Graphic by Benét/Bayonet Records
For anyone who may be reading this article, I have one question for you and another for Mr. Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg himself. First, why are you not listening to Benét already, and second, where in the world is their fucking Instagram blue check?
Benét is an absolute riot. They’re charismatic with a smooth and flowing nature that’s reflected within their music just as much as it is within their presence. Amid talking with them about the infamous hit show by Ryan Murphy, “Glee,” I got the opportunity to interview Benét on his inspirations, his sound and who else it is exactly that you should be listening to right now (spoiler alert: Richmond, Virginia is the place to be).
In order to understand how Benét got to the point where they are now, with multiple singles and a future EP under their belt, it’s important to start at the beginning — 2018. Sure, they had a preexisting love of music in their life, but it was a microphone gifted to them for Christmas that sparked the first moments of songwriting. From there, history was made, as what started with collaborations with friends Jason and Cameron Smith led to concrete releases and a record deal with Bayonet Records. Even the pandemic failed to deter Benét’s progress and determination since he finished his EP during this troubling time. With a hectic process composed of “just Zoom calls and writing and sending [Cameron], photos and voice tracks, and him producing around it and sending it back,” the two were able to produce an entire album worth of songs. Some of these pieces include tracks like “Shoot Your Shot,” which acts as a perfect match for anyone out there who wants someone to take action and break the stalemate of mutual attraction.
For Benét, his inspirations, while varied, are mostly derived from elements of pop culture. Growing up as an eight year-old watching “Glee” and consuming other media which led them to online stan culture has created a catchy sound with some truly iconic influences. “I’m inspired by pop culture,” Benét stated, “like, I’m inspired by moments in time, vocally I tend to sound like Garnet [from ‘Steven Universe’].” You can especially hear these inspirations from Benét’s work in songs like “Glee” and “Killing Eve” from their two-song release, “Stan Account,” where the two aforementioned shows fuel the themes behind each track. Lines like, “You’re killing me / Don’t you see you’re the winner of the game / You’re killing me” in “Killing Eve” evoke the back-and-forth, intense dynamic between the primary characters of the show, Villanelle and Eve. Alongside this pop influence, Benét cites artists from their youth, such as Chrisette Michele, John Legend (specifically his older work) and Lianna La Havas. Clearly, their work possesses an immense breadth that distinguishes them as a pop artist.
While not essential to the full understanding of their music, Benét and I also spent potentially too much time discussing “Glee” so for anyone who’d be interested here is some of what we discussed:
- Benét’s favorite “crazy ‘Glee’ plotline” is Quinn’s pregnancy ordeal and the Terry vitamin arc.
- If the show existed in 2021, a song they would have enjoyed to hear done on the show would be anything by “Calvin Harris, like ‘Slide’ or ‘Feels.’”
- A song they would have hated to hear that a 2021-era “Glee” would likely do is “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X.
Ultimately, Benét recognizes the faults and often terrible quality of the show, but overall credits its existence to having getting them to “know every pop song that came out” back then, despite more often engaging with the alternative genre now.
In “Game Over!” what you can expect from Benét is his most mature sound so far. Polished without sounding overproduced or overly methodical, this EP’s track moves with a perfect and instinctive groove. Just like “Shoot Your Shot,” the other new tracks from Benét explore longing and half-way types of love. “Are You Real?” explores this concept with lyrics like, “Or did I just dream you up? / Let me feel on your skin to know you’re not made up,” questioning a nameless person whose affections feel nearly specter-like in nature. In a similar tone, “Shoot Your Shot” playfully taunts the audience to act on their feelings: “Skip the unreal / and give me all the details.” Executed through Benét’s smooth voice and paired with excellent mixing and a dreamy sound, “Game Over!” is exactly what I needed this August, and it may be what you need too.
When I asked Benét what they were currently listening to, they told me about Richmond, Virginia. Artists like Kate Bollinger, Not Kevin, McKinely Dixon, Abby Huston, Catie Lausten, Nickname Jos and Jason Jamal are the Richmond names that fuel Benét’s soundtrack. The reason why? The music scene there is thriving, and it’s a place that allows for Benét themself to thrive and grow. Working with multitudes of people in the community, Benét said that they’re constantly reaching out to other musicians simply saying, “Let’s go make a song. I’ll send you this, and you send me that.” The songwriter is clearly pleased as they describe the incredible talent of the artists of Richmond, as they bring a certain sense of musical iconicity to the city.
Now knowing everything that you do about Benét, go stream their EP “Game Over!” which was released this last August. As the dreaminess of summer has begun to fade and autumn is starting to leak in, I’ll be streaming Benét’s newest hits as the perfect transitional album. Bottom line, Support your fellow Gleek (or general fandom fan) and give Benét a try, they’ve got the smooth sound that’ll leave you hooked, just like any good pop star would.