Serena Khahera

On Saturday, Feb. 28, BENEE arrived at The Fillmore carrying the momentum of a long-awaited return. The New Zealand-born, LA-based alt-pop shapeshifter kicked off her 2026 “Particles Tour” the night before in Sacramento, marking the beginning of a 23-date North American run in support of her sophomore album, Ur An Angel I’m Just Particles.

Released in November 2025, the record ended a five-year gap since her breakout debut, Hey U X—a stretch of time that saw BENEE evolve from viral wunderkind to full-fledged world-builder. If Hey U X introduced her as a sharp, left-of-center pop voice, Ur An Angel I’m Just Particles confirms her as something more ambitious: an artist constructing her own sonic universe.

The album filters existential dread, spiritual curiosity, and everyday chaos into elastic, genre-bending alt-pop. Singles like Cinnamon and Underwater shimmer with airy hooks and emotional undercurrents, while Princess—her collaboration with PinkPantheress—adds a kinetic, hyper-pop pulse to the project’s dreamy core. Other fan favorites, including Sad Boiii, Animal, and Off The Rails, map the emotional terrain between vulnerability and defiance.

Critics have described the album as both adventurous and cohesive—an intricate web of science, spirituality, and spiraling emotion. It’s an album that doesn’t rush to resolve its questions. Instead, it invites listeners to sit inside the uncertainty. That ethos translates seamlessly to the stage.

If Sacramento was the ignition point for this North American run, San Francisco feels symbolic. The Fillmore’s storied walls—long associated with artists who bend genre and expectation—offer an ideal backdrop for BENEE’s kaleidoscopic pop. Backed by immersive visuals and a carefully constructed setlist, she leans into the album’s existential shimmer while keeping the energy loose and communal.

Touring with support from BAYLI and fresh off a European run with Tate McRae, BENEE enters this chapter with hard-earned confidence. The viral lightning strike of “Supalonely” may have introduced her to the masses, but Ur An Angel I’m Just Particles proves she was never interested in chasing a moment. She’s building something longer-lasting—an evolving, slightly chaotic, but unmistakably personal world.

Ahead of her second night on tour, I spoke with BENEE about creative cohesion, resisting industry pressure, embracing childlike wonder, and what it means to grow up in public while still allowing yourself to experiment.

The Knockturnal: It’s so great to meet you! You’re heading into night two of the Particles Tour at The Fillmore in San Francisco. After kicking things off in Sacramento, what did you learn from opening night?

BENEE: What’s funny is that we’ve been doing support tours for so long that I think we forgot what it feels like to play a show that’s entirely our own. It’s been really encouraging to see people singing along to both the new songs and the older ones.

But honestly, what stood out most was meeting everyone. We’re doing meet-and-greets on this run, which has been so special. It gives us more intentional time with listeners. There were some really sweet little girls who came with their families last night. Moments like that remind you how meaningful it is to connect directly with your audience.

The Knockturnal: That must make touring North America feel even more special—getting to see everyone across the country.

Looking at this North American run is there a city you feel particularly connected to, or one that you’re excited to visit?

BENEE: I’m in San Francisco right now, and I love it here. I wish I had an extra day because there are such beautiful beach towns nearby. Sacramento was also special—my boyfriend’s from there, so his whole family came out, which was really cute.

I’m excited for Portland, too. Honestly, I’m just excited for the ride—popping in and out of different states. Even random gas station stops become fun when you’re on the road with your team.

The Knockturnal: American gas stations really are something special.

BENEE: You can’t beat them.

The Knockturnal: I’m from San Francisco so I’ll be at the show tonight and love hearing you say it’s one of your favorites.

BENEE: It’s so nice here, and it’s such a beautiful day today as well. 

The Knockturnal: Your visuals have always felt intentional and slightly surreal. For the Particles Tour, what’s one visual or staging element you’re most excited for fans to experience live?

BENEE: Some venues have screens, and for those, we created really cool visuals. The intro incorporates my album teaser trailer with the opening music, which I’m really excited for people to see.

For venues without screens, we had a custom backdrop made that creates a strong visual world on its own. I’m excited for people to step into that environment.

The Knockturnal: You’ve mentioned being a part of a lot of supporting tours. BAYLI is joining you on this run — what do you look for in an opening act, and how important is it that the energy of the night feels cohesive from start to finish?

BENEE: It’s really important. BAYLI is actually a friend, so I already knew that I loved her and that we got along well. I tend to either choose someone I already know or an artist who feels aligned—even if we’re not in the exact same genre. It’s nice to introduce your audience to someone they might not know yet.

It’s a really exciting part of touring– getting to choose who gets to come along with you. Touring together builds such close relationships. We’re sharing a bus with Bailey and her tour manager, and it’s been great. She’s awesome, has incredible new music, and people were screaming for her last night. 

The Knockturnal: On Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles, is there a particular track that feels especially personal to you right now — or one you secretly hope becomes the song fans scream back at you on this tour? What about that song makes you excited to perform it live?

BENEE: I love performing “Cinnamon.” It’s such a fun one live. The chorus really hits, and the bridge has this ethereal moment that feels special on stage. Seeing people light up when we start playing it is amazing.

“Heaven” feels more personal, so it’s nice to shift into that energy as well. But honestly, it’s just been fun playing the new album.

The Knockturnal: You’ve talked about feeling the pressure of today’s fast-paced music climate — TikTok snippets, constant releases, staying “relevant.” How did taking five years between Hey u, x and this new album reshape your relationship with ambition and patience when it comes to creating a project?

