Benson Boone is bad...Sorry?

I do not consider myself a hater—especially not someone critical of artwork. If a body of art—be it film, television, or music—evokes an emotional response, usually, I’m satisfied. Enter Benson Boone. 

Upon seeing an endless sea of Mormons absolutely lose their marbles over Boone doing jumping jacks and backflips, I too, yearned for the simpler, sodie style of living. What is this guy’s appeal, and why is he so disliked? I decided to put on my journalist cap and research. 

I first heard about Benson Boone after watching a video of dogs playing in the ocean set to “Beautiful Things”—the “pop star’s” breakout hit. The song eventually trickled its way into Gen Z satire and millennial cringe compilations. 

At first, I was indifferent. Boone’s antics did not infiltrate my ecosystem of pop princesses and niche fandom lore. Then, Boone started catering to the gays. In tiny booty shorts, his thirst flooded my timeline—taking up prime real estate. But underneath the photos, Boone showcased both his body and his dream: to be America’s next pop prince. 

His sophomore album, American Heart, is exactly that: a manufactured machine of AI slop—his music is loud, poorly mixed, and engineered to produce higher metrics rather than meaning. The album cover showcases Boone scuffed up, wielding the American flag like some hero. Boone’s explanation for this is surviving a car crash when he was sixteen, and describing himself, and his heart, as “American.” Sure. But if an album is intended to base itself entirely around the idea of having a “Young American Heart” (the LP’s closing track title), wouldn’t it make sense to explore what that really means? 

After listening through the album, it’s a real tragedy that while his music is objectively bad, not much else is said. The album is mostly platitudes on still being in love with your ex, how dating can feel like “moonbeam ice cream — taking off your blue jeans”, and loving your mom.

Worst of all, this music is performed in Freddie Mercury cosplay. Boone quite literally sang Bohemian Rhapsody at Coachella in a teal bodysuit. In my opinion, it seems Boone’s strong dislike is not just because his music is surface level gunk, but also due to his lack of substance.

To be a star, you break boundaries. Madonna shattered boundaries with explicit imagery surrounding religious iconography. David Bowie challenged gender norms. Even Taylor Swift advocated for artists to own the rights to their music. Boone seems to be more concerned with curating a pop image, especially with maintaining likeability, rather than being an actual pop artist disliked for doing the right thing. He is a shadow of a musician—a music industry shape shifter. And at the end of the day, it’s a real shame, because despite Boone’s terrible music, he sure can sing.

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