BENEE has announced the details of her new EP ‘LYCHEE’ as well as dropping the lyric video for new single ‘Beach Boy’. Check it out below.

‘LYCHEE’ arrives on March 4 via Republic Record and will be the follow-up to the New Zealand pop star’s 2020 debut ‘Hey u x’. Her latest single was produced by Greg Kurstin and the EP also features tracks penned by Kenny Beats and Rostam.

“‘Beach Boy’ is pure fantasy, set in LA,” Benee shared in a statement. “It’s about being happy alone, but still wanting some love; wanting the thrill without the pain. It was the first time I’d worked with Greg Kurstin, and it was so sick…we got on super well, and I love this track…I think it is perfect for cruising down the freeway with the top down.”

Benee said that she was inspired to write the summer-infused love song after heading out of lockdown in New Zealand to work on sessions in Los Angeles, and that the new EP came from a “great creative space” despite what she called “the craziest time in all our lives”.

Benee previewed the project in October of last year, when she got candid about her mental health struggles in her song ‘Doesn’t Matter’. Check out the album artwork and tracklisting for ‘LYCHEE’ below.

‘LYCHEE’ TRACKLIST

1. ‘Beach Boy’
2. ‘Soft Side’
3. ‘Hurt You Gus’
4. ‘Never Ending’
5. ‘Marry Myself’
6. ‘Doesn’t Matter’
7. ‘Make You Sick’

BENEE announced her world-wide tour in November of last year. The tour will kick off in New Zealand before stopping in Australia in March, Europe and the UK across April and May, and North America in June. Tickets are on sale here.

JANUARY
Saturday 8 – Whangamata, Dance Farm

FEBRUARY
Friday 25 – Nelson, Trafalgar Centre
Sunday 27 – Dunedin, Town Hall

MARCH
Tuesday 1 – Invercargill, ILT Stadium
Thursday 3 – Auckland, Town Hall
Friday 4 – Hamilton, Globex Arena Claudelands
Saturday 5 – Wellington, Anderson Park
Sunday 6 – Tauranga, Lion Foundation Centre
Friday 11 – Palmerston North Central, Energy Trust Arena
Saturday 12 – Napier, Pettigrew Arena
Sunday 13 – New Plymouth, TSB Stadium
Friday 18 – Hobart, Botanical Gardens
Saturday 19 – Canberra, Wine Machine
Sunday 20 – Gold Coast, HOTA Amphitheatre
Wednesday 23 – Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
Friday 25 – Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Sunday 27 – Perth, Red Hill Amphitheatre
Tuesday 29 – Adelaide, Thebarton Theatre

APRIL
Saturday 2 – Yarra Valley, Wine Machine
Sunday 3 – Wollongong, Yours & Owls
Thursday 7 – Sydney, Big Top
Saturday 9 – Hunter Valley, Wine Machine
Thursday 28 – Moscow, Izvestya Hall
Saturday 30 – Åre, Åre Sessions Festival

MAY
Sunday 1 – Stockholm, Fallan
Monday 2 – Oslo, Sentrum Scene
Wednesday 4 – Copenhagen, Amager Bio
Friday 6 – Brussel, Les Nuits Botanique
Saturday 7 – Paris, Trabendo
Monday 9 – Cologne, Live Music Hall
Tuesday 10 – Berlin, Verti Music Hall
Friday 13 – Luxembourg, Rockhall Club
Sunday 15 – Glasgow, SWG3 Galvanisers
Monday 16 – Manchester, Albert Hall
Tuesday 17 – London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Thursday 19 – Zurich, Komplex 457
Friday 20 – Milan, Fabrique
Sunday 22 – Prague, Roxy
Monday 23 – Munich, Freiheitshalle
Tuesday 24 – Vienna, Arena
Thursday 26 – Warsaw, Proxima
Friday 27 – Hamburg, Mojo
Saturday 28 – Amsterdam, Paradiso
Tuesday 31 – Montreal, QC Corona Theatre

JUNE
Wednesday 1 – Toronto, Phoenix Concert Theatre
Friday 3 – Minneapolis, First Avenue
Saturday 4 – Chicago, Vic Theatre
Monday 6 – Detroit, St. Andrew’s Hall
Tuesday 7 – Columbus, Newport Music Hall
Wednesday 8 – Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
Tuesday 14 – Boston, House of Blues
Wednesday 15 – Philadelphia, Theatre of Living Arts
Friday 17 – Atlanta, Variety Playhouse
Tuesday 21 – Englewood, Gothic Theatre
Wednesday 22 – Salt Lake City, The Depot
Friday 24 – Seattle, The Showbox
Saturday 25 – Portland, Crystal Ballroom
Sunday 26 – Vancouver, Vogue Theatre
Tuesday 28 – San Francisco, The Warfield Theatre
Thursday 30 – Los Angeles, The Novo

When ‘Hey u x’ was released in November of 2020, NME gave the album four stars, calling it an “open approach to music, skipping from edgy, futuristic production to the easy-going melodies.”