| Lychee | ||||
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| EP by Benee | ||||
| Released | 4 March 2022 | |||
| Genre | Alt-pop | |||
| Length | 25:46 | |||
| Label | Republic | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Benee chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Stella & Steve | ||||
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Lychee is the third extended play by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee. Released on 4 March 2022 by Republic Records, it reached the top 15 of the New Zealand Albums Chart.
Development
Much of Lychee was developed and recorded in Los Angeles with a number of well-known producers, specifically Kenny Beats, Greg Kurstin, and Rostam. Benee had never previously collaborated with the latter two musicians. She also initially worked on the project in her home country of New Zealand with regular collaborator Josh Fountain. However, she preferred engaging in the creative process in Los Angeles due to stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures in place at the time in New Zealand, which made her feel hopeless and at a loss for song ideas. She additionally considered collaborating with Fountain, though a positive experience, to not push her out of her comfort zone enough.
Benee named the EP after the fruit of the same name as she was having trouble choosing a satisfactory title, so ultimately simply went with the name of something she loved.
Songs
The EP opener, "Beach Boy," was described by Benee as a "pure fantasy" set in Los Angeles. It lyrically discusses the conflicting feelings of the early stages of a relationship, where one may simultaneously be contempt with being alone and also still crave romance. Its indie sound was inspired by The Japanese House. Second track "Soft Side" contains hyperpop and house influences, while Benee made "Hurt You, Gus" to channel the energy she felt during New Zealand's lockdowns. "Never Ending" incorporates elements of rock music and is followed by "Marry Myself," which has a lighter tone that is infused with drum and bass.
"Doesn't Matter" is a "mellow" song surrounding Benee's attempts to cope with her mental health issues, including an OCD diagnosis, and how people often misunderstand the realities of mental health problems. It is another song she created to channel her lockdown anxiety and was one of the first made for Lychee overall. The final track, "Make You Sick," is a "trippy" experimental electronic song with freestyled lyrics. Originally thirteen minutes in length and intended for a New Zealand runway show prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was eventually cut down to just under seven minutes.
Prior to the release of Lychee, two of its tracks were released as singles: "Doesn't Matter" in October 2021 and "Beach Boy" in February 2022. "Never Ending" was released as a third single concurrently with the EP.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beach Boy" | Kurstin | 3:12 | |
| 2. | "Soft Side" |
| Kenny Beats | 2:24 |
| 3. | "Hurt You, Gus" |
| Fountain | 2:51 |
| 4. | "Never Ending" |
| Rostam | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Marry Myself" |
| Kurstin | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Doesn't Matter" |
| Fountain | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Make You Sick" |
| Fountain | 6:47 |
| Total length: | 25:46 | |||
Personnel
Credits adapted from TIDAL.
Musicians
- Benee – vocals (all tracks)
- Rostam Batmanglij – acoustic guitar, drum programming, electric bass, electric guitar, synthesizer (4)
- Josh Fountain – programming (7)
- Greg Kurstin – bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer (1)
- Joey Messina-Doerning – percussion (4)
- Tom Young – bass (3)
Technical
- Rostam Batmanglij – production (4)
- Julian Burg – engineering (1)
- Scott Desmarais – mixing assistance (4)
- Tom Elmhirst – engineering (6)
- Robin Florent – mixing assistance (4)
- Josh Fountain – engineering, mixing (7), production (3, 6, 7)
- Chris Galland – engineering (4)
- Dilip Harris – engineering (2, 3)
- Jeremie Inhaber – mixing assistance (4)
- Greg Kurstin – engineering (1), production (1, 5)
- Jan 'Stan' Kybert – engineering (2-5, 7)
- Manny Marroquin – mixing (4)
- Randy Merrill – mastering (1, 4, 6)
- Matt Scatchell – engineering (6)
- Spike Stent – mixing (1, 5)
- Matt Tuggle – engineering (1)
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 13 |
References
- ^ Bertolino, Hannah (11 July 2022). "New Zealand pop idol Benee is a voice of the pandemic generation". Dazed. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "BENEE on her new EP 'LYCHEE'". Hype Medium. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Music News - BENEE Releases Eagerly Anticipated Lychee EP Today, Featuring New Single 'Never Ending'". Muzic.net.nz. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Schube, Will (3 February 2022). "Benee Announces 'Lychee EP,' Drops New Single, 'Beach Boy'". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Weatherby, Taylor (4 March 2022). "How BENEE Channeled Her Inner Badass, Found Happiness, And Made Her Experimental EP 'Lychee': 'You Can Just Hear How I Changed As A Human'". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (28 October 2021). "Benee – "Doesn't Matter"". Stereogum. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- "Lychee by BENEE". TIDAL. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- "Charts.nz – Benee – Lychee". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
External links
| Benee | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | |
| Extended plays | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |