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.
| Lychee | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 4 March 2022 | |||
| Genre | Alt-pop[1] | |||
| Length | 25:46 | |||
| Label | Republic | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Benee chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Stella & Steve | ||||
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Development
editMuch of Lychee was developed and recorded in Los Angeles with a number of well-known producers, specifically Kenny Beats, Greg Kurstin, and Rostam.[2][3][4] Benee had never previously collaborated with the latter two musicians.[5] She also initially worked on the project in her home country of New Zealand with regular collaborator Josh Fountain.[2][3][5] 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.[2][3] She additionally considered collaborating with Fountain, though a positive experience, to not push her out of her comfort zone enough.[5]
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.[5]
Songs
editThe 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.[1][2][4] Its indie sound was inspired by The Japanese House.[5] 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.[2][3] "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.[2]
"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.[2][5][6] It is another song she created to channel her lockdown anxiety and was one of the first made for Lychee overall.[2][3][5] The final track, "Make You Sick," is a "trippy" experimental electronic song with freestyled lyrics.[1][2] 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.[1]
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.[1][3][4][6] "Never Ending" was released as a third single concurrently with the EP.[3]
Track listing
edit| 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
editCredits adapted from TIDAL.[7]
Musicians
edit- 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
edit- 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
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] | 13 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Bertolino, Hannah (11 July 2022). "New Zealand pop idol Benee is a voice of the pandemic generation". Dazed. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "BENEE on her new EP 'LYCHEE'". Hype Medium. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Music News - BENEE Releases Eagerly Anticipated Lychee EP Today, Featuring New Single 'Never Ending'". Muzic.net.nz. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Schube, Will (3 February 2022). "Benee Announces 'Lychee EP,' Drops New Single, 'Beach Boy'". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g 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.
- ^ a b 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.