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."
WANT ME BACK
benee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you gotta act so needy?
Maybe you were what I'm missin'
Maybe I crave your affection
Everything you say cuts me, boy
Why don't you just let me heal ya?
Why do I feel like I'm searching?
Without you, boy, I feel nothin'
Tear me down, you hurt me
Change your mind, want me again
Playin' with my heart, and I turn blind, mm
Blind again, mm
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushin' me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushing me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
I can see you kind of need me
You've been havin' trouble sleepin'
Maybe we are meant to be here
Maybe I want us to happen
Sometimes I wish you would leave and
We would never speak again, but
Then there's somethin' 'bout you, boy, yeah
I can't hold myself back from ya
Tear me down, you hurt me
Change your mind, want me again
Playin' with my heart and I turn blind, mm
Blind again, mm (ooh, oh)
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushin' me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy (left with now)
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushin' me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
Too late to apologize
Movin' on now, with other guys
Deleted all your messages
You're nothing but lies in my head
Should've never hurt me, boy
Wasted your shot
Now I am off
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushing me 'round (pushin' me around)
Look at what I'm left with now, boy (left with now)
In Benee's song Want Me Back, the artist is questioning the intentions and actions of her romantic partner. She is confused about his behavior and wonders why he acts so needy while also acknowledging that she may crave his affection. The artist seems to be torn between wanting to move on and wanting to give the relationship another chance. She recognizes that the relationship has caused her pain and hurt, but she still feels drawn to her partner. This struggle between conflicting emotions is shown through the repetition of the phrase "tell me that I'm all that you need" and the contrasting lines "too late to apologize" and "longing for my company."
The song's tone is melancholic, with the artist reflecting on the ups and downs of the relationship. She acknowledges that her partner has hurt her and played with her emotions, causing her to feel blind and confused. However, she also recognizes that there is something about him that she finds appealing, leading her to question whether they are meant to be together. Ultimately, the artist seems to reach a point of acceptance, realizing that she deserves better than to be pushed around and hurt by her partner. The repetition of the phrase "look at what I'm left with now" emphasizes her sense of disappointment and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me what you want from me, boy
Asking the boy what exactly he wants from her.
Why you gotta act so needy?
Questioning the boy's behavior of being so needy.
Maybe you were what I'm missin'
Wondering if the boy is the missing piece of her life.
Maybe I crave your affection
Realizing that she craves the boy's affection.
Everything you say cuts me, boy
Stating that the boy's words hurt her deeply.
Why don't you just let me heal ya?
Asking the boy to let her help him heal.
Why do I feel like I'm searching?
Wondering why she feels like she's searching for something.
Without you, boy, I feel nothin'
Acknowledging that she feels like she's nothing without the boy.
Tear me down, you hurt me
Expressing that the boy hurts her when he tears her down.
Change your mind, want me again
Pointing out the boy's tendency to change his mind about wanting her back.
Playin' with my heart, and I turn blind, mm
Feeling like the boy is playing with her heart and causing her to turn a blind eye to his faults.
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
Wanting the boy to affirm that she is all he needs.
(Longing for my company, hey)
Expressing her desire for the boy to want her company.
You're pushin' me 'round
Feeling like the boy is pushing her around.
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
Realizing that the boy has left her with nothing but hurt.
I can see you kind of need me
Noticing that the boy needs her in some way.
You've been havin' trouble sleepin'
Observing that the boy has been having trouble sleeping.
Maybe we are meant to be here
Entertaining the idea that they are meant to be together.
Maybe I want us to happen
Admitting that she wants them to happen as a couple.
Sometimes I wish you would leave and
Admitting that sometimes she wishes the boy would leave her alone.
We would never speak again, but
Thinking about the possibility of never speaking to him again.
Then there's somethin' 'bout you, boy, yeah
Realizing that there is something about the boy that she can't resist.
I can't hold myself back from ya
Admitting that she can't resist him.
Too late to apologize
Stating that it's too late for the boy to apologize.
Movin' on now, with other guys
Moving on with other guys since the boy has hurt her too much.
Deleted all your messages
Deleting all the boy's messages as a way to forget him.
You're nothing but lies in my head
Realizing that the boy has been lying to her all along.
Should've never hurt me, boy
Expressing that the boy should have never hurt her.
Wasted your shot
Telling the boy that he has missed his chance with her.
Now I am off
Stating that she is now done with him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joshua Marc Fountain, Stella Bennett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lucaleonfrancoromero1360
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@kierakhatri1892
Those hours where night blends into morning
Where silence is interrupted by light taps on keys
Where songs and soft strumming turns dreams over
And stars light hearts and minds
Soft melodies spin hands and hair
An airy weightlessness you forgot existed
Butterflies fluttering in your stomach are beautiful
Full of possibilities waiting to transform
I’m alone but not lonely
Life has the soft tinge of a nostalgic tune
Not sharp enough to cut tears
Not the dull deadness that’s taken over my feeling
Contentment
The house breathes with life
But goes on slumbering
Quiet hearts beating silent dreams
@stefanie1309
Tell me what you want from me, boy
Why you gotta act so needy?
Maybe you were what I'm missin'
Maybe I crave your affection
Everything you say cuts me, boy
Why don't you just let me heal ya?
Why do I feel like I'm searching?
Without you, boy, I feel nothin'
Tear me down, you hurt me
Change your mind, want me again
Playin' with my heart, and I turn blind, mm
Blind again, mm
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushin' me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushing me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
I can see you kind of need me
You've been havin' trouble sleepin'
Maybe we are meant to be here
Maybe I want us to happen
Sometimes I wish you would leave and
We would never speak again, but
Then there's somethin' 'bout you, boy, yeah
I can't hold myself back from ya
Tear me down, you hurt me
Change your mind, want me again
Playin' with my heart and I turn blind, mm
Blind again, mm (ooh, oh)
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushin' me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy (left with now)
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushin' me 'round
Look at what I'm left with now, boy
Too late to apologize
Movin' on now, with other guys
Deleted all your messages
You're nothing but lies in my head
Should've never hurt me, boy
Wasted your shot
Now I am off
Tell me that I'm all that you need, babe
(Tell me that I'm all that you need)
Longing for my company, hey
(Longing for my company, hey)
You're pushing me 'round (pushin' me around)
Look at what I'm left with now, boy (left with now)
@rachelambereverleigh9308
I really hope she continues to make “her” kind of music. She’s so unique
@MartySevy
Yes loving this style, very from the heart.
@aiyeshathomas6746
Yess
@yes-ld1qc
Yeah it’s very unique and nice to listen too
@maizainabhoon
why the her in quotes -_-?
@rachelambereverleigh9308
C O O K I E C O O K I E because you should lay pressure on “her”, when you read my comment. No one is like her, and she has such a unique style
@fka_arte
I hope she isn’t discouraged by the lack of publicity she’s getting. It doesn’t mean anything! She’s still sooo good I love her music
@rawiniatipene
She's not discouraged. She's just glad it's out there for anyone who wants to listen to it.
@mare1203
Ask her. I never understood how people think they know someone just because they're public persona? Whatever is the case, discouraged or not, what makes you think success is measured by world fame?
@zyonsimpson1211
Cdfu look in a few years she'll be getting what she deserves. But with that , she might change. Look up Doja Cat and listen to Nunchucks, then listen to her new music. She changed alot after she got exposed and tbh I don't want that to happen to Benee