Hey U X

Last updated

Hey U X
Hey U X Cover Art.jpg
Studio album by
Benee
Released13 November 2020
Recorded2020
Genre Alt-pop [1]
Length44:07
Label Republic
Producer
Benee chronology
Stella & Steve
(2019)		Hey U X
(2020)		 Lychee
(2022)
Singles from Hey U X
  1. "Night Garden"
    Released: 15 July 2020
  2. "Snail"
    Released: 10 August 2020
  3. "Plain"
    Released: 27 October 2020
  4. "Kool"
    Released: 13 November 2020

Hey U X is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee, released on 13 November 2020 by Republic Records.

Contents

Hey U X was primarily written by Benee and frequent collaborator Josh Fountain, who also executive produced the record. It features guest appearances from Grimes, Lily Allen, Flo Milli, Gus Dapperton, Mallrat and Bakar.

Supported by four singles—"Night Garden", "Snail", "Plain", and "Kool",—Hey U X debuted and peaked at number two on the NZ Albums Chart and number twenty-two on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with Radio New Zealand listing it among their best albums of 2020.

Background and release

Benee told Billboard that she would be releasing an album in 2020, [2] before formally announcing the release of Hey U X on 15 October 2020. [3] [4] She had revealed prior to this that it would differ musically from her existing repertoire, [5] [6] telling Uproxx: [7]

I think with this album, I haven’t really held back on experimenting with genres and even lyrics. Maybe I would have been more hesitant to do some of the things that I’ve done on this album in my previous bodies of work. [...] I feel like some people who like my other stuff are going to hate this because it’s pretty different. But I had a lot of fun making it. [...] I like the idea of blending genres and I don't like the idea of kind of pinpointing. I would call [my music] a crispy apple because I try to make a fresh sound. So it’s a fresh, crispy, apple.

On the namesake, she told The New Zealand Herald , "'Hey u x' was something that was something that I thought was cute. I feel like there's never a word that sums up the whole thing… I try to just find something that's completely relevant." [8] The album track "All the Time" features Raglan-based musician Muroki who became the first signee to Benee's record label, Olive, which she established in early October 2020. [9] [10] Shortly after the announcement of Olive, Benee embarked on a national headlining arena tour of New Zealand after the country had reported no cases of COVID-19. [11] She performed eight shows across four cities, with the final show at Spark Arena selling out all 12,000 seats and becoming the first sold-out concert at the venue to be livestreamed to ticketholders. [12] [13] [14]

Composition

Benee revealed to Uproxx that the album "infus[es] elements of 'hardcore' electronic [music] with trap-style beats". [7]

Singles

"Night Garden" featuring British musician Bakar and American producer Kenny Beats was released on 15 July 2020 as the album's official lead single. [15] [16] "Snail" was released on 10 August 2020 and served the album's second single. [17] Both "Night Garden" and "Snail" received music videos to support their release. [18] [19] "Plain" was released on 27 October 2020 as the third single, but did not receive a music video to support its release. [20] "Kool" was released as the fourth single from the album, along with a music video. [21] [22] [23]

Hey U X also includes the song "Supalonely" featuring Gus Dapperton, which served as the third single from the 2019 EP Stella & Steve , and achieved mainstream international success following its popularization on the social media platform TikTok in early 2020. [24]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10 [25]
Metacritic 78/100 [26]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [27]
Financial Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [28]
Gigwise 7.0/10 [29]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [30]
The Line of Best Fit 8.0/10 [31]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [32]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [33]
Pitchfork 6.4/10 [34]

Hey U X received mostly positive reviews. [35] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received an average score of 78 based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [26] Radio New Zealand ranked the album at number 16 on their list of the 20 best albums of 2020. [36]

