When BENEE first emerged from Auckland, New Zealand, she unfurled daydreamy alt-pop about evil spiders, sympathetic monsters, and eerie night gardens. But the twinned attraction and repulsion of modern relationships proved to be equally enticing, with the singer lamenting “You soak up half my brain” over the hazy, half-speed funk of 2018’s “Soaked.” Other songs capture the unique giddiness of being young, such as 2019’s reverbed nightlife snapshot “Glitter.” That same year, BENEE spun the self-deprecating bubblegum of “Supalonely”—featuring Gus Dapperton—into a global hit that racked up multiplatinum certification in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and America. No matter how much anxiety seeps through her lyrics, BENEE’s unhurried vocals usually convey a fairly chill attitude. But that’s not the case with 2023’s “Green Honda,” which radiates anger and agitation as she calls out a guy’s fake friends and all-around toxic behavior. She explained the aim of that outlier to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe at the time: “Let’s just make a crazy song that is gonna confuse people and make people wanna bang their heads at the same time.” Once she had so skillfully defied expectations, it was easy to keep expanding her artistic purview. Observe 2025’s “Princess,” whose quicksilver beats, processed vocals, and bendy melodies evoke the rush of hyperpop.