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."
Sheesh
BENEE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't have to change, keep it high key
Everything you say is the right thing
But you text me every day and I can't keep
Acting like I feel the same, sheesh
I don't know what to say, you're so sweet
I don't know what to say, but you're so sweet
I don't know what to say, but you're so sweet
Everything you say is the right thing
But you text me every day and I can't keep
Acting like I feel the same, sheesh
I don't know what to say, but you're so sweet
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
You don't have to change, keep it high key
Yeah, it's kinda strange how you like me
Yeah, 'round in your BMW
Driving 'round in your BMW
By the looks, lots of girls want a piece of you
Mr. Nice Guy, it seems that I should want you
But, I'm stupid and I fall for other dudes
But, I'm stupid and I fall for other dudes
But, I'm stupid and I fall for other dudes
Everything you say is the right thing
But you text me every day and I can't keep
Acting like I feel the same, sheesh
I don't know what to say, but you're so sweet
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
You don't have to change, keep it high key
Yeah, it's kinda strange how you like me
Follow the rabbit, huh
Into the belly of the underworld
Here you stand, I don't know why
All or nothing, live or die
We ride east until dawn
To the heart of the song
I'm alive
May I have what I desire
And I shall be satisfied
Everything you say is the right thing
But you text me every day and I can't keep
Acting like I feel the same, sheesh
I don't know what to say, but you're so sweet
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
You don't have to change, keep it high key
Yeah, it's kinda strange how you like me
Get what I desire, and I get what I want
I get what I desire, and I get what I want
Get what I desire, and I get what I want
Get what I desire, and I get what I want
What I want
I get what I want
The lyrics to "Sheesh" by Benee describe the feelings of being pursued by someone who likes you, but you don't necessarily feel the same. The opening lines express the confusion the singer feels about the person's interest in them, even though they don't feel the same. The repeated phrase, "everything you say is the right thing," suggests that the person is charming and says all the right things, but the singer can't keep pretending to reciprocate the feelings. The use of the interjection "sheesh" at the end of this section adds emphasis to the feeling of being overwhelmed by the situation.
The singer then describes the person's BMW, indicating their wealth and status, and the attention they receive from other girls. Despite this, the singer admits to falling for other guys and feeling foolish for doing so. The repetition of this line reinforces the internal conflict within the singer.
The final section of the lyrics takes a surreal turn with the mention of following a rabbit into the underworld and a desire to have what they want. It's unclear if these lines are related to the rest of the song or if they are included for poetic effect. Overall, "Sheesh" portrays the contradictory feelings that come with being pursued by someone you don't reciprocate feelings for, and the tension that results from this situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, it's kinda strange how you like me
It's a bit weird to me that you like me so much
You don't have to change, keep it high key
Please don't try to change for me, just be yourself
Everything you say is the right thing
I appreciate all the things you say to me
But you text me every day and I can't keep
Acting like I feel the same, sheesh
Your constant attention is overwhelming and I'm struggling to fake my feelings for you
I don't know what to say, you're so sweet
I can't find the right words to tell you how nice you are
Yeah, you're so sweet, yeah, you're so sweet, babe
Yes, you really are such a kind person
By the looks, lots of girls want a piece of you
Mr. Nice Guy, it seems that I should want you
But, I'm stupid and I fall for other dudes
You're popular and seem like someone I should be interested in, but I make bad choices and am attracted to other guys
Follow the rabbit, huh
Into the belly of the underworld
Here you stand, I don't know why
All or nothing, live or die
We ride east until dawn
To the heart of the song
I'm alive
May I have what I desire
And I shall be satisfied
Life is unpredictable and uncertain, but we must take chances to get what we want and truly feel alive
Get what I desire, and I get what I want
I get what I desire, and I get what I want
Get what I desire, and I get what I want
Get what I desire, and I get what I want
What I want
I get what I want
By striving for my desires, I can achieve what I want in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Claire Elise Boucher, Joshua Marc Fountain, Stella Bennett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@salvadorpericullo7
The collaboration we never asked for, but inside we knew we always needed.
@kylevisel-kelly9504
FACTS!!!
@emmanuel5876
💙💙💙
@TibbersAnnie
AMEN to that!
@trevorjodeci1257
Idk what your talking about I most definitely wanted this to happen
@saritamilla9177
@@trevorjodeci1257 I don’t think anyone was implying it wasn’t something they wanted
@obeyhellokitty143
benee and grimes? we love to see it
@yummyyaoi973
Yes we fucking DOOOO
@g_lorn
i need joji and grimes
@josephmorales666
@@g_lorn yeeeeees girrrrll