Track listing

Hey U X track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Happen to Me"
Fountain3:51
2."Same Effect"
4:04
3."Sheesh" (featuring Grimes)
Fountain3:33
4."Supalonely" (featuring Gus Dapperton)
Fountain3:43
5."Snail"
  • Bennett
  • Fountain
Fountain3:00
6."Plain" (featuring Lily Allen and Flo Milli)
  • Fountain
  • Suskov
3:52
7."Kool"
  • Bennett
  • Fountain
  • Schoushkoff
  • Fountain
  • Suskov
2:48
8."Winter" (featuring Mallrat)
  • Fountain
  • Christian
3:07
9."A Little While"BennettFountain3:18
10."Night Garden" (featuring Kenny Beats and Bakar)
 Kenny Beats 3:41
11."All the Time" (featuring Muroki)
  • Bennett
  • Fountain
  • Christian
  • Fountain
  • Christian
3:08
12."If I Get to Meet You"
  • Bennett
  • Fountain
Fountain3:02
13."C U"
  • Bennett
  • Fountain
  • Schoushkoff
  • Fountain
  • Suskov
3:00
Total length:44:07
CD edition hidden track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Make You Sick"
  • Bennett
  • Fountain [37]
9:46

Charts

Chart performance for Hey U X
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [38] 22
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [39] 2

Related Research Articles

<i>Cracked Rear View</i> 1994 studio album by Hootie & the Blowfish

Cracked Rear View is the debut studio album by Hootie & the Blowfish, released on July 5, 1994, by Atlantic Records. Released to positive critical reviews, it eventually became one of the highest-selling albums in the United States, and also one of the best-selling albums worldwide, with over 20 million units.

BlackGirl is an American pop/dance vocal trio consisting of Pam Copeland, Nycolia "Tye-V" Turman, and Rochelle Stuart from Atlanta, that formed in 1992 on the Kaper/RCA/BMG label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernando (song)</span> 1975 song

"Fernando" is a song written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, from the Swedish musical group ABBA. The song was written for their fellow group member Anni-Frid Lyngstad and was included on her 1975 album Frida ensam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Change the World</span> 1996 song by Wynonna Judd

"Change the World" is a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick and recorded by country music artist Wynonna Judd. A later version was recorded by English singer Eric Clapton for the soundtrack of the 1996 film Phenomenon. Clapton's version was produced by R&B record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Razors Edge World Tour</span> 1990–1991 concert tour by AC/DC

The Razors Edge World Tour was a concert tour played by the hard rock band AC/DC, in support of their twelfth studio album The Razors Edge. This tour had 5 legs around the world lasting 12 months starting on 2 November 1990 in Worcester, Massachusetts, finishing on 16 November 1991 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Zakiya A. Munnerlyn is a former American R&B/soul singer who released a self-titled studio album on DV8 Records in 1997. Two singles from the album, "Love Like Mine" and "My Love Won't Fade Away", entered Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grimes discography</span>

Canadian singer and songwriter Grimes has released five studio albums, one remix album, one DJ mix, three extended plays (EPs), sixteen singles, four promotional singles and twenty-two music videos. Born and raised in Vancouver, Grimes began recording experimental music while attending McGill University in Montréal, where she became involved with the underground music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe x Halle</span> American music duo

Chloe x Halle is an American R&B and Alternative duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before moving from their hometown of Mableton, Georgia to Los Angeles in 2012. The two began posting music covers to YouTube and were acknowledged by Beyoncé, who became their mentor and later signed them to her label, Parkwood Entertainment. They subsequently released the EP Sugar Symphony (2016) and the mixtape The Two of Us (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallrat</span> Australian pop musician (born 1998)

Grace Kathleen Elizabeth Shaw, known professionally as Mallrat, is an Australian musician, singer, and rapper from Brisbane. Mallrat has released three EPs: Uninvited (2016), In the Sky (2018) and Driving Music (2019). She also released her full-length debut studio album titled Butterfly Blue (2022) in May 2022 to critical acclaim. In 2019, her tracks "Groceries" and "UFO" placed at number 7 and 70, respectively, in the 2018 Triple J Hottest 100, in 2020, "Charlie" and "Nobody's Home" placed at number 3 and 59, respectively, in the 2019 Triple J Hottest 100 and in 2021, "Rockstar" placed 13 in the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Beats</span> American music producer

Kenneth Charles Blume III, known professionally as Kenny Beats, is an American record producer, DJ, audio engineer, and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rico Nasty</span> American rapper (born 1997)

Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly, known professionally as Rico Nasty, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Prince George's County, Maryland. She began self-releasing content in 2014, while in high school, and had released five solo mixtapes by late 2017. She gained a local, underground following with SoundCloud singles such as "iCarly" and "Hey Arnold". After gaining wider recognition with singles such as "Smack a Bitch" and "Poppin" in 2018, she signed to Atlantic Records where she released her sixth mixtape, Nasty (2018). This was followed by the collaborative mixtape Anger Management (2019) with long time associate Kenny Beats. Rico Nasty's debut studio album, Nightmare Vacation, was released in December 2020. Rico's seventh mixtape, Las Ruinas, was released on July 22, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Thee Stallion</span> American rapper (born 1995)

Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is a Grammy award winning American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she rose to fame in 2019 after her freestyling videos went viral and the release of her singles "Hot Girl Summer" and "Cash Shit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benee</span> New Zealand singer

Stella Rose Bennett, better known as Benee and formerly Bene, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter from Auckland. In both 2019 and 2020, she consecutively won Single of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Pop Artist at the New Zealand Music Awards. Benee initially gained local prominence with her singles "Glitter" and "Soaked", before her 2019 single "Supalonely" saw international popularity following its success on the video-sharing platforms TikTok and YouTube. Benee subsequently released her debut album, Hey U X, in November 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakar (musician)</span> British singer

Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, better known as Bakar, is an English singer. Known for his experimental indie rock style, he made his professional solo debut with the mixtape Badkid in May 2018. In 2019, he released "Hell n Back", the single he is most commonly associated with. He released his debut album Nobody's Home on February 25, 2022. He released his second album, Halo, on September 22, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Garden</span> 2020 single by Benee featuring Bakar and Kenny Beats

"Night Garden" is a song by New Zealand singer Benee featuring American producer Kenny Beats and British musician Bakar, released on 15 July 2020 as the lead single from her debut studio album Hey U X (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snail (song)</span> 2020 single by Benee

"Snail" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee, released through Republic Records on 10 August 2020 as the second single from her debut studio album Hey U X (2020). Developed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the song was influenced by Benee's newfound interest in snails during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. "Snail" impacted Australian contemporary hit radio on 14 August 2020.

"Plain" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee featuring British singer Lily Allen and American rapper Flo Milli, released through Republic Records on 27 October 2020 as the third single from her debut studio album Hey U X (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muroki</span> Musical artist

Muroki Mbote Wa Githinji, known mononymously as Muroki, is a Kenyan-New Zealand reggae musician. A member of the bands Cloak Bay and Masaya, Muroki debuted as a solo musician in 2019. In 2021, Muroki's song "Wavy" became a hit single in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do It Again (Benee song)</span> 2023 single by Benee

"Do It Again" is a song by New Zealand singer Benee featuring Australian singer Mallrat, released through Republic Records on 28 June 2023. The song peaked at number 30 on the New Zealand Hot Singles Chart, and was the official song of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

