Benét was exposed to music from an early age as his father Antonio Giacomelli Benét was an Italian Disco accordionist and taught Donny to play the accordion and the electric bass. Benét played his first shows as an accordionist and synth player in Italian bands around Sydney until in the mid-2000s. In 2010, Benét played in Jack Ladder's band The Dreamlanders and began recording his own songs in his studio Donnyland Studios. In 2011 he signed with Rice is Nice records and released Don't Hold Back, which was received with interest from Australian music media, publications praising Benét's sincere take on 80's pop music. In March 2020, Benét’s track "Konichiwa" was included on The Weeknd's 'Handpicked Playlist', which highlights 24 songs that inspired his album, After Hours. In March 2020, Benét announced the release of his fifth studio album Mr. Experience as well as an accompanying tour of Europe and Australia. In April, many of these tour dates were postponed due to effects of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. Benét said Mr. Experience was inspired by the stylings of Bryan Ferry and Hiroshi Yoshimura, and in order to produce the record, he "envisioned the soundtrack to a dinner party set in the late 1980s". Mr.Experience was released on 22 May 2020 and debuted at number 26 on the ARIA Charts, becoming Benét's first release to reach the ARIA top 100.
Influences and musical style
Benét's music mostly consists of synthesizers, but also features electronic drum machines, saxophone and electric bass, all of which are played by Benét. Benét cites among his influences Jan Hammer, proponent of the Moog synthesizer and creator of the Miami Vice soundtrack as well as 80's artists Alan Vega and Prince. The sexual nature of his lyrics arise from his experiences playing Tom Jones covers in the Airport Hilton Ballroom, Benét writing that he "had to sexualize his songs a lot more to keep interested, make them a little bit more risqué, and I think that carried over to my own songs." In a 2018 interview he explained, "I'm kind of always poking the piss at what a poor lover I am or you know, fictitiously what a great lover I could be." Benét was described by KEXP as "a fun, baffling mystery of a performer, one who you’ll find yourself falling in love with from his charisma alone" on the debut of the single "Second Dinner" in August 2019. Following the release of the single "Girl of My Dreams" in January 2020 during the North AmericanDonny Benét Live tour, it was reviewed by Chicago Reader as a single that "is a tender ballad" and "Anchored by a wistful whistle, it has a relaxing feel that makes it perfect for catching your breath with a slow dance."
