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."
Same Effect
benee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said that what I say, it makes you laugh
How 'bout you come 'round and pick me up?
We'll joke around and talk about real stuff
Don't sell yourself short
There's somethin' about you
Can't explain
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
Lyin' 'round here and you're all that I want
The others, they don't have the same effect
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
You sent a letter
And I read every word
Nothing feels better
I melted when you called
Don't sell yourself short
There's somethin' about you
Can't explain
But I can't live without you
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
Lyin' 'round here and you're all that I want
The others, they don't have the same effect
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
Lyin' 'round here and you're all that I want
The others, they don't have the same effect
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
In "Same Effect," Benee sings about the intense feelings of longing and desire for someone special. The song opens with the image of the person she loves poking at her heart, indicating that they have captured her attention in a big way. She notes that her jokes and sense of humor make this person laugh, and she proposes that they spend time together, joking around and talking about real things.
Benee expresses her deep feelings of love and her inability to live without this person, even though she can't explain what it is that draws her to them. She is tired of being alone and only wants to be with this person, and she realizes that nobody else has the same effect on her. The lyrics suggest that she has received a letter from this person that she cherishes, and the mere act of hearing their voice on the phone leaves her melting. The song repeats the chorus several times, indicating the power of the desire and longing that Benee feels for this person.
Overall, "Same Effect" is a song about the intensity of desire and the overwhelming feeling of falling in love. Benee captures the passion and raw emotion that often accompanies such moments in life, making it a powerful and relatable song for many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
It's funny I feel you pokin' at my heart
I find it amusing that you're affecting my emotions
You said that what I say, it makes you laugh
You find my words funny and entertaining
How 'bout you come 'round and pick me up?
Why don't you come over and spend time with me?
We'll joke around and talk about real stuff
We'll have fun and have meaningful conversations
Don't sell yourself short
Don't underestimate your worth or potential
There's somethin' about you
There's an indefinable quality that draws me to you
Can't explain
I can't put my finger on it
But I can't live without you
I've become so attached to you that I can't imagine my life without you
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
I've come to desire your company because loneliness is taking a toll on me
Lyin' 'round here and you're all that I want
All I can think of is being with you right now
The others, they don't have the same effect
No one else affects me the same way you do
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
I don't want to be easily forgotten by you
You sent a letter
You wrote me a letter
And I read every word
I devoured every sentence
Nothing feels better
There's no better feeling
I melted when you called
I felt my heart melt when you phoned me
Ooh, ooh
Vocalization with no specific meaning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jason Lee P. Schoushkoff, Joshua Marc Fountain, Stella Bennett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@a.k.m7771
Lyrics
It's funny feel you pokin' at my heart
You said that what I say, it makes you laugh
How 'bout you come 'round and pick me up?
We'll joke around and talk 'bout real stuff
Don't sell yourself short, uh
There's something about you
Can't explain, but I can't live without you
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
Lyin' 'round here, and you're all that I want
The others, they don't have the same effect
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
You sent a letter
And I read every word
Nothing feels better
I melted when you called
Don't sell yourself short, uh
There's something about you
Can't explain, but I can't live without you
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
Lyin' 'round here, and you're all that I want
The others, they don't have the same effect
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
Now I want you, I'm sick of bein' alone
Lyin' 'round here, and you're all that I want
The others, they don't have the same effect
Don't wanna be someone who you forget
@maduaraujo291
I just wanna cry. This song is so beautiful!
@georgebetinis870
Idk about crying but she decent. 6/10
@pauie4314
@@georgebetinis870 really? It’s really good. The lyrics are amazing. Benee is really good
@kenmedina9997
its my fave! 💖💗
@emmanuel5876
💓💓💓
@emmanuel5876
👸 BENEE 👸 Baby 😔
@rikublaze
benee is a vibe
@adonaybautista3802
Just a good vibe
@wish_3687
Frr
@RanaPrabat
Just* ? Wtf you talking about.. She's everything