Benny Sings

Tim van Berkestijn, better known by his stage name Benny Sings, is a Dutch pop musician, songwriter, and producer from the Netherlands. Since 2003, he has released nine studio albums, including his most recent album, 2021's Beat Tape II on Stones Throw Records. He has since collaborated with many artists worldwide, like Mac DeMarco, Mocky, and Rex Orange County.^[1]

Benny Sings
Benny Sings performing in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2021
Background information
Birth name	Tim van Berkestijn
Born	(1977-04-27) April 27, 1977 (age 45) Dordrecht, Netherlands
Origin	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Musician producer songwriter
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Stones Throw Dox Records Sonar Kollektiv Sings Records
Website	www.bennysings.com

Biography

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 before choosing his established name Benny V Kreamtits.^[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", In 2018, he joined the roster of American record label Stones Throw.

Beyond his solo career, Sings has collaborated with, written for, and produced many notable artists, including Mayer Hawthorne, Rex Orange County, Free Nationals, GoldLink, Mac DeMarco and Tom Misch. He also composed songs for the anime Carole & Tuesday.^[5]

In 2022, Benny Sings co-produced Rex Orange County's album Who Cares?, which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200. He released the song The Only One on October 26, 2022. His new album "Young Hearts" is set to release on March 24, 2023.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Details
Champagne People	Released: August 22, 2003 Label: Sonar Kollektiv Formats: LP, CD, digital^[6]
EUH (with Rednose Distrikt)	Released: May 1, 2007 Label: Dox Records Formats: LP, CD, digital^[7]
Benny... At Home	Released: May 14, 2007 Label: Sonar Kollektiv Formats: LP, CD, digital^[8]
ART	Released: May 27, 2011 Label: Dox Records Formats: LP, CD, digital^[9]
Studio	Released: November 27, 2015 Label: Dox Records Formats: LP, CD, digital^[10]
Beat Tape	Released: June 29, 2018 Label: Stones Throw Records Formats: LP, CD, digital^[11]
City Pop	Released: February 22, 2019 Label: Stones Throw Records Formats: LP, CD, digital^[12] Earlier version released in 2018 in Japan.
Music	Released: April 9, 2021 Label: Stones Throw Records Formats: LP, CD, digital^[13]
Beat Tape II	Released: December 10, 2021 Label: Stones Throw Records Formats: LP, Cassette, digital ^[14]
Young Hearts	Released: March 24, 2023 Label: Stones Throw Records Formats: LP, CD, digital.

EPs

Title	Details
Santa Barbara	Released: May 20, 2022 Label: Stones Throw Records Formats: Digital^[15]

Live albums

Title	Details
I Love You (Live at the Bimhuis)	Released: February 14, 2005 Label: Sonar Kollektiv Formats: LP, CD, Digital^[16]

Compilations

Title	Details
The Best Of Benny Sings	Released: October 2, 2012 Label: Dox Records Formats: CD, Digital^[17]

As featured artist

• 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

1. "Benny Sings | Stones Throw Records". www.stonesthrow.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
2. "Benny Sings on Apple Music". Apple Music. from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
3. Sessions, OCB. "Benny Sings interview". YouTube. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
4. "With The Vibrant 'City Pop', Benny Sings Stakes His Claim For The Masses". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
5. "Carole & Tuesday Composer Introductions No. 1". Carole & Tuesday Official Website. from the original on 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
6. "Champagne People, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
7. "Euh, by Benny Sings & Rednose Distrikt". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
8. "At Home, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
9. "Art, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
10. "STUDIO, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
11. "Beat Tape, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
12. "City Pop, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
13. "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
14. "Beat Tape II, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
15. "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
16. "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2005-02-14.
17. "Music, by Benny Sings". Benny Sings. Retrieved 2012-10-02.

External links

• "Discogs Biography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
• "Sonar Kollektiv". Sonarkolletiv.com. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
• "Official website". Bennysings.com. Retrieved 1 January 2008.