Over the past year, Benson Boone has had more than a few reasons to do backflips — literally. His acrobatic skills have become a staple of his live performances, whether it was during his opening slot on Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” or at the MTV Video Music Awards in September. At the latter event, where he was nominated in four categories, he launched himself off the top of a piano while singing his breakout smash “Beautiful Things,” gracefully landing and hitting a Freddie Mercury-esque high note.
Now, Boone has been named Variety Hitmakers Newcomer of the Year. Much of the 22-year-old’s success in 2024 can be traced to “Beautiful Things,” the decibel-stoking ballad that went viral on TikTok and swiftly mounted the charts, where it stayed for most of the year following its release in January. It not only raised his stock among fans, including the nearly 50 million Spotify listeners who play his music each month, but also made him a contender for best new artist at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
“I have so much trouble processing it all right now, because I’m trying to stay on top of it and make this moment bigger than just ‘Beautiful Things,’” he says. “But when I sit back and look at what’s happening, it really, truly blows my mind. It’s something a lot of people dream of, and [I’m] one of those people.”
Boone’s aspirations led to his debut album, “Fireworks & Rollerblades,” an anthemic collection of soaring pop tunes about trials and tribulations of the heart. On the album, released in April, his powerful tenor brings emotion to walloping tracks like “Slow It Down” and “Forever and a Day” — songs that could easily soundtrack the credits to a romantic drama.
“Beautiful Things” was a turning point for Boone, who wrote the song in September of last year. He cut the track with songwriters Evan Blair and Jack LaFrantz, the latter of whom contributes to much of “Fireworks & Rollerblades.” After the song exploded on TikTok, where it has been used in more than 4 million videos, Boone set to work on the album and then took it out on a global tour that kicked off in April and continues through the top of the year in Australia.
Though Boone’s rocket ride to stardom has been head-spinning, it’s only been a few years since he began nurturing his passion for singing back home in Monroe, Wash. His first time performing was at a high school talent show. In 2021, his TikTok posts caught the attention of the folks at “American Idol,” who asked him to audition. He made it to the top 24 but dropped out, unsure if music was his calling.
Then came an invitation from Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds to join him in Las Vegas to learn about songwriting. “I got to watch him for three days and observe how he does it,” Boone recalls. “And then I went off on my own and figured it out myself.” In 2021, he signed to Reynolds’ Night Street Records in partnership with Warner Music, leading to buzz-building singles like “Ghost Town” and “Nights Like These.”
Now, with one of the year’s biggest hits, Boone is focused on “getting better at writing and production,” he says. “I am just stoked that it’s resonating with people — obviously that’s all an artist can dream of.”
