.

“Late 70s funk was a big influence, but with a more contemporary palette,” they explain. “More bass, louder drums, and modern DAW capabilities. Funk isn’t going anywhere, it’s just going to keep evolving.”

If you live in the world of Bruno Mars, Grammatik, Tommy Richman, and Parliament, “Devious” lands naturally — a track that understands groove as a language and charisma as a weapon.

Nightlife as a Writing Tool

There’s a reason “Devious” feels like it belongs under neon lights. The group describes it as a “late-night anthem”, and that isn’t marketing — it’s a writing principle.

Context matters. Environment matters. Mood matters.

“I think it’s essential,” they say. “If you want a song to play in a night club it’s probably not going to be a slow singer-songwriter acoustic song… Many times the initial layers of an idea will set the mood and dictate the rest of the songwriting process.”

That’s exactly what “Devious” sounds like: the mood made the music, and the music shaped the story.

A Catalyst Collaboration (And Not the Last)

Even though “Devious” is the first official release from this particular lineup, it already feels like the beginning of a bigger creative thread. For Q*Bensis, the song also marked a turning point — a reminder that isolation kills momentum, and collaboration brings it back.

“Something about the bassline and guitar when we played Devious just stuck out and we had to record it,” they share. “Then it really clicked for me that what I really enjoy about music is creating things with people… the shared creativity and energy created when playing together is the most important part.”

With each artist bringing a different musical background — electronic/prog, rock/hip-hop, acoustic/pop — the chemistry is the whole point.

“Everyone comes from different backgrounds,” they explain. “Mash it together and you get some devious ish.”

And while future collaborations aren’t locked into a strict schedule, the door is clearly open.

“There’s an ongoing jam regimen happening both collectively and within individual projects,” they say. “This one was a fun one to make… it definitely won’t be the last.”

A Music Video Is Coming — And It’s About Seduction and Power

“Devious” already plays like a scene: eyes meeting across the room, tension disguised as confidence, lust blurred into control. So it makes sense that the upcoming music video is leaning into the track’s central themes.

“There’s a concept of the thrill of seduction and the power of lust,” they tease. “Looking forward to putting that out!”

If the song is the flirtation, the visuals sound like they’ll be the follow-through.

Final Word

“Devious” is what happens when funk stops being nostalgia and becomes a weapon again — a sleek, groove-forward Pop/R&B track that feels irresistible on the surface and complicated underneath. It’s a slow burn that turns into a full-body reaction, the kind of song you put on “for fun” and then realize you’ve hit replay six times in a row.

Because it’s not just catchy.

It’s devious.

“Devious” — Q*Bensis, The Guanz & Andrew Rathbone
Credits:
Producer / Composer / Performer: Q*Bensis
Co-Producer / Composer / Performer: The Guanz
Lyricist / Vocalist: Andrew Rathbone
Mastering: Bruce Templeton
Artwork: Jorge Otero
Press Photos: bbunnyx