Benny G was one of the artists that caused a stir during this year’s C2C at The O2 in London. The Long Island, New York-born singer-songwriter-musician, who now resides in Nashville, made it onto our list of breakout artists after wowing with his incredible voice and talent way beyond his years. Benny is set to make his Grand Ole Opry debut tomorrow, and ahead of that he’s dropping his new EP ‘When You Know You Know’, which he teased when I spoke to him during C2C.
‘When You Know You Know’ is a 6-track collection that comprises 3 previously released songs, and 3 songs that fans have only been able to hear if they’ve seen Benny live. ‘I Got a Feeling’, his breakout song, is nestled in the middle of the collection and you can really hear the influence of artists such as John Mayer and James Taylor in Benny’s sound. Combining pop, soul and a little Country, Benny has crafted a sound that is reminiscent of his influences but still distinctly his own. In large part, his extraordinary voice is what separates him from the artists mentioned, and that’s what really grabs your attention on this breezy feel-good song.
EP opener ‘Pretty Girls’ is one of the set’s more Country-leaning tracks, and Benny sounds like a young Chris Stapleton. That raw, honest songwriting approach that Stapleton has is present in Benny’s work and Benny has that rougher edge to his voice as he pushes it to wring out emotion. ‘An Hour or So’ is a soul-pop fusion that would work well on radio, and it’s potentially the song here with the most commercial potential. Benny’s voice drives a soft melody and it’s really quite astounding just how accomplished a vocalist he is at such a young age.
On ‘Hell of a Woman’, Benny brings out a bluesier side of his sound for the EP’s highlight. The song sounds classic and fresh at the same time, and if you didn’t know Benny’s age you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a song from a well-weather troubadour who has lived quite a life. ‘Price of Love’ tackles a relationship that has run its course after one half of the couple has realised the other has work to do on themselves. Lyrically it’s mature and sonically it has a deceptively breezy vibe that juxtaposes with the words Benny is singing.
The EP comes to a close with the recently released ‘She Was Just a Stranger’, a song I was fortunate to hear Benny sing during one of his C2C sets. The song explores the breakdown of a relationship and how you can go from being in someone’s life to practically not recognising them anymore. Benny’s vocal is passionate and rips from the soul, and it’s a fitting end to an impressive collection of songs.
‘When You Know You Know’ heralds the arrival of a talent with heaps of potential. Benny sits across many genres of music, which may make it hard for radio to know what to do with him, but as streaming is more dominant these days any way, he’ll easily find an audience. If this is the kind of material that he’s capable of now, I can’t imagine what he’ll be delivering with years of experience under his belt. Benny G is an artist to keep an eye on.
Track list: 1. Pretty Girls 2. An Hour or So 3. Hell of a Woman 4. I Got a Feeling 5. Price of Love 6. She Was Just a Stranger Record label: Sony Music Entertainment Release date: 17th April 2026 Buy ‘When You Know You Know’ EP now
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