Except for a cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” that she published this summer, Benee has generally been out of the spotlight in 2021. She’s back with new music now, with the release of “Doesn’t Matter,” a new track. She opens the song by singing, “What’s it like / To not have to think about it? / It seems good / Not a care, so tranquil,” which is a peaceful midtempo ballad about her mental health.
Benee had something to say about the song:
“It seems like a very long time since I’ve released any music. This year has been very difficult for me and many other people, and I’ve had times that I’ve really felt my lowest. I wrote ‘Doesn’t Matter’ during one of these periods when I felt truly overwhelmed, anxious, and stuck. I was diagnosed with OCD, which actually helped me understand myself better. This song ponders on what it would be like to feel truly carefree and how much easier life would be. Sometimes, it’s hard for people who don’t suffer from anxiety or depression to really understand what it’s like for us. People telling you not to worry or saying ‘It doesn’t matter’ don’t understand that it’s not that simple. Having had help to learn how to deal with my own anxiety and depression, I want others to know that there is a way through.”
“2020 was so terrible and we believed it couldn’t get any worse than that, but we’ve really been challenged in 2021,” Benee wrote in a vulnerable Instagram post on Mental Health Day earlier this month (October 10). I’ve spent a lot of this year under my heavy blanket and not nearly enough time making music, which has just made me feel worse. […] There have been times when I’ve felt like I wouldn’t be able to finish it all ( I know so many of you will relate ).
I’m still working through my own mental health issues, but I’m delighted to see that people are finally starting to open up about their own challenges. […] I’ve been plagued by doubts lately, but knowing that even a handful of you might be able to learn something from a post like this encourages me to continue the conversation. I’m really thankful to have this platform, and I’m not sure what I’d do if it weren’t for my music. If you’re having trouble, please contact out to someone. You’ll be able to get through it. Thank you for sticking around. I adore you all. New music will be out sooner than you think x.”
