"Snail" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter

Benee Stella Rose Bennett (born 30 January 2000), better known as Benee (stylised in all caps; pronounced ) and formerly Bene, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter from Auckland. In both 2019 and 2020, she consecutively won Single of the Year, Bes ...

, released through

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

on 10 August 2020 as the second single from her debut studio album ''

Hey U X ''Hey U X'' is the debut studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee, released on 13 November 2020 by Republic Records. ''Hey U X'' was primarily written by Benee and frequent collaborator Josh Fountain, who also executive produced the ...

'' (2020). Developed amid the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the song was influenced by Benee's newfound interest in snails during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. "Snail" impacted Australian

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

on 14 August 2020.

Critical reception

"Snail" received critical acclaim. Lars Brandle of ''

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'' described "Snail" as "a cute, upbeat pop number", while James Rettig of ''

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'' described it as "bright", "bouncy" and "optimistic". Michael Craag, writing for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'', called the track a "bouncy electro-pop opus". Tyler Jenke of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' agreed that it was "upbeat" and "bouncy" and noted that as Benee "deliver a feel-good chorus with enigmatic lyrics, the track feels almost made for the live stage, with its quirky delivery and enchanting composition." Jenke also praised the record and described it as one of her "finest songs to date". Mike Wass of Idolator described "Snail" as a "wonderfully demented pop song" and an "offbeat bop". Derrick Rossignol of

Uproxx Uproxx Studios (stylized as ''UPROXX'') is an American music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. The website was acquired in 2014 by Woven Digital (which later ...

described it as a "thumping pop tune" which "is quite literally about snails, as eneeadopts a rhythmic and infectious cadence to sing on the chorus". Wren Graves of ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...

'' wrote that the song's

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

"is as compact and memorable as a pom-squad cheer," while humorously wishing readers "good luck getting it out of your head."

Music video

The accompanying music video was released on 8 October 2020 following prior announcement from Benee via social media. It was directed by Anita Fontaine and features what the singer herself described as "a weird fantasy story involving snails!"

Live performances

Benee performed the song in a

treehouse A tree house, tree fort or treeshed, is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a ha ...

at her own home in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

as part of

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's "DSCVR at Home" video series amid the

COVID-19 lockdown During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions), were implemented in numero ...

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2020 singles 2020 songs Benee songs Republic Records singles Songs written by Benee Songs written by Josh Fountain Song recordings produced by Josh Fountain