BENEE, Foster the People, and Kim Petras Don't Disappoint: 3 Stellar Releases
Heart Eyes contributor, Cassidy Brohl, wrote a few short reviews on tracks that she’s been loving recently. We combined each review below!
By Cassidy Brohl
BENEE (ft. Bakar, Kenny Beats) - “Night Garden”
Auckland, NZ indie-pop artist, BENEE, recently released another single called “Night Garden,” featuring Kenny Beats and Bakar.
“Night Garden” is such a unique track, and has a different sound than all of BENEE’s other songs, which is part of the reason why it has to be my favorite song that she’s ever released. Everything about the track is very catchy, which makes it all the more enjoyable. I love how the song starts with a pop beat, and progressively gets better and better as you listen. While the tempo of the song remains steady, everything meshes together well when BENEE starts singing. Her voice, alongside Bakar’s, is very impressive, especially when combined with the work of beatsmith, Kenny Beats.
Generally, “Night Garden” is one of those songs you can jam out to in the car with all your friends, while the sun is setting. It’s a song that I can already see myself playing for hours and hours on repeat. Everything about this song just feels so right.
BENEE’s music is so special to me and I am very honored to be able to review this track. Her music and arttistry are so inspiring to me and I look up to her as a role model. After “Supalonely,” her single featuring Gus Dapperton, was certified Platinum in seven countries, recently, I can see this new single being a big success for her, too! This early on, her music career is already skyrocketing, as she seems to be staying on the Top Charts! I look forward to seeing how her career progresses.
BENEE also recently released a new single called “Snail.”
2. Foster the People - “The Things We Do”
Currently, everyone is dealing with many different issues, such as the dangers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued efforts of the Black Lives Matter Movement. When this song was written, Foster the People frontman, Mark Foster, said he had “no idea” about what was about to happen in the world. That said, “The Things We Do” is the perfect song for what we need right now! Without knowing what was on the horizon, Foster the People managed to write a beautiful, meaningful song, relevant to today and today’s issues, which is a wonderful coincidence.
After listening to this single, I can for sure say this is one of my favorite songs! It starts out with an electronic-pop sound that’s mixed with a funky beat. Everything meshes together to create a powerful sound. Additionally, a big reason why I love this song so much is the fact that it has such a creative concept that many of us can relate to! Every time I listen to this song, I feel like I am being transported into an alternate reality that helps me through the depressive state we are all dealing with. The amazing part about music, like this track, is that it can bring us together to help comfort each other.
Throughout the track, you can hear Foster repeat the words, “play in the underground,” which evokes a deeper meaning about how people are dealing with the hardships going on in the world right now. The “underground” mentioned here reminds me of the place everyone can go to escape reality. The “underground” might just be the music itself, too—music is something we can listen to that takes us to another universe; that helps us forget about our problems and struggles.
Foster The People has so many great songs and I am glad to say this one can be added to that collection. Every single they have released thus far is so different, in the best way possible, and I love the way everything pieces together into a work of art. For example, their other songs “Worst Nites,” “Pick U Up,” and “Style” contain more of an upbeat radio sounding tune. “The Things We Do” has more of an alternative sounding melody and has a darker message than most of their songs, kind of like “Pumped Up Kicks.” That said, this track really brings out the idea of their continued legacy in creating pop-sounding songs with beautiful meanings. Foster The People really know how to catch their audience’s attention when it comes to releasing new music.
If you haven’t already listened to “The Things We Do,” please listen to it right now so you can appreciate it just as much as I do! Note, too, that the band will be donating all proceeds made from this track to many organizations that fight for social and political justice.
Kygo, Kim Petras - “Broken Glass” (MV)
Kim Petras and Kygo recently released a music video for their song, “Broken Glass,” on July 10th.
The video for “Broken Glass” showcases the song as a piece of art, noting how fun and artistic it is. The video is very dark, but has a chill setting. It shows Petras expressing her emotions in different settings, which gives the video an emotional air, while also having a beautiful, colorful, aesthetic. Throughout the track, Petras’ voice is soothing and really makes the video complete!
This song is truly a favorite of mine because it describes certain emotions we all feel so well, such as sadness, but also the feeling of empowerment, that we can accomplish anything. Also, seeing “Broken Glass” conveyed via dark, adventurous visuals really brings everything together, like the music video giving the song a cherry on top—there truly is something magical seeing these two themes, dark and light, combined! I think the video matches the song very well and I would totally recommend watching it!
Petras also recently performed her single, “Malibu,” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Her performance was amazing and completely flawless! She looked absolutely stunning, her voice was so powerful, and her performance was very high energy and upbeat! Generally, performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! is always a huge deal for any artist and Petras never fails to put on a good performance and treats every one like it’s the last. She truly has a talent and a passion for performing that you can easily recognize when you see her on stage.
Once this whole pandemic is over with, I would love to see her in concert! With this performance and her new video for “Broken Glass” considered, you should definitely check her out—Kim Petras is a very powerful female artist who deserves everything that comes her way.
Keep up to date with all of the artists mentioned below!