Benee on finding fame in the pandemic and the ‘f...ed up’ lack of women in music

Finding fame in the middle of a pandemic hasn’t been an easy road for Gen Z singer Benee, but she’s ready to revisit Australia on her tour before she heads off to Coachella.

Alt-pop singer NZ singer Benee in Sydney promoting newly released single Green Honda ahead of her Aussie tour. Picture: Jeff Williamson

ALT-POP star Benee is pulling up to her Australian tour in her ‘Green Honda’.

The high-octane break-up track, which takes its title from her first car, is the debut single from her upcoming sophomore album.

“This was the first time I’ve ever worked with two female producers,” the 23-year-old told The Daily Telegraph.
“I only realised how male-dominated the music industry is once I started to get into it, from managers to festival line-ups, down to the crew members. It’s pretty f … ed up.”

NZ artist Benee has gathered tens of millions of streams across a series of fan-favorite collaborations. Picture: Jeff Williamson

Working with producers Elvira Anderfjard (Tove Lo, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift) and Luka Kloser (JoJo Siwa, Dylan Conrique) “automatically changed the vibe”, she said.

“I usually work with older guys. I felt a lot more comfortable, we were all just hanging out.”

The song puts a “full stop,” on an on-and-off relationship with Benee’s first boyfriend, when she realised “that was a waste of time”.

Benee’s new single Green Honda is an ode to her first car, Steve, given to her by her nan. Steve was made in the year 2000, the same as her. Picture: Jeff Williamson

Stella Bennett – more widely known as stage name Benee – shot from singing karaoke on YouTube to international stardom in a few short years.

Her 2019 single Supalonely heralded TikTok’s dominance over breaking new artists, which Benee followed up with 7-track EP Lychee.

“I think I rushed it a little bit,” she reflects one year later. “The pressure was on, but I wasn’t thinking at the time that I needed to make a strong album, something that bangs.”

Benee says the single is a depature from her previous music: “I want to keep people a bit confused. I want to keep it unpredictable.” Picture: Jeff Williamson

Benee performs during the Finals Festival at the Australian Open 2023 at Melbourne Park. Photo: Kim Landy/Getty Images.

Now, with a move from New Zealand to Los Angeles in March, a collaboration with beloved Aussie rockers Spacey Jane, and a slot playing “the mothership of all festivals” Coachella in April, Benee says she’s ready to make a more thoughtful debut.

“At the start, when you’re coming up in Australia and New Zealand, everyone’s super invested and stoked for you.

“But when you leave the nest, it’s kind of weird because it flips to hate. It’s the Tall Poppy thing. I’ve already felt that.”

Benee will cap off her Aussie tour at Big Top in Sydney’s Luna Park on April 7.

Originally published as Benee on finding fame in the pandemic and the ‘f...ed up’ lack of women in music