A couple of weeks ago, the big-deal influencer Addison Rae released her debut album Addison, and it's a much better record than anyone could've predicted a few years ago. (Our pop columnist Katherine St. Asaph is guardedly positive on the LP; I am just plain positive.) One of the cool things about Addison is that the artist recorded the entire album with the same duo of co-writers and producers: Elvira Anderfjärd, known professionally as ELVIRA, and Luka Kloser, two Max Martin proteges who are relative newcomers on the pop landscape. That incidentally means that Addison the extremely rare mainstream pop album that's written and produced entirely by women. Now, ELVIRA and Luka Kloser are continuing to work together with another collaborator, the New Zealand alt-pop prospect BENEE.
BENEE released the singles "Sad Boiii" and "Animal" last year, and she's currently on tour as Tate McRae's opening act. BENEE already worked with ELVIRA and Luka Kloser on her 2023 single "Green Honda," and now she's back with them on "Off The Rails," a bratty, deliriously, guitar-driven pop jam that clocks in at under two minutes. It's a fun song with a whole lot of hooks, and it reminds me of '90s alt-bubblegum bangers like Shampoo's "Trouble" and Republica's "Ready To Go." In a press release, BENEE describes the song as "an aggressive, angry, chaotic product of my navigating the current state of the world and channeling my existential dread. It’s feminine rage—sick of being pushed around and embracing the chaos." She continues:
Luka and Elvira are two incredible producers in the music industry right now. First we made "Green Honda," and then "Off The Rails." I felt this energy was really needed and perfectly places a certain tone in my storyline. It honestly was one of the few studio sessions I’ve ever done with only women, which brings such a different creative energy. I felt so comfortable really saying anything. In a typically male-dominated industry, I had a different connection with them. We had a lot of fun making this song and I love it, I hope listeners do too!
Here's the Bedroom-directed "Off The Rails" video.
"Off The Rails" is out now on Republic.
