Stella Rose Bennett was born and raised in the suburb of Grey Lynn in Auckland. She grew up in a "really musical" family with parents who would expose her to the catalogs of Radiohead, Björk, and Groove Armada. From the age of eight, BENEE began taking guitar lessons in primary school before starting saxophone lessons in high school. Eventually, BENEE dropped all music in order to prioritize water polo. She claims it "was [her] life" and that she at one point hoped to represent New Zealand competitively. BENEE later became interested in writing and recording music at the age of 17, after deciding that she did not want to pursue a career in water polo. BENEE attended an all-girls Catholic school, St. Mary's College, where music was compulsory for four years.
BENEE began her music career by posting covers to SoundCloud and began making her own music in her final year of high school. After dropping out of a communications degree at the Auckland University of Technology after two weeks, during what she called "a quarter-life crisis", she decided to enter the music business professionally. Her music caught the attention of Josh Fountain, a producer and member of the band Leisure, with whom she produced two singles: "Tough Guy", released in 2017, and "Soaked", released in 2018. she earned her first career entry on the Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2018 with "Soaked" at #58.
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 platform TikTok and YouTube. BENEE subsequently released her debut album, Hey U X, in November 2020.
Under the moniker of Bene, she made her solo debut with the 2017 single "Tough Guy", before later gaining prominence with her 2018 single "Soaked", which has been certified double-platinum in New Zealand. She released her debut EP, Fire on Marzz, with help from producer Josh Fountain in June 2019. Her second EP, Stella & Steve, was released in November 2019 and charted in the US, Canada, and France as a result of the international success of the EP's final single, "Supalonely". Since 2018, BENEE has earned five entries on the Triple J Hottest 100, three of which were in the 2019 list. She also released her third EP, Lychee, in March 2022 which charted at number 13 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.
In an interview for The New Zealand Herald, Benee revealed that she has dyslexia. She also described her childhood experiences with songwriting:
"throughout school I struggled with writing....I liked creative writing, that was what I loved, but I was always making mistakes, and I was confined to this way that I should write....Songwriting for me was this place where I don't have to be grammatically correct. Learning the craft with [Josh Fountain], when he was sharing all his knowledge – something clicked, and I was just like, I love this. It's a great emotional outlet for me; I just love splashing what I feel on to a track."
Back To Black
BENEE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kept his dick wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy
You went back to what you knew
So far removed from all that we went through
My odds are stacked
I'll go back to black
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
I go back to us
I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to, I go back to
Black
Black
Black
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I, I go back to black, I go back to
Black
In BENEE's cover of "Back To Black," the New Zealand singer delivers a somber and melancholic rendition of Amy Winehouse's classic song. Through powerful lyrics and soulful vocals, BENEE tells the story of heartbreak and the temptation to return to past relationships.
The song opens with the verse "He left no time to regret, kept his dick wet with his same old safe bet." These lines refer to a man who quickly moved on to another partner after a breakup, without giving his previous relationship a second thought. BENEE expresses her sadness and anger at the situation, while also acknowledging that she must move on without him.
In the chorus, BENEE repeats the line "We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times." This phrase emphasizes the pain of the breakup, and the idea that words alone cannot convey the depth of emotions involved. The lyrics also suggest that both parties are struggling to move on from the relationship, as the man returns to his previous partner and BENEE is left alone.
Overall, "Back To Black" is a powerful song that explores themes of heartbreak and the temptation to return to past relationships. Through emotive lyrics and soulful vocals, BENEE delivers a stirring performance that captures the complexity of these emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
He left no time to regret
He didn't give me any chance to feel regretful or remorseful for our relationship ending.
Kept his dick wet
He immediately slept with someone else after we broke up.
With his same old safe bet
He went back to the same person he always goes back to, even though they're not good for him.
Me and my head high
I'm trying to stay strong even though it hurts.
And my tears dry
I'm done crying over him.
Get on without my guy
I'm moving on and living my life without him.
You went back to what you knew
He went back to his old habits and the person he's most comfortable with, instead of trying something new.
So far removed from all that we went through
He's moved on from our relationship and doesn't remember or care about the good times we had together.
And I tread a troubled track
I'm struggling to move on and find my path without him.
My odds are stacked
It's going to be hard for me to find love again and move on from this.
I'll go back to black
I'll go back to my old ways of coping with pain and heartache.
We only said goodbye with words
Our breakup was just a conversation and wasn't as meaningful as it should have been.
I died a hundred times
The heartbreak felt like death every time I thought about it.
You go back to her
He's going back to the person he's always been with, even though he knows it's not healthy.
And I go back to
I'm left alone, to deal with my heartbreak and loneliness.
I love you much
I love him deeply despite everything that's happened.
It's not enough
But my love isn't enough to make him want to stay.
You love blow and I love puff
We have different vices and addictions that tore us apart.
And life is like a pipe
Life can be fragile and easily broken at any moment.
And I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside
I feel small and insignificant, lost in the vastness of the world.
Black
A metaphor for my dark, mournful existence without him.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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