Benson James Boone (born June 25, 2002) is an American singer-songwriter. He began his music career by briefly competing on American Idol in early 2021 before withdrawing voluntarily. He continued to gain popularity on TikTok and subsequently signed a contract with Dan Reynolds's Night Street Records label and released the singles, "Ghost Town" and "In the Stars" in 2021 and 2022 respectively, which garnered him recognition.
Boone discovered his musical talent when a friend asked him to play the piano and sing in their high school's battle of the bands during his junior year. He had previously had no experience as a vocalist.[9][11]
Career
Boone drew early musical inspiration from attending a Jon Bellion concert, after which he began taking singing seriously.[4] On a friend's recommendation, he began posting singing videos to TikTok and auditioned for season 19 of American Idol in early 2021.[12] Boone was invited in advance to the show's Hollywood Week, but he withdrew from the competition just after winning a place in the Top 24 to focus on his career instead. Hollywood Week performances were not televised.[13][14]
Boone released his second single, "Room for 2", on February 18, 2022.[20] Boone released multiple successful singles, including "In the Stars" (April 2022) and "Beautiful Things" (January 2024), the latter topping the charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Norway, France, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand.[21] It also became his first song to enter the top five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching number two.[22] The song preceded his debut studio album, Fireworks & Rollerblades (2024).
In May 2024, Taylor Swift announced on social media that Boone was one of three artists opening for the London shows of her Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium, alongside Paramore. Boone opened for Swift's June 23 show.[23]
Although Boone was raised in the LDS Church, he no longer identifies as a church member. He still follows some of the church's values, such as abstaining from using drugs and alcohol, but because of personal preference rather than religion.[27]
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