BENEE: It’s interesting because five years sounds like a long time, but in some ways, it isn’t. At the start, I definitely felt pressure to keep releasing music quickly—especially with streaming and social media moving so fast.

But over time, I realized you don’t have to do it any particular way. You don’t have to rush. I just wasn’t ready to release for a while, so I took my time with it.

Even now, I’m making new music that I think is even better than what’s on the album. I feel like I’m evolving and growing and making better music than I have before. It’s nice to carve your own path and focus on making great art rather than reacting to external pressure. It’s kind of nice to be able to “reject” that, and I think it’s more important to just make really good art. That’s the work that resonates most. 

The Knockturnal: I also think you have a really good balance of having experienced that at the beginning of your career. Going from that and taking the time to focus on your project and ignore outside noise is very commendable. I’m excited to see the direction your music continues heading in, and I’m sure fans will totally resonate with what you said. 

BENEE: Yay!!! 

The Knockturnal: There’s a subtle cohesion to this record compared to your earlier, more eclectic projects. Was there a moment during recording — maybe in LA versus New Zealand — where the sonic direction suddenly clicked into place?

Here’s a polished and clarified version of that section:

BENEE: More than ever before, I’ve felt the challenge of making my work cohesive, mainly because I love experimenting with all different kinds of music. But when I intentionally set out to create an album, that’s when I focused on connecting the elements and shaping it into something that feels like a story. I think that’s important—an album having a concept or themes that tie everything together.

That was definitely a challenge for me, but a really good one. It pushed me creatively. I love when you listen to an album and it fully exists within its own world. Even though this record is quite existential and, in some ways, chaotic, I think that very chaos is what ultimately ties it all together.

The Knockturnal: You’ve had songs go massively viral before. When you’re writing now, do you consciously avoid thinking about “big moments,” or has your definition of success shifted since “Supalonely”?

BENEE: After that song took off, I’d get into sessions where people wanted to “make another Supalonely.” And I knew that wasn’t the right approach. You can’t really pre-calculate a hit—unless you’re Drake or Taylor Swift.

I don’t go into sessions trying to make a hit. Obviously, it would be incredible for a song to take off because people connect with it and love it. My goal is just to be there and try to make a really good song. I try not to think about where it’ll live or how it’ll perform.

The Knockturnal: The success should follow the passion. 

BENEE: Exactly! It does.

The Knockturnal: You’ve been open about living with OCD and even described it as a “weapon” creatively. On this album, was there a particular lyric or production choice that came directly from that—or something that might not exist without it?

BENEE: I think a lot of the songs wouldn’t exist without it. OCD brings pretty severe anxiety, and that changes how I experience the world and how I deal and cope with everything.

There’s a strong theme of childlike wonder on this album. When I was writing it, I was overwhelmed by everything happening in the world and just generally scared about life. I leaned into looking at things through a childlike lens—finding innocence, softness, even cuteness in things. It became a kind of fantastical escape.

That perspective—choosing wonder over fear—definitely shaped the album.

The Knockturnal: I can definitely relate to using art or music to escape, so I love that analogy of using a childlike wonder lens and you can totally see that when you listen to this album. I love that fans can have that perspective when listening to it now. 

The last time you headlined North America was in 2022 — before this album existed. Standing onstage now with songs like “Cinnamon” and “Underwater,” do you feel like you’re introducing fans to a new version of yourself, or finally revealing who you’ve been becoming over the past five years?

BENEE: I think it’s about growth and getting better at my craft. I think being able to evolve as an artist is a beautiful thing. When I toured in 2022, I was performing songs I’d written at 18 or 19. I’m 26 now—I’m a different person with more experiences and emotions to draw from.

The music feels more mature in some ways, but also more experimental. I’m less afraid to try things now, and that’s when I have the most fun.

It’s cool to write all these songs, play all of these songs, and build a setlist over time—rotating songs in and out, evolving it as I evolve. Even now I have demos that I’ve written and anticipate being able to flesh them out and change setlists in a year. We’ve been working with a music director, Derek in LA, and he’s been helping to make everything seamless and beautiful. I’m really proud of the show.

I guess it is a new version of me—and that’s the best part.

The Knockturnal: I totally get that. I feel like once I turned 25 everything just sort of clicked. 

BENEE: Right?! 

The Knockturnal: It kind of just feels like you have this moment where you go, “Oh my god I really knew nothing!”

BENEE: That’s that frontal lobe developing right there. I love that! 

The Knockturnal: I know! Well, I had so much fun chatting with you today. Before we wrap up, is there anything you want to add?

BENEE: My merch is really cute—I’m very proud of it. And we brought the Benny boots on tour, so I’m telling everyone about those. Plus, you get a free hair clip I designed.

The Knockturnal: I’ll be spreading the word tonight. Thank you so much for your time. I’m so excited for the show tonight.

BENEE: Thank you. It was lovely to meet you.

It’s clear she isn’t chasing the viral highs that first propelled her into the spotlight—she’s carving out something far more enduring. Ur An Angel I’m Just Particles doesn’t just mark her return after five years; it signals a creative rebirth. The songs feel lived-in, the risks intentional, the experimentation fearless.

If this tour is any indication, BENEE isn’t simply revisiting North America. She’s reintroducing herself—bigger, bolder, and building a world that only she could imagine.

Catch BENEE in a city near you here.

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