BENEE

It's not too dark or too bright. It's not too happy or too sad. Instead, BENEE's music is always just right. She strikes a fragile chord between extremes. On one hand, she writes songs with open-hearted emotionality tailormade for lonely listening sessions on headphones at 3AM. On another hand, she serves up festival-ready anthems, teeming with childlike curiosity and otherworldly energy. The multiplatinum New Zealand-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and producer collages together glassy melodies, inventive instrumentation, enigmatic production, enticing storytelling, and larger-than-life visuals to build a living and breathing world of her own.

Bathed in pops of color and animated by her personality, she continues to expand this space on a series of 2024 singles for Republic Records, and more to come.

"I try not to limit myself," she says. "It's possible to write songs in so many ways — which can also change. For me, contrast is the most common theme of life, and it manifests musically. If a song is too happy, it sounds cheesy. If a song is too sad, I don't want to get depressed. So, you could say I like 'medium-sad songs.' It's a balance," she smiles.

Her music has revolved around this balance since she emerged in 2017. She arrived as a global phenomenon in the wake of her Double-Platinum smash "Supalonely" feat. Gus Dapperton. It set the stage for her 2020 full-length debut, Hey u x. The latter saw her collaborate with the likes of Grimes, Lily Allen, Flo Milli, Kenny Beats, Bakar, and Muroki. She maintained her momentum with the acclaimed Lychee EP in 2022. Vogue has described her music as "heavenly indie-alt-pop." Earning further critical acclaim, Interview Magazine christened her "one of Gen Z's leading rockstars," and DAZED dubbed her "a voice of the pandemic generation." She sold out headline shows on multiple continents in addition to delivering stunning television performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and more. Beyond tallying streams in the billions, she has garnered over a dozen Platinum and Gold Certifications around the globe. Speaking to her growing influence, she notably teamed up with Mallrat for "Do It Again," which FIFA chose as the Official Song for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup™.

During 2023, she relocated to Los Angeles. She not only absorbed the city's fast-paced energy and creativity in the studio, but she also widened her palette, listening to "a fuck ton of Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, and The Beach Boys."

"I like L.A.," she muses. "Not having my family with me, I've grown up a lot and had to do a lot of big girl shit. The city is rich with culture and art. The new music doesn't sound like L.A., but it has the chaos and beauty that surrounds the place."

She steps into her next era with the single "Sad Boiii." Stretching the scope of her signature style once more, it hinges on a tropically funkified guitar riff punctuated by a head-nodding bassline. Against this sunny soundscape, she lets out a sigh on the hypnotic hook, "No, I don't want another sad boiii."

"I tried to write a summery and happy tune with a dark meaning," she notes. "I'd go to local festivals as a kid, and I wanted to capture the vibe of the outdoor setting. A lot of New Zealand music has a reggae energy, which is very nostalgic for me. Lyrically, 'Sad Boiii' is about being in a relationship where you're pissed off with the other person because he has a façade going on. Even though he pretends to be tough, he's just another damaged boy who needs help. Maybe you came from that in a past relationship and thought this guy was more stable, but he ends up being a depressed dude too. I fall for so many of those men, and it's draining. They don't want to get therapy; they just want to stay with you. Don't be fooled by the bad boy image!"

On top of touring with the likes of Wallows and Olivia Rodrigo, she notably made her big screen debut in the 2024 indie film Head South.

"I've wanted to do more acting work for a while," she says. "It's just another way to perform, and I loved the experience of being in Head South. It was a cool process to play a different character."

Now, BENEE welcomes everyone into the embrace of her world.

"With music, my goal is to help people and bring light into dark situations," she leaves off. "The message is, 'Don't take yourself or anything else too seriously. You might as well have fun while you're here, because it doesn't last long.' I learn more every year, and I hope the next year is packed with more songs and shows. I'd be really happy to keep doing this forever."

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BOILER

BENEE strikes a fragile chord between extremes. On one hand, she writes songs with open-hearted emotionality tailormade for lonely listening sessions on headphones at 3AM. On another hand, she serves up festival-ready anthems, teeming with childlike curiosity and otherworldly energy. The multi-platinum New Zealand-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and producer collages together glassy melodies, inventive instrumentation, enigmatic production, enticing storytelling, and larger-than-life visuals to build a living and breathing world of her own. Her music has revolved around this balance since she emerged in 2017. She arrived as a global phenomenon in the wake of her Double-Platinum smash "Supalonely" feat. Gus Dapperton. It set the stage for her 2020 full-length debut, Hey u x. The latter saw her collaborate with the likes of Grimes, Lily Allen, Flo Milli, Kenny Beats, Bakar, and Muroki. Earning critical acclaim, Interview Magazine christened her "one of Gen Z's leading rockstars," and DAZED dubbed her "a voice of the pandemic generation." She sold out headline shows on multiple continents and delivered stunning television performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Beyond tallying streams in the billions, she garnered over a dozen Platinum and Gold Certifications around the globe. She notably teamed up with Mallrat for "Do It Again," which FIFA chose as the Official Song for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup 2023. On top of touring with the likes of Wallows and Olivia Rodrigo, she notably recently made her big screen debut in the indie film Head South. Now, BENEE welcomes everyone into the embrace of her world on a series of 2024 singles and more to come.