BENEE releases new EP 'Lychee' and dreamy new single 'Never Ending'

Image: Ophelia Jones

New Zealand’s alt-pop superstar BENEE has released her third EP Lychee alongside the dreamy, moving single ‘Never Ending’.

The EP is one of BENEE’s most experimental to date, with a broad soundscape leaning into several different genres. Alongside ‘Never Ending’, the EP features previous singles, the soulful ‘Doesn’t Matter’ and the poppy ‘Beach Boy’, plus four new tracks including the electronic ‘Soft Side’, the beaty ‘Hurt You, Gus’, the indie pop ‘Marry Myself’ and the left-of-field closer ‘Make You Sick’ which incorporate electropop, trance and elements of techno.

BENEE created the EP on both sides of the Pacific, working with Greg Kurstin, Kenny Beats, and Rostam in California and regular collaborator Josh Fountain back home in New Zealand.

“Being locked down in New Zealand felt like things were going to be like this forever and like I was wasting time,” BENEE says. “I was afraid that I’d run out of ideas or I would find it difficult to get through this writing trip. However, going into rooms with new production collaborators like Greg Kurstin and Rostam, and reconnecting with Kenny, was really liberating and actually let the energy I had been lacking back into my songs. There is something crazy about landing in LA from New Zealand and throwing yourself into songwriting. The exact same thing happened for me two years ago when I arrived in LA and wrote ‘Supalonely’ on the first day. I love that this EP has the emotional breadth to channel much of the anxiety that I was feeling at home in songs like ‘Doesn’t Matter’ and ‘Hurt You, Gus’ but then also switching to the new energy I found when writing ‘Beach Boy’ as well as ‘Never Ending’ which is my current favourite!”

Later this month BENEE will launch her world tour in Australia, before moving on to the UK, Europe and North America. See below for dates and ticket

Lychee is BENEE at her very best: intimate, diverse and always beguiling, she is a singer that never fails to impress and is becoming more confident and powerful with every release.

Lychee is out now via Republic Records/Universal Music. You can download and stream here.

To keep up with all things BENEE you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter.

BENEE World Tour 2022 - Australian dates. Tickets on sale now.
18 March - Hobart Uni Bar, Hobart
20 March - HOTA Amphitheatre, Gold Coast
22 March - Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley
25 March - Reunion Park, Melbourne
29 March - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
7 April - Big Top, Sydney