BENEE Transforms Existential Dread Into a Delightful Pop Stunner
It sucks to feel like a bug under a microscope, and alt-pop wunderkind BENEE reflects on being in the public eye in her latest single, "Animal." The single illustrates BENEE’s proclivity for crafting undeniable and unpredictable pop bangers with a dash of existential dread on the side.
A quirky, pulsating beat sets the track in motion, accented by a glimmering loop and glitchy echoes that hook us from the start. Amid the cheeky and striking production, she feels the world's weight on her back and feels herself losing control. Begging for someone to pull her out of the hole she's being buried in, BENEE transfixes with a hummable hook, singing, “And you can't stay mad at me / I'm just an animal / A micro-celebrity / But I mean nothing at all."
On the song, BENEE shares, “‘Animal’ is a song I wrote when I felt extreme existential dread. When flying in a plane on tour, looking down onto what looks like an ant-like world really inspired the lyrics. How huge something feels when you’re in it, but zoomed out so SMALL. I love thinking about life like that. I thought about this concept long and hard, and I feel we can only be playful with the thought of how insignificant and small we are compared to the universe. There’s peace in not knowing what anything is here for. It makes me want to enjoy everything in life even more.”
Speaking further on the accompanying music video, BENEE shares, “We shot the ‘Animal’ video in Sydney when I was there on tour. Directed by Keith Herron and shot mainly on green screen, there was so much we could do creatively in post. We had a lot of fun with the story and creating a crazy visual world to live beside the song!
The track follows the success of her previous release, "Sadboiii," both of which will be featured on her upcoming sophomore album out next year. The New Zealand-born, Los Angeles-based artist has recently completed tours supporting both Olivia Rodrigo in Australia and Wallows in North America. She has also been announced as support for Tate McRae’s upcoming European and UK arena tour.
Watch the "Animal" video below:
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