Benji Miller is twenty-two years old and based in London, and he has recently been carving out a specific space for himself within alternative R&B. On June 5, 2026, he released his second single, Hey Darcey, ahead of his first EP, Love Or Pain. This track is a noticeable shift from his earlier work. While his previous release, Be My Remedy, was built on electronic energy, Hey Darcey is far more stripped-back and intimate. The songwriting focuses on the difficult experience of watching someone close lose themselves to depression. It deals with that specific kind of helplessness you feel when you cannot reach someone you care about.
Musically, the track is grounded by an acoustic guitar and a steady, rhythmic bassline. There are some subtle organ parts in the background that give the song a classic feel, but the focus remains on Miller’s vocals. He uses layered harmonies and direct lyrics, like the line where is your name gone, to drive the point home. You can hear influences from artists like Dominic Fike and Mac Miller in the way he combines a relaxed musical style with a very heavy, compassionate subject.
The rest of the upcoming Love Or Pain EP seems to show a lot of range. It includes jazz-influenced tracks like Swimming In The Ocean and moments where he moves into rap on the title track. Hey Darcey is a strong example of how he handles vulnerability without making the music feel entirely bleak. He is taking his personal experiences in London and turning them into something very specific and relatable, which makes him an interesting artist to keep an eye on this year.
Benji Miller is a name worth paying attention to in the London music scene right now. At 22, he has released a debut EP titled Love Or Pain that manages to be both ambitious and very straightforward. His sound draws from the likes of Dominic Fike and Mac Miller, but there is a specific honesty to his songwriting that makes it feel like his own. The project works as a real-time account of navigating your early twenties, covering the messy parts of adulthood while keeping a sense of optimism.
The title track, Love Or Pain, is built on synths and showcases a smooth delivery that shifts easily between rapping and more soulful R&B vocals. It sits well alongside Hey Darcey and Be My Remedy as an introduction to his style. Then there is Swimming In The Ocean, which leans into a softer, jazz-influenced edge that feels right for a quiet evening. By the time you get to the closing tracks, Let Me In and A Weird World, the focus shifts toward a more vulnerable and mature perspective.
It is a varied collection of songs, but the record stays grounded in Miller’s own lived experience in London. He sounds remarkably self-assured for a new artist, balancing his musical influences with a willingness to be emotionally open. It is a solid debut that suggests he has plenty more to say.
