Benee - aka Stella Rose Bennett - is looking forward to summer.
Next February, the New Zealand pop juggernaut will share new music on her 2022 World Tour, which kicks off with 10 full-scale pop shows around Aotearoa.
She'll then play more than 40 cities in Europe and the US throughout May and June.
2021 was the worst year of her life, Benee tells Charlotte Ryan, but she thinks a lot of people can relate.
"I've had a lot of time to sit here and feel like I'm missing opportunities but everyone has been in the exact same situation, which is really comforting in a weird way, 'cause no one is really getting a head start at anything.'
After getting down about people commenting online about her being a "one-hit wonder", Benee took a month-long trip to Los Angeles earlier this year.
It was a big "mood-booster" getting back into the studio where she recorded with several producers, including California-based Kiwi Leroy Clampitt and Kenny Beats, host of the YouTube series The Cave.
"I definitely felt like I needed to get out of lockdown or get out of New Zealand at the time because I kind of was feeling in a bit of a hole… like oh my gosh, I'm not going anywhere."
But coming home was pretty sweet, too.
"New Zealand is just the best country. I feel like when you go away from it, it makes you appreciate it so much more."
Listen to the interview
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