BENEE Brings Magic and “Glitter” to Portland
3.2.26 - Portland, OR
In a world full of conformity, BENEE has never made herself small. The New Zealand born pop princess has always been refreshingly unique in both her music and, most strikingly, her stage presence. There’s something so infectious about how she bounces around onstage; you don't have much other choice than to join in.
BENEE kicked off her Particles tour in Sacramento at the tail end of February and brought the party to Portland’s Wonder Ballroom on March 2nd. The tour is supporting her sophomore album Ur An Angel, I’m Just Particles, which released last fall. Songs like “Cinnamon” and “Princess” have paved the way for the sound of this era— the latter of which features PinkPantheress, the recent queen of y2k hyper-pop. The project truly feels like the natural progression of what she built with her debut album, Hey U X.
As showtime began, BENEE bounded out to the stage and jumped straight into “Sad Boiii,” one of the first singles released preceding the album, and one that absolutely set the tone for the night. I stood in front of the stage to take photos and was delighted to look behind me and see dozens of smiling fans clinging to the barricade. She transitioned into more songs from the new album, “Cinnamon” and “Vegas,” before shifting into “Beach Boy,” a fan favorite from the 2022 EP Lychee.
There’s something to be said about the artists that take time out of their show to not only interact with fans, but make sure fans of all ages are included in the experience. Before she began singing “Animal,” she invited all of the children in the audience to join her onstage. Three brave girls took the invite and got to share the spotlight for what was probably a very fun and very nerve-racking four minutes. Still, those are the moments that mean the world to a young fan, and it’s wonderful to get to see as an adult too.
In the final stretch of the show, BENEE ramped up the energy one last time with all of her classics, such as “Glitter,” “Supalonely,” and closed the night with “Green Honda.” The floor practically bounced as people screamed along with her, which proved to be a really lovely moment of community. It just goes to show much an artist can bring together a group of people, no matter their age. Both in presence and in personality, BENEE struck Portland like lightning.
