<span><span>- In her highly anticipated debut album New Zealand indie-pop singer BENEE escapes the trappings of her previous work. Where BENEE aka <strong>Stella Rose Bennett</strong>’s previous EPs <em>Fire on Marzz </em>and <em>Stella & Steve </em>were, despite some undeniable high points like <em>Find An Island</em> and <em>Glitter</em>, ultimately underwhelming, on a full-length album BENEE is at her most creative. The album, entitled <em>Hey u </em>with a silent <em>x </em>- is an album for the kids of the internet age, never committing to a single sound, but rather a feeling!</span></span>
<span><span>After spending a few years developing her sound and image, BENEE suddenly blew up on Tik Tok with her EP cut <em>Superlonely</em> featuring American singer <strong>Gus Dapperton</strong>. <em>Superlonely</em> makes a comeback on <em>Hey u x</em>, and though it proves to be one of the weakest tracks to be found here, it serves as a nice callback for her fans. <em>Hey u x</em> feels celebratory first and foremost. The record’s standout track, <em>Snail</em>, is simple yet effective. Slap bass replaces the other live instrumentation from the rest of <em>Hey u x</em> for a pleasantly bizarre track that sounds more like a hyperpop fairytale than a pop song.</span></span>
<span><span>Where an indie-pop debut from an artist like BENEE could have been lacklustre, she’s used her newfound profile to draw in a clever cast of collaborators and embraced the creative freedom that provides. In <em>Sheesh</em>, BENEE sings over bubblegum pop production joined by <strong>Grimes</strong>, who shares a fun, ethereal verse, providing some structural support to BENEE. Later, she’s joined by <strong>Lily Allen</strong> and viral rapper <strong>Flo Milli</strong> for a more tranquil yet undeniably groovy cut. There’s also a <strong>Mallrat</strong> feature to be found on her record: <em>Winter</em> is comprised of heavier instrumentation that adds intrigue to the duet and it's one of the best tracks on the album,.</span></span>
<span><span>Despite the heavy-calibre help, the solo BENEE tracks on <em>Hey u x</em> prove to be the most interesting. If her EPs didn’t showcase her personality, her debut certainly does. In album opener <em>Happen to Me</em>, BENEE captures the existential dread of the modern world, a feeling that leaves her sleep-deprived and anxious. Stark instrumentation complements her lyrics in a way that recalls a less emo <strong>Julien Baker</strong>’s <em>Turn Out the Lights</em>. It’s an odd choice to open the record, especially considering the overwhelming positivity of her previous EPs. In a way, however, it feels honest, as if she’s finally accepting herself as she is and allowing her music to contain multitudes. In <em>Night Garden</em>, BENEE returns to her paranoid insomnia, “<em>Feels like someone’s watching me, a man is out there in the trees / And that’s the reason I can’t sleep.</em>”</span></span>
<span><span>Euphoria, celebration, that's the feeling. There might be traumatic honesty, but the bright, bubbly pop songs that BENEE conjures dispel her fears and doubts. It’s an album of the millennial zoomer, yet one that rejects any notion of superficiality. <em>Hey u x </em>is a stunning debut that couldn’t have been made by anyone but BENEE. </span></span>
<span><span>- Sean Tayler.</span></span>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rr9-rTNI5YE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>