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Night Garden
"Night Garden" is a song by New Zealand singer Benee featuring American producer Kenny Beats and British musician Bakar, released on 15 July 2020 as the lead single from her debut studio album Hey U X (2020). Background and composition"Night Garden" was recorded in the Cave", Kenny Beats' studio in Burbank, California, shortly before the introduction of COVID-19 lockdowns around the world.[1][2] The song became Benee's first release following the popularization of the song "Supalonely" which initially was initially released as part of her EP Stella & Steve (2019) but later became the third single.[3] The commercial success of "Supalonely" led it to becoming a sleeper hit, with Benee performing the song on both The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[4][5] Critical receptionIn terms of musical genre, Mike Wass of Idolator noted that "Night Garden" "falls somewhere between alt-R&B and alt-pop."[6] Chris DeVille of Stereogum described Kenny Beats' production as "hard-hitting yet surprisingly low-key,"[7] while David Renshaw of The Fader described the instrumental as a "low-slung beat" which Benee maintains by "keep[ing] things in a similarly downbeat mood as she sings of things creeping in her dreams".[3] DeVille noted that "despite the music’s relatively laidback vibes, Benee’s lyrics are paranoid. [...] She switches into rich, soulful singing for the chorus."[7] Ruby Scott of Ones to Watch described "Night Garden" as "jaw-dropping from start to finish," while drawing resemblance between Benee's "restrained delivery" and that of both Björk and Billie Eilish.[8] DIY described the song as an "example of Benee’s skill at crafting infectious pop bops".[9] Cameron Adams of Herald Sun described "Night Garden" as "a Wu-Tang-inspired, hip hop influenced single".[10] Happy Australia noted that the song was "a change in scenery from Benee’s usual brand of summery pop".[11] Live performancesOn 19 July 2020, Benee performed "Night Garden" on the premiere of The Sound, a music television program broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[10] Charts
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