@behold_benzo Releases Debut 'Behold Benzo: The Album'

In the build-up to her debut, I was interested to see how she would go about this album and if her two singles were anything to go by then it was set up to be an album that would see her expand on her sound. 

So by now, you must be familiar with the term 'R&Benzo' and this was the side of her I was most excited to hear because it's the polar opposite of what Benzo is known for. She gives us her first take on love on the song 'Cigarettes' ft Lordnelle. The most obvious standpoint to take is that she is comparing her love for cigarettes to someone she can't seem to let go of despite her knowing this person isn't good for her. This view makes sense especially given what she says in the following song titled, 'Thando'. Now with a name like 'Thando', you would think she would be talking about the positive aspects of love but it's more like a diss track to love. Benzo has been let down by past lovers and it's gotten to the point where she doesn't want anything to do with love. After listening to 'Realize' I completely understand why she feels the way she does on 'Thando'. On 'Realize' she says, "he hides me like his mistress" and it's sad to hear that people like that have ruined love for her but at the end of 'Realize' she says she still feels like he's the one for her and it kind of solidifies her comparison of love and cigarettes. After all of this 'R&Benzo', the moment I was waiting for came on the song 'You' ft Lordnelle. Benzo has a very nonchalant tone in her voice that gives her music a unique charm so I was very happy to hear her give us a song where you can feel the emotion in her voice and for the first time, she really elongates and stretches her vocals.

Benzo was still able to satisfy her core followers with songs like 'Endaweni', 'Bounce' ft Buzzi Lee, 'All Hail iKumkanikazi and 'On my B.S' but I think everyone wanted to see what else Benzo could do outside of her bass-heavy style. She answered that question on a couple of songs with 'Camagu' ft Basestana and Mark Akol being the most left field on the album. The fact she has a reggae song seems so random but I thoroughly enjoyed it and it displays Benzo's ability to push herself creatively whilst staying true to who she is. A beautiful song indeed. 

With Benzo being a character that is seen as 'lit' for lack of a better term, I was wondering how she would go about more personal topics. Would she go for soft-spoken songs or would she have songs that have an aggressive feel? The answer is firmly the latter with 'Dead To Me' being the best example. After listening to the album in its entirety, I feel like I have a clear picture of Benzo as an artist. She has certainly been through a lot but she has chosen to be brave in the face of adversity. She has chosen to love herself even though for the better part of her life, love has been something inconsistent and unkind to her. Stream 'Behold Benzo: The Album' below.