Benee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benee
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Benee at Laneway Festival in February 2020
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stella Rose Bennett |
| Also known as | Bene (2017–2018) |
| Born | 30 January 2000 Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2017–present |
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Stella Rose Bennett (born January 30, 2000), known by her stage name Benee (pronounced "Ben-ee"), is a talented singer and songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand. She used to be known as "Bene" before changing her name.
Benee became famous in New Zealand with her songs "Glitter" and "Soaked". Her song "Supalonely" became a huge international hit in 2019, especially on video apps like TikTok and YouTube. This helped her music reach fans all over the world. In November 2020, Benee released her first album, Hey U X. She has won several awards, including "Single of the Year" and "Best Solo Artist" at the New Zealand Music Awards in both 2019 and 2020.
Life and Career
Early Life (2000–2017)
Stella Rose Bennett grew up in Grey Lynn, a suburb in Auckland. Her family was very musical, and her parents introduced her to many different artists like Radiohead and Björk.
When she was eight, Benee started taking guitar lessons. Later, in high school, she learned to play the saxophone. However, she stopped playing music for a while to focus on water polo. She loved water polo and even hoped to play for New Zealand! But at 17, she decided to follow her passion for music instead. Benee went to St Mary's College, an all-girls school where music was a required subject for four years.
Starting Out Online (2017–2018)
Benee began her music journey by sharing cover songs on SoundCloud. She started writing her own music during her last year of high school. After trying university for a short time, she decided to focus on music full-time.
Her songs caught the attention of Josh Fountain, a music producer. They worked together on her first song, "Tough Guy," in 2017, and then on "Soaked" in 2018. "Soaked" became popular and was even featured on the Triple J radio station's "Hottest 100" list in 2018.
First EPs and Big Hits (2018–2019)
In early 2019, Benee opened for singer Lily Allen at a show in Auckland. She released her first EP (a mini-album) called Fire on Marzz in June 2019. Around this time, she added an "e" to her stage name, changing it from "Bene" to "Benee," partly because of how people pronounced it and for legal reasons.
Before her EP came out, Benee signed with Republic Records, a major record label. Fire on Marzz was a success, reaching number 13 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. At the 2019 New Zealand Music Awards, Benee won several awards, including "Best Solo Artist" and "Single of the Year" for "Soaked."
Her second EP, Stella & Steve, was released in November 2019. This EP included the song "Supalonely" with Gus Dapperton. "Supalonely" became a global sensation in March 2020 after a dance challenge using the song went viral on TikTok. Her song "Glitter" had also become popular on TikTok a few months earlier. Benee also toured with American singer-songwriter Conan Gray in North America.
Global Fame and Debut Album (2020–2021)
Benee had planned her first big tour in North America, but it had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, she performed on Triple J's "Like a Version" show, where she sang her song "Glitter" and a cover of "Mile High" by James Blake.
By June, "Supalonely" had been streamed over 250 million times! Benee then made her first TV appearance, performing "Supalonely" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and later on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
In July 2020, Benee released new songs like "Night Garden" and "Snail". She was also named Apple Music's "Up Next" artist for July, which was a big deal for a New Zealand artist.
Benee also worked with Japanese-Australian musician Joji on his album Nectar. In October 2020, she started her own record label called Olive. She signed Muroki, a reggae musician from Raglan, as her first artist.
On October 15, 2020, Benee announced her first full-length album, Hey U X, which came out on November 13, 2020. She also released the song "Plain" with Lily Allen and Flo Milli. Benee continued to win awards, including the 2020 APRA Silver Scroll Award for "Glitter" and "Best New Zealand Act" at the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards. At the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards, she won "Single of the Year" for "Supalonely," "Best Solo Artist," and "Best Pop Artist" for the second year in a row.
New Music and World Tours (2022–2023)
On February 4, 2022, Benee announced her new EP called Lychee and released the song "Beach Boy." She also performed a cover of Ariana Grande's "God Is a Woman" on Triple J's "Like a Version" again. Benee collaborated with many artists in 2022, including Deaton Chris Anthony, Easy Life, and Jeremy Zucker.
In February 2023, Benee released "Green Honda," the first song from her upcoming second album. She also performed for the first time at the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. She released "Bagels" with the mental health charity Youthline to help young people. In June, she released "Do It Again" with Australian artist Mallrat, which was the official song for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In 2024, Benee announced she would be touring with bands like Wallows and Olivia Rodrigo. She also helped write the song "How Sweet" for the K-pop group NewJeans.
Personal Life
Benee has shared that she has dyslexia, which is a learning difference that can make reading and writing tricky. She was also diagnosed with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) in 2021. She found writing in school difficult, especially with grammar. However, songwriting became a wonderful way for her to express herself creatively without worrying about perfect grammar.
