SITTING in her Auckland bedroom reading reactions to her music on social media was never how Stella Bennett, better known as Benee, envisioned success.
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Where were the screaming crowds? Where was the instant gratification of hearing your lyrics sung back in unison?
Rather, all Benee had were the rapid increase in her social media analytics. This is the reality of being a breakout pop star in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I feel like I have been locked on an island at the bottom of the Earth, literally," the 22-year-old says from her Auckland home.
At the start of 2020 Benee was already on the path to becoming New Zealand's most talked-about pop act since Lorde, due to the success of her 2018 singles Soaked and Glitter.
But when her single Supalonely became a Tik-Tok sensation in March 2020 her career skyrocketed globally. Supalonely's irresistible dream-pop melody and lyrics tapped into the feelings of millions of teenagers and 20-somethings, becoming an unofficial lockdown anthem.
Supalonely has since been streamed 621 million times on Spotify. The momentum kept building for Benee through the release of her debut album Hey U X in November 2020 to complete an amazing year. However, due to the continued restrictions of the pandemic in New Zealand, Benee has frustratingly been restricted to a small run of shows in her home country.
I feel like I have been locked on an island at the bottom of the Earth, literally.
- Benee
"I'm not used to anything like what's happened to my songs because it happened during strict lockdown," Benee says. "I don't really have anything to compare it to in my personal experiences.
"It's a bit gutting, because I feel like when something like that happens you go out and connect to the listeners and go out and play a live show and do interviews, but I really couldn't do any of that.
"So it wasn't the same. I felt like I couldn't make a whole lot of loyal fans, it was more people who just liked the song."
While 2020 was a massive year for Benee, 2021 proved harder. She struggled with depression and was diagnosed with OCD.
That led to an emotional Instagram post on World Mental Health Day last October, followed by the down beat single Doesn't Matter.
"It's nice to remind people that you're very normal and it's OK to feel like shit," she says. "Because I feel Insta a lot of the time is very glossy and only shows highlights.
"I often find myself looking at someone's Instagram and thinking 'their life is so sick'. But on World Mental Health Day, what's better to post then a bunch of ugly crying photos?
"I just wanted to remind people what we're all going through at the moment because the world is cooked."
Benee is feeling more positive about 2022. On Friday she releases her eclectic new seven-track EP, Lychee, before she begins her world tour, starting in Australia.
Lychee was recorded between Los Angeles and Auckland and features two songs, Beach Boy and Marry Myself, which were co-written and produced by global hit-maker Greg Kurstin (Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher, Foo Fighters, Adele).
"He was the most humble dude and it was really nice working with him," Benee says.
"He had this crazy studio with all these instruments. I was a little bit nervous because I hadn't met him and it's always awkward in that first session, but it was super chilled."
Benee's quirky and unique style has quickly become her trademark and separated her from the lazy comparisons to her contemporaries Lorde and Billie Eilish. She's also strong-willed and has her mother Tania Anderson serving as her PA to help navigate the sometimes lecherous music business for young women.
"I've been really lucky because I knew going into it exactly what I was wanting and I have a strong gut decision-making thing going on," she says.
"I also know how easy it would be for artists to be pushed around. I have maybe once had someone try to make me do something and I was like, 'no'. Definitely as a young lady in the industry it is a place where you could get taken advantage of and pushed around. But you've got to learn to say no. That's what I've learnt."
The EP Lychee is released on Friday. Benee performs for Wine Machine music festival at Commonwealth Park, Canberra (March 19); Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley (April 2) and Roche Estate, Hunter Valley (April 9).
The Wine Machine NSW and ACT line-up also includes Pnau, The Presets, Babe Rainbow, Thundamentals, Art Vs Science, Harvey Sutherland and Mell Hall.
