BENEE - Hey u x

Already a superstar back home, BENEE’s one of the few artists this issue who’ve been able to fully show off their new release with a live show: she recently headlined Auckland’s Spark Arena - at capacity. Another New Zealander with her shit together then, ‘Hey U X’ follows singles ‘Supalonely’ with NYC gem Gus Dapperton and ‘Night Garden’ with Kenny Beats and Bakar - and ups the ante. ‘Snail’ and ‘Kool’ are bouncy bops; opener ‘Happen To Me’ has echoes of The Japanese House’s introspection, and the acoustic nature of ‘Same Effect’ and ‘A Little While’ bear more than a passing similarity to Billie Eilish’s quieter moments. Add to that the cosign of alt-pop foremothers Lily Allen (‘Plain’) and Grimes (‘Sheesh’) and BENEE’s on to a winner.