New York, NY (Top40 Charts) With the buzz building in her growing international fan base amid the sound of increasing critical applause, New Zealand alternative pop star BENEE unveils her eagerly anticipated Lychee EP today via Republic Records/ Universal Music.
BENEE says "Being locked down in New Zealand felt like things were going to be like this forever and like I was wasting time. I was afraid that I'd run out of ideas or I would find it difficult to get through this writing trip. However going into rooms with new production collaborators like Greg Kurstin and Rostam, and reconnecting with Kenny, was really liberating and actually let the energy I had been lacking back into my songs. There is something crazy about landing in LA from New Zealand and throwing yourself into songwriting. The exact same thing happened for me two years ago when I arrived in LA and wrote 'Supalonely' on the first day. I love that this EP has the emotional breadth to channel much of the anxiety that I was feeling at home in songs like 'Doesn't Matter' and 'Hurt You Gus' but then also switching to the new energy I found when writing 'Beach Boy' as well as 'Never Ending' which is my current favourite!"
BENEE set the stage for the EP with the singles "Doesn't Matter" and "Beach Boy." To bring the Lychee EP to life, she worked with collaborators on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. In California, she found herself working on songs with Greg Kurstin, Kenny Beats, and Rostam. Working back home in New Zealand, she completed more tracks with her regular collaborator Josh Fountain. As a whole, Lychee showcases BENEE's evolution as an eloquent and artful voice for Gen-Z — pushing boundaries and fearless enough not to compromise her creativity or spirit.
This spring, BENEE will embark on her headline world tour. The North American leg kicks off on May 31st in Montreal and makes stops in Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and more. BENEE will also be performing at The Governors Balland Bonnaroo this summer. See the full list of dates below and at beneemusic.com.
BENEE's dreamy alt-pop mixes her deeply heartfelt reflections on life in suburban Auckland, New Zealand with offbeat and often whimsical lyrical twists, all produced with a technicolor ear for cooked beats and unpredictable hooks. The 22-year-old broke through in 2020 with "Supalonely," her global hit with 4 billion streams, and her follow-up Hey u x debut album was a vibrant musical world with guests ranging from
Grimes and
Lily Allen to
Gus Dapperton and Muroki (another New Zealand teen BENEE has since signed to her own label, Olive). It was listed as one of Billboard's "25 Best Pop Albums of 2020," noting that BENEE "contemplates the woes of Gen Z with a keen ear for choruses and arrangements that oscillate between indie rock and hyperpop." Stereogum praised its "quirky but impeccably produced pop music" and Vogue called it "13 tracks of heavenly indie-alt-pop."
LYCHEE EP TRACKLIST
1. "Beach Boy"
2. "Soft Side"
3. "Hurt You Gus"
4. "Never Ending"
5. "Marry Myself"
6. "Doesn't Matter"
7. "Make You Sick"
BENEE 2022 TOUR - with special guest Dreamer Boy
May 31 Montreal, QC
Corona Theatre
June 1 Toronto, ON
Phoenix Concert Theatre
June 3 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
June 4 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
June 6 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
June 7 Columbus, OH Newport
Music Hall
June 8 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
June 11 New York, NY The Governors Ball
June 14 Boston, MA House of Blues
June 15 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
June 17 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
June 18 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo
Music and Arts Festival
June 21 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
June 22 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
June 24 Seattle, WA The Showbox
June 25 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
June 26 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
June 28 San Francisco, CA The Warfield Theatre
June 30 Los Angeles, CA The Novo
BENEE is the dreamy voice of a disaffected generation who broke through in 2020 with "Supalonely," her irresistible, four billion streaming alt-pop banger that practically defined the pandemic experience. Twenty-two-year-old
Stella Bennett mixes her deeply heartfelt reflections on life in suburban Auckland, New Zealand with offbeat and often whimsical lyrical notions, all produced with a technicolor ear for cooked beats and unpredictable hooks. A fervent online following were drawn to BENEE's two intriguing EP releases, FIRE ON MARZZ and STELLA & STEVE, before her guest-packed, yet highly personal, Hey u x album was released at the tail end of 2020. The album was a vibrant musical world with guests ranging from
Grimes and
Lily Allen to
Gus Dapperton and Muroki (another New Zealand teen BENEE has since signed to her own label, Olive). It was listed as one of Billboard's "25 Best Pop Albums of 2020," noting that BENEE "contemplates the woes of Gen Z with a keen ear for choruses and arrangements that oscillate between indie rock and hyperpop." Stereogumpraised its "quirky but impeccably produced pop music" and Vogue called it "13 tracks of heavenly indie-alt-pop." Platinum Awards piled up around the globe, and she performed "
Supalonely" - live from New Zealand - on The
Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Ellen, and Late Night with Seth Meyers and recorded a heartfelt live version of album opener "Happen To Me" for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. A year on, BENEE returns with her 2022 Lychee EP, with her song "Doesn't Matter" revealing the singer's journey through the emotional clatter of 2021. The EP release leads into plans for 2022 with the thing that excites
Bennett most, a hefty touring schedule. Expect the world to be ready and waiting for her.
