Specyal T has never been one for convention. The Caribbean-Canadian musician, songwriter, and producer has spent her career breaking the mould, racking up radio play across North America and Europe, securing sync deals, and earning a reputation for shifting gears with every release. With Ben’s Girlfriend, her latest venture alongside Chasing Sunday, she veers into indie pop-rock with a salaciously eccentric electronic twist, proving once again that predictability has no place in her catalogue.
After the low rumble of rhythmic basslines draws you in, the indie pop-rock installation of authenticity arrests with its intrinsic distinction. While the promise you’ve never heard anything quite like this before is rarely a guarantee of artistic merit, it’s certainly the case for this paradigm of retro-futurism. By dipping into the 80s, tuning into the electro-pop rock energy of the early 00s, and allowing euphoria to pulsate through the unflinching four-to-the-floor beat, Specyal T and Chasing Sunday have orchestrated an earworm that holds its own against *that* iconic track from The Grand Spectacular.
With 2025 set to introduce more singles from her pop-rock band project, Ben’s Girlfriend is an electrifying glimpse of what’s to come. It’s brazen, boundary-pushing, and refuses to play by the rules. Specyal T’s mystique and ability to step outside of her comfort zone have cemented her status as an artist impossible to pin down—just as it should be.
Ben’s Girlfriend was officially released on January 31st and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.
Review by Amelia Vandergast