Who is Benson Boone? Why did he quit American Idol? What did Katy Perry say about him?

Virgin Radio

21 Mar 2024, 12:40

You’ve likely heard Benson Boone playing over the airwaves recently, but who is he, where is he from and what songs is he known for? 

Here’s everything you need to know about the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Who is Benson Boone? 

Benson Boone was born in 2002 and was raised in Monroe, Washington. 

He got his early inspiration from attending a Jon Bellion concert, and his first venture into music came when his high school pal first asked him to play piano and sing in a battle of the bands, even though he had no experience singing

He later began posting singing videos to TikTok and was on American Idol, but quit the show.

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Which season of American Idol was Benson Boone on?

The singer was on season 19 of the hit show in 2021. That series also featured Willie Spence, Grace Kinstler, Casey Bishop, Caleb Kennedy, Arthur Gunn, Hunter Metts, Cassandra Coleman, Deshawn Goncalves, Alyssa Wray and Chayce Beckham (who won the show).

What did Katy Perry say about Benson Boone?

Following his audition, pop star Katy Perry, who was a judge on the show, told Benson: "I see you winning American Idol if you want."

Despite being tipped to win the whole thing and indeed making it to the Top 24, Boone quit the show before it reached its conclusion.

Why did Benson Boone quit American Idol?

In an interview with American podcaster Zach Sang, he said: “The reason that I quit American Idol is because I wanted to do music. I decided that I wanted to do music, and I don’t want people to be like, ‘Oh Benson Boone. American Idol blew him up. That’s what he comes from.’ No.

“I want to be Benson Boone because I write smash hits, and they love my music. That’s why I quit.”

What happened to Benson Boone after he quit American Idol?

Boone continued to share his music on TikTok and gained massive popularity, amassing 1.7 million followers (he now has over 6 million). He was spotted by Imagine Dragons' frontman Dan Reynolds, who signed him to his record label, Night Street Records. 

What are Benson Boone’s best-known songs? 

Boone's debut single Ghost Town was released in October 2021 and charted in 13 countries. Impressively, he played drums, guitar, and piano on the recording and also designed the artwork for the single.

He followed this up with In the Stars, and then the song Beautiful Things in 2024.

Beautiful Things became a global hit and currently has over 65 million views on YouTube. It reached number two in the UK.

Boone then released Slow It Down.

Is Benson Boone touring?

The good news is, he is on the road until September, including dates in the UK, US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The bad news if you haven’t got a ticket is that the whole thing sold out in under an hour.

He was also selected to open for none other than Taylor Swift at London's Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour.

Listen to Benson Boone on Virgin Radio UK and Virgin Radio Chilled.