Singer BENI blends smooth American R&B stylings with big pop hooks, finding common ground between Alicia Keys and J-pop star Namie Amuro. She started gaining traction in 2004 via midtempo cuts powered by synthesizer and hip-hop-inspired beats. These numbers, such as “Kiss Kiss Kiss” and “Sign,” give her ample room to show off her attention-grabbing vocals, capable of both husky passages and swelling high notes. BENI has also branched out into faster material, including Auto-Tune-soaked electro-pop (“Heartbreaker”) and string-laden ballads (“Heaven's Door”).