By Megan Bainbridge

This past Saturday, Benee’s “Ur An Angel I’m Just Particles” Tour made its way to Paradise Rock Club, an intimate venue in Boston, Massachusetts. The album, released in late 2025 (the most recent Benee album release since 2020), has exceeded—no— exploded expectations. Beyond creating an unexpected and emotionally charged narrative, Benee is setting the example for artists in how she chose to create this album.

While some artists may give in to the pressure of the music industry's demands for churning out new work, Benee is taking a different approach. The five years that it took for Benee to release a new album have culminated in this moment; a shift in creative identity and a collection of work that took years to make. This is what people want— carefully constructed, authentic, and high-quality art. In a time where creative processes are being reduced to instant, generative AI-powered algorithmic sequences, taking time to create personal, deliberate work is a radical statement that must be celebrated.

Another way that the New Zealand-born and LA-based musician leads by example is how she creates space for radical authenticity. At the show, Benee talks about her favorite ways to play Minecraft (with glass houses and waterfalls) and discusses how Americans say “lee-chee juice” (New Zealanders say “lie-chee juice.”) Most of all, Benee is there for the fans—when they want “Evil Spider,” she sings a few lines acapella (even though it’s not on the set list!) When Gus Dapperton’s part in “Supalonely” arrives, she invites a fan to sing in his place. When a fan calls out “I love you Benee!” the alt-pop artist responds: “I love you! Who said that?! I love you too!”

Throughout the evening, the petticoat and fuzzy boot-clad musician flounces and twirls about the stage, performing simultaneously melancholic and upbeat music. What Benee exceeds in is this: creating music that is both poignant in narrative and upbeat in tempo. “Prey4You” and “Animal” use deep, groovy, and upbeat rhythms to discuss dying love and soul-crushing pressure, respectively. “Cinnamon” sounds whimsical and delicate, yet discusses listlessness and dread. This contrast is important—in practice, it highlights how negative experiences can be processed through joyful and expressive movements—in dance and in song.

The crowd screams along to Benee’s early-career smash-hit, “Supalonely.” Even better, they scream-sing the chorus to “Green Honda” without Benee’s help. Whether dancing, swaying, or singing, the experience is cathartic. Experiencing Benee’s new album live creates space just for that—group catharsis, healing, and joy. If the next album takes another five years, it’ll be worth it.

The North American tour began on February 27th, 2026 in Sacramento, California and will end in L.A. on April 3rd, 2026. Until then, you can catch a show as it makes its way down the East Coast, throughout the South, and up the West Coast.