In 2021, when Benson Boone landed in the top 24 contestants on American Idol, he quit.
Videos by American Songwriter
He thought continuing on the show would hurt his career. So he vanished in the middle of the season. But nothing Boone does is half-hearted. From the mullet to the mustache to landing backflips off a piano, the 22-year-old has made a name for himself like the second coming of Freddie Mercury.
Meanwhile, Boone’s 2024 hit single “Beautiful Things” became one of the most-streamed songs on the planet, and clearly, his decision to quit American Idol was the right one.
Though comparisons to Mercury are obvious, Boone also draws from ’90s alternative rock. His biggest hit resembles Kurt Cobain’s hook in Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box.” He joins Olivia Rodrigo in cranking the guitars and drums while other pop stars craft hits with computer programs and virtual instruments.
And Boone can sing. Here are three of his pop hits with roots in alternative rock.
“Beautiful Things” from Fireworks & Rollerblades (2024)
Boone brings the guitars back on the first single from his debut. He uses the familiar alt-rock quiet/loud song arrangement of the Pixies, Nirvana, and others. In “Beautiful Things,” Boone falls in love but cannot escape the anxiety of losing what’s most precious to him. The gigantic chorus showcases his wailing range. It’s alt-rock revivalism for the pop masses. Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint.
Please! Stay!
I want you, I need you, oh, God
Don’t! Take!
These beautiful things that I’ve got
“In the Stars” from Fireworks & Rollerblades (2024)
The fear of loss Boone sings about in “Beautiful Things” materializes in “In the Stars.” But Boone isn’t signing about “a girl my parents love” here. He writes about his grandmother. And it’s written in a way that remains open to interpretation. It could be about the loss of a parent, sibling, friend, or partner. The piano ballad echoes the R&B of Justin Bieber, and Boone’s extraordinary voice adds emotional weight to a common theme. Emo gospel may not be a thing, but if it existed, it would sound like this.
Now, Sunday mornings, I just sleep in
It’s like I buried my faith with you
I’m screaming at a god I don’t know if I believe in
’Cause I don’t know what else I can do
“Slow It Down” from Fireworks & Rollerblades (2024)
This track begins with Boone accompanied only by a piano. But it quickly builds with an aching urgency. His girlfriend thinks the relationship is moving too quickly. Though he’s smitten, he tries to pump the brakes. “Slow It Down” peaks with a sky-high chorus, where Boone’s voice, once again, soars into a screaming state of desperation. You can imagine Dave Grohl bashing his way through Boone’s anguished beseeching.
I’d never met you, but I wanted to invite you to the party
Then you walked in with those green eyes, never stolen by nobody
And they flicker to the future, for a moment, I could picture
Then you touch me and I come back, and we’re talking on the staircase
Photo by Nicola Gell/Getty Images
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