The music world is buzzing with renewed excitement as critically acclaimed R&B collective The Internet signals its long-awaited return, set to release their fifth studio album next year. This highly anticipated comeback follows an eight-year hiatus during which the band’s individual members have cultivated hugely successful solo careers, a dynamic underscored by the simultaneous release of new solo projects from three of its four members – Syd, Steve Lacy, and Christopher Allan Smith (Chris Crispy) – last Friday. At the heart of this resurgence is Syd (born Sydney Bennett), co-founder and charismatic frontwoman, whose new solo album, Beard, arrives as a deeply personal exploration of identity, growth, and self-acceptance, marking a pivotal moment in her storied career.
The Internet’s Grand Return: Eight Years in the Making
The announcement of The Internet’s collective comeback has sent ripples of anticipation through their devoted fanbase. It has been eight years since the release of their Grammy-nominated fourth studio album, Hive Mind, an era-defining record that cemented their reputation for crafting intricate, genre-bending R&B and neo-soul soundscapes. The gap between albums, while substantial, has been anything but idle. Instead, it has been a period of immense individual artistic flourishing, proving the strength and versatility of each member.
Syd, speaking from her Los Angeles garage via video call, beams when discussing the band’s next chapter. "We’re excited to drop this next album," she confirms. "We’re in a good place with it. We’ve got a lot of it done. It’s foundationally there and built." She reveals a significant shift in the collaborative process for this upcoming project: "Matt Martians [the band’s fourth member] has taken the lead on writing this Internet album. Since the three of us have all been finishing solo projects, Matt has been masterminding the album and bringing things to me to record. Honestly, this album is going to be one for the books." This collaborative evolution suggests a fresh dynamic within the group, leveraging the individual growth of its members to enrich their collective output. The simultaneous release of solo material from Syd, Steve Lacy, and Chris Crispy on the same day last week served as a powerful testament to their individual prowess and collective commitment, demonstrating that their solo success only strengthens the foundation of The Internet. Steve Lacy, in particular, has seen a meteoric rise, achieving mainstream recognition and critical acclaim for his innovative solo work, including Grammy nominations and Billboard chart success. Chris Crispy, known for his instrumental contributions, has also expanded his artistic footprint.
Syd’s Personal Odyssey: Mental Health, Homeownership, and the Thirties
For Syd, last Friday’s release of Beard marks her third solo album, a significant milestone amplified by it being her first project released in her thirties. Now 34, she candidly reflects on a profound shift in her life trajectory since turning 30. "The biggest difference is that I spent my 20s really suffering from depression," she confides. This period of struggle was eventually confronted head-on. "I started therapy in my late 20s, which helped me to seek out psychiatry and that really helped me. Now I feel like I’m on even footing with everybody else." Her journey towards mental well-being highlights a growing trend among public figures to openly discuss mental health, destigmatizing the pursuit of professional help.
Beyond internal healing, Syd found solace and stability in tangible achievements. "One thing that made me really content was buying a house. Having a backyard, having a garage – I realised that being a homeowner was one of my biggest dreams." This deeply personal accomplishment, a stark contrast to the often transient nature of a musician’s life, represents a grounding force. Her new home, situated just ten minutes from her Californian childhood residence, underscores a desire for roots and continuity.
Formative Years: Odd Future, Musical Roots, and Early Struggles
Born Sydney Bennett, Syd’s upbringing in California was steeped in a rich musical environment. Her mother, a city clerk with a latent dream of becoming a DJ, curated extensive playlists of reggae and soul, providing Syd with a foundational musical education. Her father, working in sales for a toy manufacturer, also contributed to a stable home environment. Her brother, Travis "Taco" Bennett, would later become a fellow alumnus of the influential alt-hip-hop collective Odd Future.
