It’s so close we can almost taste it! There’s just one more week til’ our very own BENEE’s delicious new EP LYCHEE arrives (you can pre-save it here!) so we thought to celebrate we’d take a little stroll down memory lane and unpack some of favourite BENEE videos.
Tough Guy (2018)
While the laidback visuals now look pretty tame in comparison to the glitz and glam of BENEE’s newer vids, ‘Tough Guy’ comes from an era before her signature BENEE-vision came to fruition and before her name was spelt with two Es. For her first-ever music video, BENEE embraced the idea of a simple yet effective video – an Auckland carpark, a couple mates and a lil’ cameo appearance from Steve the Car!
Soaked (2018)
Up there as one of our fave BENEE vids of all time, the playful visuals for ‘Soaked’ see BENEE get closer to the style/aesthetics that we’ve come to expect from her now. Stuffed with alter-egos, paddle boats and funky raincoats, there’s not much more you could want from a BENEE video! And did we mention that the song/video took home ‘Single of the Year’ at the Aotearoa Music Awards in 2019?? Iconic.
Glitter (2019)
‘Glitter’ sees BENEE do what she does best – embracing the camp! With a neat blend of stop-motion, hand-drawn and live action parts, ‘Glitter’ takes the viewer through a full-on journey to a mystical new world. It’s practically impossible to choose what we love more here, the funky retro-inspired visuals or the impossible-to-get-out-off-your-head song? So we’ll just call it a tie for now.
Supalonely (2020)
It’s no surprise that the video for the song that propelled BENEE into the global spotlight was equally as irresistible! Now sitting at over 271 million (yes, million!) views on YouTube, ‘Supalonely’ introduced new fans to BENEE’s newly-solidified BENEE-vision. With bright colours, iconic looks and her trippiest visuals so far. BENEE explained: “It starts with me being a lonely teen at home then turns into this weird dreamscape, where I end up dancing around with Gus.”
Kool (2020)
Can. We. Please. Talk. About. This. Video. Made in collaboration with the iconic game franchise The Sims, the accompanying music video for ‘Kool’ stands out as one of her most memorable videos to date. Armed with her very own in-game Sims counterpart, BENEE re-creates common scenes from the game in her own unique style – tossing in nods and easter eggs to the iconic series.
Fun fact: there’s an exclusive Simlish version of the track in the game!
Happen To Me (2021)
As expected for one of her most vulnerable songs ever, BENEE lays all her fears out in the visuals for ‘Happen To Me’ – the emotional opening track from her debut album Hey u x. Loaded with gothic imagery, tarot cards and mesmerising characters, the video sees BENEE embrace her ‘throne’ and grapple with her existentialism. Deep stuff for a 4-minute video!
Beach Boy (2022)
Always one to subvert expectations, BENEE’s newest video for ‘Beach Boy’ gave us some early 2000s emo-inspired goodness! Taking cues from Twilight and similar vampire-heavy flicks, the video sees BENEE manifest her very own vampire boyfriend from the pages of a magazine. That alone makes it one of our faves!
Pre-save BENEE’s new EP LYCHEE here!
SEE ALSO: BENEE Announces New EP LYCHEE
Liked this article? Sign up to our UMUSIC newsletter to hear more from us!