References

  1. 1 2 O' Reilly, Caitlin (11 November 2020). "Benee - 'Hey u x' review: New Zealand's alt-pop hero trades loneliness for party-starting spirit". NME . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. ↑ Ginsberg, Gab (8 June 2020). "Chartbreaker: How BENEE Turned Her Breakup Into a Quarantine-Ready Hot 100 Hit". Billboard . ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Langford, Jackson (15 October 2020). "BENEE announces debut album 'Hey u x', with guest artists Grimes and Lily Allen". NME . ISSN   0028-6362 . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Jenke, Tyler (15 October 2020). "BENEE Announces Long-Awaited Debut Album, 'Hey u x'". Rolling Stone . ISSN   0035-791X . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  5. ↑ Droke, Carolyn (16 October 2020). "Benee's Debut Album 'Hey U X' Features Flo Milli And Grimes". Uproxx . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Stallone, Cole (26 May 2020). "WNYU Interview with New Zealand Rising Star BENEE". Washington Square News . Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 Droke, Carolyn (8 September 2020). "Benee Is Blurring Genre Lines On Her Upcoming Debut Album". Uproxx . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Burgham, Lydia (14 October 2020). "Benee announces debut album 'Hey u x', featuring Grimes and Lily Allen". New Zealand Herald . ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  9. ↑ Brandle, Lars (8 October 2020). "Benee Launches Olive Label, Signs Muroki: Exclusive". Billboard . ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  10. ↑ DeVille, Chris (16 October 2020). "Benee's Debut Album Features Grimes, Muroki, Lily Allen, & More". Stereogum . OCLC   1142733705 . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Burgham, Lydia (16 October 2020). "Concert review: Benee, Spark Arena, Auckland". New Zealand Herald . ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Bruce, Jasper (8 October 2020). "Benee to live-stream sold-out Auckland show later this month". NME . ISSN   0028-6362 . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "Benee to perform in first livestreamed concert to sold-out arena in New Zealand". The Ticketing Business. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  14. ↑ Fuamoli, Sose (8 October 2020). "You'll be able to watch BENEE's sold out Auckland show from home". triple j . ISSN   1833-1440 . Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  15. ↑ Renshaw, David (16 July 2020). "Benee teams up with Kenny Beats and Bakar on "Night Garden"". The Fader . ISSN   1533-5194 . Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Fuamoli, Sose (16 July 2020). "First Spin: BENEE links up with Kenny Beats and Bakar on the creepy-cool 'Night Garden'". triple j . ISSN   2203-0905 . Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Brandle, Lars (15 October 2020). "Benee Shares Her 'Lockdown' Song 'Snail': Stream It Now". Billboard . ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  18. ↑ Brandle, Lars (16 July 2020). "Benee Takes a Walk Through 'Night Garden'". Billboard . ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (8 October 2020). "Benee Goes on a Magical, Colorful Trip for New 'Snail' Video". Billboard . ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Lim, Eddy (27 October 2020). "BENEE shares new single 'Plain' featuring Lily Allen and Flo Milli". NME . ISSN   0028-6362 . Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  21. ↑ "Benee debuting "Kool" music video on YouTube's 'Released'". 97.9 WRMF. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  22. ↑ Campbell, Amy (13 November 2020). "Benee On Defying — And Exceeding — Expectations: "I love that I could release a rap song and it wouldn't be a shock"". GQ. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "BENEE on Instagram: "ALSO this is out in the world 🥺 I luv @thesims"". Instagram. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  24. ↑ Hirsh, Marc (21 August 2020). "Benee, the New Zealand singer behind 'Supalonely,' is cool if you don't like her music". Entertainment Weekly . ISSN   1049-0434 . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  25. ↑ "BENEE - Hey u x". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  26. 1 2 "Hey U X by Benee". Metacritic . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  27. ↑ Martin, Bella (13 November 2020). "BENEE - Hey u x". DIY . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  28. ↑ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (13 November 2020). "Benee's 'Hey u x' illustrates the upside of TikTok-dominated pop" . Financial Times . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  29. ↑ Rigotti, Alex (10 November 2020). "Album Review: BENEE - hey u x". Gigwise . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  30. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (12 November 2020). "Album reviews: Chris Stapleton, Benee, McFly and Sophie Ellis-Bextor". The Independent . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  31. ↑ Cromb, Dan (9 November 2020). "BENEE explores a quirky and adventurous range on the hotly anticipated hey u x". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  32. ↑ Murphy, John (16 November 2020). "Benee – Hey U X". musicOMH . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  33. ↑ Cragg, Michael (15 November 2020). "Benee: Hey U X review – endearingly careworn". The Observer . Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  34. ↑ Jocelyn, Hannah (23 November 2020). "BENEE - Hey u x". Pitchfork . Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  35. ↑ Backler, Will (3 March 2022). "Benee shares her Lychee: "I love meeting the people who listen to my music as much as they love meeting me"". Pilerats. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  36. ↑ "Best of 2020: RNZ Music's top 20 albums". RNZ . 5 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  37. ↑ "Song Details: Make You Sick". Universal Music Group. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  38. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Benee – Hey U X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  39. ↑ "Charts.nz – Benee – Hey U X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.