Syd began experimenting with music production at the tender age of 14, swiftly developing a keen ear and technical skill. The following year, she joined Tyler, the Creator’s nascent Odd Future collective, a pivotal moment that plunged her into the avant-garde fringes of the music industry during her formative teenage years. Odd Future, known for its irreverent, often provocative style, served as a creative incubator for a generation of artists, including Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, and Syd herself. In 2011, at 19, she co-founded The Internet with producer Matt Martians, carving out a distinct niche that blended neo-soul, R&B, and electronic elements, a stark contrast to Odd Future’s more chaotic hip-hop sound.
Despite her burgeoning career, Syd grappled with deeply personal insecurities throughout her adolescence. "I was very, very self-conscious about my appearance," she recalls, specifically mentioning, "I was a hairy kid." This self-consciousness stemmed from Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), a hormonal imbalance that shares characteristics with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), affecting approximately one in eight women globally. One common symptom of PMOS/PCOS is hirsutism, or excessive hair growth, particularly in areas typically associated with male hair patterns. "My mum never told me to shave. I wanted to, because I went to school and was hairier than all the other girls, so I went home and asked how I could fix that." This early struggle with body image laid the groundwork for a profound journey of self-acceptance.
"Beard": A Bold Statement of Identity and Self-Acceptance
Decades of conforming to societal beauty standards through shaving have now given way to a powerful embrace of her natural self. Syd has consciously chosen to let her body hair grow, a decision that directly inspired the title of her new album, Beard. The album’s original working title, Peach Fuzz, playfully alluded to this personal revolution. "Because lately I’ve been letting my peach fuzz grow!" she giggles, highlighting the joy in this newfound freedom.
This choice is particularly significant in the context of conventional gender norms. "I identify as a woman so it’s kind of weird, because as women we’re told that we have to shave that. But I feel very much a woman and I also very much like my moustache." Beard is more than just an album title; it is a defiant reclamation of her body and a celebration of her unique femininity. It challenges prevailing beauty standards and offers a powerful message of self-love and authenticity for listeners, particularly queer women and those navigating similar body image issues.
The album’s closing track, "2 Many Days," offers a poignant reflection on the evolution of her ambitions. Syd admits that her younger dreams were largely tethered to capitalist ideals – money and fame. However, maturity and personal struggles have reshaped her priorities. "If we’re lucky, we realise before it’s too late that that stuff isn’t as important as being loved," she muses. This sentiment is deeply rooted in her past experiences with suicidal ideation, making the understanding of being loved and feeling loved "of ultimate importance." This profound shift from material wealth to emotional fulfillment underscores the thematic depth of Beard, positioning it as an album born from introspection and hard-won wisdom.
Love, Urgency, and Advocacy: Marriage in a Shifting Political Landscape
Last year, Syd made a profound declaration of love, marrying her longtime girlfriend, model Simone Clay. The ceremony, a swift and unadorned affair, took place at a courthouse. "We did it at a window in the courthouse – it was like a drive-through," she recounts with a laugh. The decision to marry was spontaneous, driven by a blend of love and an unsettling awareness of the precariousness of LGBTQ+ rights. "I didn’t propose. We were up late watching the news, and we were like ‘This shit sucks… Should we leave? Should we go somewhere?’ But where would we go and would we be able to get married there? We started looking at gay marriage laws all over the world."
This urgent consideration of global LGBTQ+ marriage laws underscores the very real anxieties faced by queer couples in an increasingly polarized world. The couple decided then and there to apply for a marriage license, and serendipitously, were assigned a wedding date just days later. The immediacy of the event is striking: "We got married, then I went straight from the courthouse to rehearsals for the Billie Eilish tour." Syd had been a support act for Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft tour last year, highlighting her continuous presence on major stages.
The political climate played a significant role in their decision. "That was one reason why we went ahead and got married," Syd states plainly. "With the president we currently have in office, we didn’t know if we’d be able to do it forever. We wanted rights to each other." This statement is a stark reminder of the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ equality and the very real threat of legislative rollbacks in many parts of the world, including the United States. It positions her marriage not just as a personal milestone but as an act of political affirmation.
