Charlotte Rose Benjamin Is Ready to Blow Your Fucking Mind
Being an artist maneuvering through the music industry’s various systemic barriers, Charlotte Rose Benjamin is no stranger to sexism and discrimination. She told us that, “I get a lot of older men who think I may be marketable for one reason or another tell me to change my sound or style,” something which she refuses to do. “I would never sing someone else’s songs or put anything out that I’m not 100% behind. It’s the most blatant form of misogyny to assume that the honest voice of a 20 something year old woman isn’t of value because it maybe isn’t something they can relate to.” This patriarchal messaging is nothing new, but Charlotte Rose Benjamin refuses to acquiesce to outside views mansplaining what's ‘best for her.’ Charlotte stays true to her artistic vision with ‘Party City’ insisting that despite the suggestions of those in positions of power, “I don’t ever want to chase success so closely that I forget what I love about music.”
The music of Charlotte Rose Benjamin is above all else genuine and from the heart. ‘Party City’ is a song about a long heralded but dying industry: party supply stores. While its theme may first strike you as fun or frivolous, the conscientious message behind Party City runs deeply through its songwriter. ‘Party City’ is an ode to youth and the boundless possibilities of life. It calls back to the helpless optimism and broken hearts which coexist with living your life like tomorrow doesn’t mean a thing. The song champions celebrating your mistakes, because ultimately they make you who you are and making the most out of life in one of the world’s greatest cities. Charlotte Rose Benjamin states: “one of my greatest joys in life is throwing house parties with my friends and I had a really good couple year streak of having so much fun in New York City.”
In her interview with us, Charlotte said she uses music and songwriting as a tool to understand and frame her emotions: “what I love about writing songs and listening to music is that it can be kind of a time capsule for a really specific part of your life, and you know, through lyrics you can really make these images a record of how you were feeling.” ‘Party City’ begins with a list of potential routes Benjamin could have taken in her life. Have made the right choices? Have I chosen the right friends? The right partner? The right career path? Wrestling with the litany of different life options is a challenge Benjamin is all too familiar with. She said that, “you can’t go back, you can’t change a decision that you made earlier on, you kind of have to be happy in the moment you're in.” When asked to consider the time in her life which inspired ‘Party City,’ she told us, “I'm going to look back and think you know no matter how much success I’ve had in my life, I think those early years in new york when I was like going to party city throwing parties and living with my best friends were definitely some of the happiest years that I’ve had.”
For Charlotte, ‘Party City’ embodies memories of, “darting around soho, going from one place to another, listening to music, waking up somewhere, dressing up, going out, just being busy and using New York city as a map to discover myself.” The beauty of self discovery is that we're all doing it simultaneously. We learn from each other learning about ourselves. Benjamin’s thoughtful songwriting reminds her listeners that everyone is walking through this world together; pointedly, and at times aimlessly, trying to make sense of themselves amidst the turmoil of life.
Watch our video below of Charlotte Rose Benjamin performing ‘Party City’ filmed on her then Brooklyn Apt Rooftop, video produced by Compass & Sea and audio mixed by Matt Maroulakos of The Den Recording.
