Stella Rose Bennett, better known by her moniker BENEE, recently released her sophomore album Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles. The New Zealand-born, Los Angeles-based artist is most widely known for her 2019 smash hit “Supalonely” featuring Gus Dapperton, which made a massive splash, topping charts and peaking in the top 40 in over 25 countries. It is nearly impossible not to associate the song with COVID-19 and the distinct 2020 TikTok-borne soundscape. Since then, BENEE has continued to make a name for herself, pushing the boundaries of her own sound and maturing both as an artist and a person.
Crave Music Magazine had the opportunity to briefly step into BENEE’s prismatic world following the release of Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles. °1824’s press conference, just shy of an hour, was an enlightening, interesting, and lively conversation with the 25-year-old Kiwi singer-songwriter. She fielded a range of questions, from the album’s unique instrumentation and its production, to the creation of its visual landscape to style inspiration. It was an absolute delight to hear from the individual behind the music.
From the beginning of the conference, it felt more like a FaceTime call with a friend. BENEE’s genial demeanor practically seeped through the screen as she smiled when greeted by the outlets. Before getting into the questions, she introduced her darling foster kitten, lovingly named Steve Jobs, to the group. Throughout the call, he was up to typical kitten mischief in the background. It was moments like these that were deeply humanizing, a reminder that the person behind the work is just that: a person.
This album is indisputably and distinctly BENEE in flavor, as it maintains some of the quirky sonic qualities of her earlier work. However, it is clear that BENEE has done some growing up, both literally and metaphorically, since releasing Hey u x, her 2020 debut album. Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles is a testament to BENEE’s heightened sensitivity to and awareness of the world around her, the good, the bad, and the ugly. She brilliantly preserves the palpable sense of childlike wonder and color that characterize her EPs FIRE ON MARZZ and STELLA & STEVE in particular, but builds on more intense and introspective themes, reflected in her lyricism and experimental sound.
The album creates a sense of narrative following what BENEE calls “chapters.” They include obsession, breakdown, chaos and, finally, ascent. BENEE highlighted the album’s closing track, “Heaven.” The song is deeply personal; it is the first time BENEE has ever written about losing someone. “Heaven” wraps up the album and concludes what BENEE has dubbed its “ascent” chapter.
“I wish I had more time, more time more / Time more, I wish I had more time, more love / I wish I had more love, in time, time in love / I wish I had more time in love, in time,” she laments in the pre-chorus. The powerful play on words demonstrates her ability to put words to the absurdity of love, loss, and the passage of time. More on that later.
The album itself is inherently rooted in place, though not explicitly. BENEE cited her move from New Zealand to Los Angeles as a massive opportunity that changed her world, prompting her to ponder “really big questions.” The seismic transition from one continent to another led her to become, in her words, “super existential.”
“It’s impossible [not to] be affected by your environment when you’re making your art,” She stated. As an obviously sensitive, empathetic person, BENEE explained how difficult it was to see the unglamorous underbelly of life in Los Angeles, from the issues related to America’s healthcare system and homelessness. Experiencing and witnessing this harsh reality firsthand was immensely eye-opening for BENEE, and is where some of the existential, cynical undertones in this album stem from.
On the theme of time and place, Crave asked: “Do you feel a connection between your EPs, debut album, and now your sophomore album? Is there a throughline you can pinpoint?”
“I think it’s just me,” BENEE said. “It definitely has changed a lot because I’m always wanting to make new stuff and experiment, and work with all sorts of creatives, but I think the core is always the same.” She cites her roots, how she was brought up, where she comes from, and the music she grew up listening to as driving forces present throughout all of her works, and as she puts it, “beachy New Zealand sound.”
The song “Animal,” the second single off the album that was released in November of 2024, captures some of this existentialism BENEE references as a theme at the forefront of this album. “Everything’s big to me / And I mean nothing at all,” she sings. This song teeters on the edge of nihilistic. Behind what is a deceptively happy-sounding track are incredibly raw and honest lyrics. She reflects on how inconsequential and small she feels, not just in the context of the ruthless demands of the music industry, but in general, as a human being. This single really set the scene for the release of the album, solidifying BENEE’s sonic world and visual world, as the release was paired with a music video.
Visuals have always been a keystone in BENEE’s personal aesthetic and in the creation of her musical worlds. From the iconic Moon Boots she is often seen sporting on stage to the vibrant, playful patterns and colors she wears, she embodies her music through her unique style. “I like to think of myself as a sponge. Maybe that’s a human thing,” she said. “I don’t think it’s anyone, but everything.” BENEE cites Fruits Magazine, a Japanese street fashion publication from the ’90s, associated with Harajuku fashion, an alternative subculture that emerged in the district of the same name, as her fashion inspiration. “I love how that genre of fashion is so eclectic and colorful, and unapologetic and unafraid,” Though she was describing fashion, she was also describing herself and this album.
Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles is a poignant meditation on the current condition, where our attention is a commodity and the weight of reality can feel paralyzing and impossible to bear. Disasters unfold on our screens in real time, and the media has become so saturated with tragedy and suffering that we’ve become desensitized, apathetic, and cynical. Our hyper-online culture, despite allowing us to be more connected than ever, leaves us feeling lonely. How ironic. The album also offers a glimmer of hope amidst our fast-paced, overwhelming lives and emotional turmoil, a prominent throughline in the album. It tackles themes related to obsession, loss, existentialism; the title evokes an interesting dichotomy between the ethereal and the scientific, the magical and the mundane, and imagination and reality. BENEE finds clarity in the chaos, embracing emotions as they come. The album is a stark reminder of our humanity. Ultimately, we’re all made up of the same stuff, the same stuff as the stars: particles.
In the spring, BENEE will be traversing across North America, from coast to coast and back again. She announced the 2026 “Particles Tour,” kicking it off in Sacramento on Feb. 27 and concluding in Los Angeles at the iconic Fonda Theatre on April 3. The 23-stop tour includes cities such as New York, Phoenix, Toronto, Vancouver and Salt Lake City. This show is not one that you’re going to want to miss!
Keep up with BENEE:
Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Website
Crave Music Magazine 