Tuesday April 12, 2022
There is a bold question being asked at the centre of BeNice’s latest release, and it’s one unashamedly laid bare, exposed for all to hear and undoubtedly ponder.
Like Me reveals a susceptibility some of us—if not all—experience at one time or another: the reciprocity concerning a relationship, love, romance, all that. Is the feeling mutual? Was it ever mutual?
This problem is what drives the indie-pop artist’s new song. And it’s only a problem because we await the answer; otherwise it’s just on or off. But of course, it’s never that simple, and despite the straightforwardness of the lyric, the song also seems to include the grey areas, the not knowing, the clouded spaces between people.
One way or another, confirmation is what BeNice is attempting to flesh out using a very direct lyric indeed. As the chorus intones, ‘Don’t keep me guessing / do you like me / do you not / you’re being funny / you’re tellin’ me I’m hot / but I’m waitin’ here hoping you’ll show up’. Is the person keeping BeNice guessing by being funny because she supposes their flirtatious remarks—or is that an out-an-out, inveterate pick-up line?—are not accurate? Not valid? If that’s the case, we have another layer of complexity to add to this vulnerability disclosure.
Musically, Like Me is a harmonious mix of country-pop and light guitar-based rock, with a joyful pensiveness running through it. As BeNice says about the inspiration for Like Me, ‘Dating can be so fun, but this experience for me was figuring out this person was emotionally unavailable even though there was so much attraction! It’s another processing “thought purge” by me; this is how I process feelings and file them in a place in my mind that feels good. Writing helps me come to conclusions, process thoughts and feelings, and find myself in a good feeling state about something so I can move on.
Everyone has dating experiences, and this is all new to me since I was in a relationship for such a long time. So I’m learning a lot! Ps: He likes me! Oh, wait…Maybe he doesn’t.’ The does he, doesn’t he mystery is at the heart of Like Me, an emotional high-wire that BeNice balances with an irresistible sense of playfulness and casual allure.
