Benny Sings

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Benny Sings
Benny Sings performing in 2021
Benny Sings performing in 2021
Background information
Birth nameTim van Berkestijn
Born (1977-04-28) 28 April 1977 (age 47)
Dordrecht, Netherlands
OriginAmsterdam, Netherlands
Genres
Occupation(s)
Years active1999–present
Labels
Websitewww.bennysings.com

Tim van Berkestijn (born 28 April 1977), better known by his stage name Benny Sings, is a Dutch pop musician, songwriter, and producer from the Netherlands. Since 2003, he has released ten studio albums, including his most recent album, 2023's Young Hearts on Stones Throw Records. He has since collaborated with many artists worldwide, like Mac DeMarco, Mocky, and Rex Orange County.[1]

Biography[edit]

Tim van Berkestijn was born in 1977 and raised in Dordrecht, a city in the Western Netherlands. He formed his first band, the Loveboat, in high school. He attended the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where he studied sonology.[2] He made beats under the name Benny V Kreamtits before changing his name to Benny Sings.[3]

In 1999, Berkestijn adopted the stage name Benny Sings when he joined the Dutch hip hop group Abstract Dialect as a bassist. During this period, he also worked with hip hop collective De Toffen and the soul group Heavenly Social.

In 2003, Sings released his first solo album, Champagne People, which did well in the Netherlands and Europe. During the 2010s, Sings gained more attention in the United States.[4] In 2017, he helped pen the Rex Orange County single "Loving Is Easy".[5]

Beyond his solo career, Sings has collaborated with, written for, and produced many notable artists, including Mayer Hawthorne, Free Nationals, GoldLink, Mac DeMarco and Tom Misch. He also composed songs for the anime Carole & Tuesday.[6] In 2022, Sings co-produced Rex Orange County's album Who Cares?, which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200.[7]

Sings released the single "The Only One" on 26 October 2022. His album Young Hearts was released on Stones Throw Records on 24 March 2023.[8]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Details
Champagne People
EUH
(with Rednose Distrikt)
  • Released: 1 May 2007
  • Label: Dox Records
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital[10]
Benny... At Home
  • Released: 14 May 2007
  • Label: Sonar Kollektiv
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital[11]
Art
  • Released: 27 May 2011
  • Label: Dox
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital[12]
Studio
  • Released: 27 November 2015
  • Label: Dox
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital[13]
Beat Tape
City Pop
  • Released: 22 February 2019
  • Label: Stones Throw
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital[15]
  • Earlier version released in 2018 in Japan.
Music
  • Released: 9 April 2021
  • Label: Stones Throw
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital[16]
Beat Tape II
  • Released: 10 December 2021
  • Label: Stones Throw
  • Formats: LP, Cassette, digital [17]
Young Hearts
  • Released: 24 March 2023
  • Label: Stones Throw
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital

EPs[edit]

Title Details
Santa Barbara

Live albums[edit]

Title Details
I Love You (Live at the Bimhuis)

Compilations[edit]

Title Details
The Best Of Benny Sings

As featured artist[edit]

  • C-Mon – "Beggars for Sun" (Cereal, 2008)
  • Che Grand – "Soraya's Jam" (Everything's Good Ugly, 2009)
  • Knobsticker – "Hypothetical_Theoretical" (Forest Fruit, 2009)
  • Scallymatic Orchestra – "All I Can Give" (Annie Get Your Gun, 2009)
  • Kan Sano – "Go Nowhere" (2.0.1.1, 2014)
  • Data – "Don't Sing" (Don't Sing, 2015)
  • Koffie – "Hard Times" (Huntu, 2017)
  • Instupendo – "Homme" (Friend of a Friend, 2017)
  • Rex Orange County – "Loving is Easy" (2017)
  • Onelight – "Aldehyde" (Vanderlay, 2018)
  • Tuxedo – "Toast 2 Us" (Tuxedo III, 2019)
  • Shuko & The Breed – "Life in Los Angeles" (Dippin', 2019)
  • Blackwave. – "The Antidote" (Are We Still Dreaming?, 2019)
  • Free Nationals – "Apartment" (Free Nationals, 2019)
  • Les Cooles de Ville – "Starr People" (L.C.D.V., 2019)
  • Intellextual – "Popstar" (Intellextual, 2019)
  • Gosto – "The Other Way" (2019)
  • Aaron Taylor – "Shooting Star" (Icarus, 2020)
  • M.I.L.K. – "Prisoner" (Always Summer Somewhere, 2020)
  • Yaffle – "The Child Inside" (Lost, Never Gone, 2020)
  • Darius – "RISE" (Utopia, 2021)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Benny Sings | Stones Throw Records". www.stonesthrow.com. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Benny Sings on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  3. ^ Sessions, OCB. "Benny Sings interview". YouTube. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  4. ^ "With The Vibrant 'City Pop', Benny Sings Stakes His Claim For The Masses". NPR.org. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  5. ^ Balfour, Jay (13 October 2017). ""Loving Is Easy" [ft. Benny Sings]". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Carole & Tuesday Composer Introductions No. 1". Carole & Tuesday Official Website. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  7. ^ Shutler, Ali (3 February 2022). "Watch Rex Orange County debut unreleased 'Who Cares?' tracks 'Amazing' and 'Making Time'". NME. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  8. ^ Loftin, Steven (24 March 2023). "Young Hearts run free on Benny Sings' latest album". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Champagne People, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Euh, by Benny Sings & Rednose Distrikt". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  11. ^ "At Home, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Art, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  13. ^ "STUDIO, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Beat Tape, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  15. ^ "City Pop, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Beat Tape II, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 14 February 2005.
  20. ^ "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2 October 2012.

External links[edit]