On March 30th, BENEE shook the grounds of Crescent Ballroom. Making the venue a world of her own. I can only describe it to be something of a shimmering, emotionally fused pocket of girlhood, joy, and release tucked into the heart of Phoenix.

I got there right when the doors opened, and even then, the energy was already buzzing through the room. There was this immediate sense that fans had been carrying excitement with them all day, waiting for the exact moment the lights would dim and the music would begin. You could feel it in the air. I myself provided anticipation that hummed from wall to wall. It had been building in the chatter of the crowd and the glances toward the stage.

The venue quickly filled until it was packed wall to wall with fans in furry boots, whimsical hair clips, and outfits that were clearly extensions of BENEE’s universe. All fell into the scape of playful, dreamlike, and entirely expressive. More than anything, there was such a profound sense of girlhood throughout the room. Smiles were exchanged so effortlessly among strangers. Compliments turned into conversations. Friendships were blossoming in real time, while others seemed to be deepening in another shared memory. It was such a vibrant community set in tone before the show had even started. A gift to witness and be a part of. 

When BENEE stepped onto the stage for “Sad Boiii,” the crowd surged forward collectively and sang loudly as if the day had prepared them vocally for such. She came out wearing a tourist-style Arizona shirt set displayed with cacti and desert imagery. A grateful nod to the place and the people gathered there who adored the artist just as much as she was adoring fans back. It was such a charming entrance. Fully personable. It instantly dissolved any distance between artist and audience. It felt like we were all reuniting with a friend. Rather than arriving with untouchable pop-star polish, she felt warmly present. It was refreshing to see a genuine connection as this day in age it feels at times overly parasocial, or completely disconnected.

The last time BENEE had been in Arizona performing was not too long ago when she opened for Wallows. This night was a beautiful return on her own terms and I was so thrilled to hear about her headlining tour. The crowd welcomed her back with affection. BENEE is impressionable in the best possible way. There is something so deeply personal about her presence. Every laugh shared, every small interaction on stage revealed more and more of her effortless kindness. Her artistry existed in between whimsical play and raw connection. Her music often shimmers with dreamy pop tones, but underneath it lives a constant emotional honesty. A lot of patterns of loneliness, yearning, freedom, self-reflection, joy. 

Her songs are aesthetically the ones you want to sing out car windows on late nights with your friends, city lights blurring into glowing streaks as laughter fills the silence between lyrics. They are songs meant for running through sunshine. Just shouting words into warm air with reckless joy. Also songs that you scream while jumping around your bedroom, forgetting every outside trouble and every anxious thought. She provides release, and connection.

“Sad Boiii” set that tone perfectly, blending BENEE’s playfulness and sharpness. From there, “Cinnamon” drifted through the room. No feet were left planted on the ground. Everyone was dancing. “Vegas”  pulsed with restlessness and longing. Songs like “Beach Boy” and “Wishful Thinking” deepened the emotional current of the night. BENEE has this incredible gift for making yearning sound beautiful. Even in the ache. Often wrapping uncertainty and hope into melodies that feel weightless.

“Animal,” BENEE shared that performing the song always makes her feel like “a little critter,” and the room immediately lit up with laughter and affection. It was such a perfect description of the New Zealander’s artistry. Instinctive, a little feral, and entirely endearing. That small comment somehow captured exactly what makes her so beloved. She lets herself be strange, honest, and fully human. Her cover of Joji’s “Afterthought” brought a haunting stillness. BENEE delivered the song with tenderness. Of course, “Supalonely” became one of the loudest moments of the night. Every lyric screamed. It was the perfect embodiment of turning pain into movement, loneliness into connection.

The final stretch  “Off The Rails” into “Green Honda” sent the room into one final wave of collective joy. In fact, it was feral. Explosive almost, and putting those two songs back to back was the loudest release of pure fun that the night could have offered. What stayed with me most after the night ended was not only BENEE’s performance, but the atmosphere that existed around it. Crescent Ballroom was a place where softness felt powerful. I’ve been in this venue a million times, and the structure hadn’t felt that powerful before. Individuality was celebrated, and where strangers could become part of the same emotional landscape for a few hours.