BENEE's debut album is on the way, and it feats Mallrat (!), Grimes (!!) and Lily Allen (!!!)

Header image by Harry Were.

Around this time two years ago we started making the call that BENEE was going to be a defining act of the future, but I don't think even we could've predicted exactly how far she'll go. Throughout the last few years, the New Zealand pop heavyweight as constantly one-upped herself to be a star worthy of her time in the spotlight past, present and future - her debut collection of tracks FIRE ON MARZZ seemingly triggering a steamrolling twelve months to follow that would also feature a second EP that same year, titled STELLA & STEVE.

Since then, however, BENEE hasn't even thought about slowing down. Throughout 2020, BENEE has consistently gone from strength to strength, triumphing with everything she's put out in a way that makes her hard to ignore - even amongst the madness of 2020's musical output. She started the year by releasing a down-tempo take on the Gus Dapperton-featuring Supalonely. Then, came teaming up with Kenny Beats and 2019 break-out Bakar for Night Garden, and then back in August, came her third track for the year in Snail.

As it turns out, all these tracks have been teasers of her forthcoming debut album, announced today for release in November with one of the biggest, most left-field tracklists we've seen in a hot minute. It's titled Hey u x and scheduled for release on November 13th, starring 13 tracks that are bound to feature BENEE at her most exciting and brilliant - the record promised to be in the same, genre-bending class as the singles that have littered her past few years.

Then, there's the album's just-announced features, and holy shit. The album will see already-released features with Gus Dapperton and Kenny Beats joined by pop icon Mallrat, god-damn Lily Allen teaming up with rising US rapper Flo Milli on the same track (which is mindblowing), Grimes (!!) and plenty of others.

It's going to be a real big moment that truly encapsulates BENEE at her now-best, and we can't wait to see how it turns out (and neither can she, by the sounds of it: "So so stoked to announce this album release. It’s an eclectic mix of songs I’ve been working on for some time now. Can’t wait to share them," she says).

In the meantime, however, there's news that BENEE has also launched her own record label - titled Olive, and comes with its first signing in 19-year-old musician Muroki (who also features on BENEE's album, FYI) - and there's also a live stream on the way too, with BENEE live streaming her sold-out concert at New Zealand's Spark Arena on October 17th. You can grab tickets to that live stream here, and find the details to her forthcoming debut album - including its cover art - below.

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“Hey u x” 13th November!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait to share this album with you guys

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