Ur an Angel I'm Just Particles is the second studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee. It was released on 7 November 2025 via Republic Records, as her first studio album in five years, following Hey U X (2020), and her first project overall in overall in over three years, following the extended play Lychee (2022). The album was supported by five singles: "Sad Boiii", "Animal", "Off the Rails", "Cinnamon" and "Underwater".
Tate McRae (left) and Olivia Rodrigo (right), whose tours Benee supported during the writing and recording period.
Benee announced her second studio album, Ur An Angel I'm Just Particles, set for release on 7 November 2025 through Republic Records.[1] It was written and recorded over a three-year period,[2] during which she continued to release new music and tour with artists including Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray and Wallows.[3] Described by Benee as a clear and personal story, the album reflects her move to Los Angeles and the challenges of navigating a new environment.[2] Expanding on this, she explained that she wanted listeners "to enter another world", calling the album her most "intentional" and "cohesive" work to date. She further described it as a narrative project that follows "themes of obsession, breakdown, chaos and ascent — in that order", emphasizing "that's the story, and those are the changes", adding that her early years in Los Angeles left her "lost and confused and overwhelmed". A book by Stephen Hawking became a turning point, as it helped her to shift perspective and focus on what felt "important and helpful in this climate", which ultimately inspired her to craft a "fantastical world" for listeners to escape into.[4]
Release and promotion
Singles
The album's lead single, "Sad Boiii", was released in 2024, marking Benee's return after a brief hiatus. It was noted for its summer-inspired production and introspective lyrics.[5] The second single, "Animal", was released on 14 November alongside a music video directed by Keith Herron and filmed in Sydney. Written during a tour, the song was inspired by feelings of existential dread and the perspective of viewing the world from an airplane.[6] "Off the Rails", co-written by Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjärd,[7] was released as the third single of the album, on 20 June 2025.[8] "Cinnamon" was released on 27 August as the fourth single from the album.[2] Its music video was directed by Keith Herron.[9] On October 3, "Underwater" was released as the fifth and final single.[10][11][12]
Tour
Benee announced a release party for the album on 2 October 2025, which happened on November 7 in Los Angeles at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever.[13] On 7 October, she revealed that she would be headlining three shows in Australia as well as in Laneway Festival sideshows.[14] The singer also announced a North American tour, the Particles Tour, on 10 November, visiting the United States and Canada throughout 23 dates beginning on 27 February 2026 and concluding on 3 April.[15]
Reviewing the album for Rolling Stone, the magazine named Ur an Angel I'm Just Particles as one of the 50 Best New Zealand Albums of 2025, stating that the album is poised to push Benee toward "those bigger stages", praising its run of "viral-ready hits" and the personality behind them. They also highlighted Benee's own assertion that she "poured [her] whole heart into this project", framing the album as a "confident", emotionally invested work that affirms her rise alongside contemporaries like Olivia Rodrigo and Tate McRae.[18] Felicity Newton of Dork described the album as a more "deliberate" successor to Hey U X (2020), calling it "tidy, confident, [and] occasionally too polite for its own good". Newton also noted while the record lacks a "Supalonely"-level breakout moment, Benee's ability to blend "melancholy with mischief" remains intact, and concluded that she is "still one of pop's most relatable oddballs".[17] Zahra Hanif from Clash similarly praised the project's sharpened intention. They noted that while it revisits familiar themes of love and relationships, it does so "with more conviction" as Benee "conjures up eclectic soundscapes through more experimental production". The review concluded that the album is a "welcome addition" that finds the singer "back in top form, carving out space for more of the weird and wonderful".[16]
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