Benny Tipene (born 1990) is a 23-year-old music retail assistant from Palmerston North. He auditioned with a sung version of Outkast's "Hey Ya!". Tipene is a self-taught singer-songwriter who describes his genre as "acoustic folk pop". He previously played with popular Palmsterton North indie rock band the Nerines. In week nine, Tipene performed his self-penned song "Boxes", the first contestant to perform an original song outside of auditions or a sing-off. Read more on Last.fm