Discography
Studio Albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ |
AUS |
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| Hey U X |
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2 | 22 |
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Extended Plays (EPs)
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ |
AUS |
CAN |
FRA |
US |
US Alt. |
US Heat. |
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| Fire on Marzz |
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13 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — |
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| Stella & Steve |
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19 | — | 91 | 150 | 138 | 5 | 1 |
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| Lychee |
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13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "—" means the song did not appear on the chart. | |||||||||||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ |
NZ Artist |
AUS |
BEL (FL) |
CAN |
IRE |
NLD |
NOR |
UK |
US |
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| "Tough Guy" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Soaked" | 2018 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Fire on Marzz |
| "Evil Spider" | 2019 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Want Me Back" | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Glitter" | 3 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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| "Find an Island" | — | 5 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Stella & Steve | |
| "Monsta" | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Supalonely" (featuring Gus Dapperton) |
2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 39 | Stella & Steve and Hey U X | ||
| "Lownely" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Night Garden" (featuring Kenny Beats and Bakar) |
— | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hey U X | ||
| "Snail" | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Plain" (featuring Lily Allen and Flo Milli) |
— | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Kool" | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Happen to Me" | 2021 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Doesn't Matter" | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Lychee | ||
| "Beach Boy" | 2022 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Never Ending" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Sunday926" (with Heavy Chest) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Light" (with Finn Falcon) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Green Honda" | 2023 | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Don't Let Me Down" (with Gus Dapperton) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Henge | ||
| "Bagels" | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Do It Again" (with Mallrat) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup | ||
| "Love Cocoon" (with Muroki) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="3" TBA | ||
| "Sad Boiii" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Animal" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" means the song did not appear on the chart. | |||||||||||||
As Featured Artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot |
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| "Help Herself" (bbno$ with Diamond Pistols and Benee) |
2021 | — | My Oh My |
| "Are You Letting Go?" (Dreamer Boy featuring Benee) |
2021 | 34 | Non-album single |
| "Uh Oh!" (Sub Urban featuring Benee) |
2022 | 37 | Hive |
| "OTT" (easy life featuring Benee) |
— | Maybe in Another Life | |
| "I'm So Happy" (Jeremy Zucker featuring Benee) |
27 | Non-album single | |
| "Fun Out of It" (Johnny Orlando featuring Benee) |
2022 | — | All The Things That Could Go Wrong |
| "Lots of Nothing" (Spacey Jane featuring Benee) |
2023 | 34 | Here Comes Everybody (Deluxe) |
Tours
Headlining Tours
- 2019 – Australian East Coast tour
- 2020 – New Zealand tour
- 2022 – Regional New Zealand, "Aotearoa" Tour (Rescheduled)
- 2022 – "World tour"
Supporting Tours
- Lily Allen – No Shame Tour (2019; one show)
- Conan Gray – Comfort Crowd Tour (2019; nine shows)
- Wallows – Model World Tour (2024; twenty-seven shows)
- Olivia Rodrigo – Guts World Tour (2024; eight shows)
- Tate McRae – Miss Possessive Tour (2025; twenty-two shows)
Awards and Nominations
Benee has won many awards for her music. Here are some of them:
| Organization | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APRA Music Awards | 2019 | Silver Scroll | "Soaked" | Shortlisted | |
| 2020 | "Glitter" | Won | |||
| MTV Europe Music Awards | 2019 | Best New Zealand Act | Herself | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Won | ||||
| Best New Act | Nominated | ||||
| Best Push Act | Nominated | ||||
| 2023 | Best New Zealand Act | Nominated | |||
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2020 | Push Best New Artist | Longlisted | ||
| New Zealand Music Awards | 2019 | Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| Best Pop Artist | Won | ||||
| Best Solo Artist | Fire on Marzz | Won | |||
| Single of the Year | "Soaked" | Won | |||
| 2020 | "Supalonely" | Won | |||
| Best Solo Artist | Stella & Steve | Won | |||
| Best Pop Artist | Herself | Won | |||
| People's Choice Awards | 2020 | The New Artist of 2020 | Nominated |
Songs on Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is a big music poll in Australia. Benee's songs have appeared on the list several times:
| Publisher | Listicle | Year | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| triple j | "Hottest 100" | 2018 | "Soaked" | 58th | |
| 2019 | "Glitter" | 19th | |||
| "Find an Island" | 25th | ||||
| "Evil Spider" | 51st | ||||
| 2020 | "Kool" | 100th | |||
| 2022 | "Beach Boy" | 81st | |||
| 2023 | "Green Honda" | 39th |
See also
In Spanish: Benee para niños