Syd has been a quiet but persistent advocate for normalizing queer representation in music throughout her nearly two-decade career. She has consciously sung openly about her relationships with women, challenging an industry that historically pressured queer artists to either hide their identities or sanitize their lyrics. "At first I was tiptoeing between trying not to pigeonhole myself as just a queer artist, and also trying to normalise same-sex lyrics," she explains. Her aim was never to create a novelty or sensationalist narrative. "I never wanted to make it an ‘I kissed a girl, and I liked it!’ kind of vibe. Some of us just live like this, and it’s not a trope." She expresses satisfaction at the progress she’s witnessed. "I’m happy to see it become more normalised, where the queer music that exists now is not just ‘I kissed a girl, and I liked it’ – it’s just gay girls and gay boys singing love songs."
She recalls a time when lesbian peers felt compelled to swap pronouns in their songs to ‘he/him’ for broader appeal. "I knew gay women artists who, in their songs, were directing their love toward ‘him’ or ‘he’," she recounts, adding, "I knew I could never bring myself to do that." This unwavering commitment to authenticity has made her a quiet pioneer, paving the way for a new generation of openly queer artists, exemplified by her tours with artists like Billie Eilish and Renée Rapp, who openly embrace their identities in their music and public personas.
Grammy Glory and a Newfound Confidence in Production
The past year has been one of immense personal and professional triumph for Syd. Beyond her marriage and the release of Beard, she celebrated her first Grammy win during The Internet’s hiatus. Surprisingly, this accolade didn’t come from her work with The Internet or her solo endeavors, but from her songwriting contribution to Beyoncé’s monumental album, Renaissance. Syd co-wrote "PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA," a track that earned her a Grammy.
Her journey to collaborating with Beyoncé began with The Lion King: The Gift album, where she co-wrote "OTHERSIDE." This led to an invitation to a writing camp for Renaissance. The pandemic temporarily halted progress, but as life resumed, Syd proactively re-engaged, discovering Beyoncé was still in the early stages of the project. "I asked if I could send some more ideas and I had that song – some chords and a little drum loop and the chorus, that was it," she recalls. "I sent it to Beyoncé’s team and was pleasantly surprised when they invited me to the studio to hear her recording of it."
The experience was transformative. "[Beyoncé] showed me so much love. It was a confidence booster for sure. It gave me the courage to produce this album [Beard] for myself." Syd elaborates on the profound impact: "’PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA’ was one of the first times I really got to produce for another artist. So that gave me the confidence I needed to trust my own ideas and produce my album. Beard is the first album of mine that I’ve produced all of. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to do that if it weren’t for Renaissance." This Grammy-winning collaboration not only solidified her standing as a versatile artist but also empowered her to take full creative control of her own projects, a significant evolution for any musician.
A Future Forged in Authenticity and Resilience
As Syd looks to the future, her calendar is packed with exciting ventures. She is slated to return to London later this summer for performances at All Points East, curated by her former Odd Future bandmate Tyler, the Creator, alongside a headlining solo show. She is also in the process of applying for Jamaican citizenship, reflecting a connection to her paternal heritage. However, despite the political uncertainties, she remains steadfast in her commitment to her home. "I will be the last one to go – I just bought this house!" she laughs, asserting, "This is my little patch of happiness. Get the f*** out of here. I’ve seen a lot of places, and I do believe that America is worth fighting for. I’m not leaving. You can go. You don’t like this country, you can leave!" This statement underscores a resilient optimism and a belief in the potential for change within her own country.
Whether her next Grammy comes from Beard, the new Internet album, or perhaps another high-profile writing credit on an anticipated project like Beyoncé’s rumored Act III, Syd’s trajectory is undeniably upward. Formerly known as Syd tha Kyd, her evolution from a prodigious teenager to a Grammy-winning artist, a confident producer, a happily married woman, and an eloquent advocate for self-acceptance and queer visibility is complete. Her "peach fuzz," now embraced and celebrated, stands as a symbol of an artist fully grown, authentic, and unapologetically herself.
