Benson Boone has a Rockin' Body of Work and He's too Big for His Britches

Benson Boone seemed destined to become someone special in the entertainment world, and it wasn't until 2021 on a little show called "American Idol" that he would make his choice. This handsome man from Monroe, Washington, was 19 then, and now at 22 he is quickly making his way up the charts as an international singer and a heartthrob one tight blue jumpsuit at a time.

He dropped out of "American Idol" while he was in the top 24. "My biggest weakness, and my biggest strength," he told Rolling Stone, "is when I convince my brain of something, I have to do it. There's no backing out or stepping down."

Right now the mustachioed singer has shared a new single called "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else," but he's still riding high on the success of his song "Beautiful Things," which he performed in the aforementioned blue jumpsuit at this year's Grammy Awards. His performance went viral after he adjusted himself onstage in front of over 15.4 million viewers. It was clear by the fit of the pantsuit, there wasn't much room for anything and even more surprising; they didn't split after his piano-leaping summersault.

The ditty became the most streamed song in the world in 2024; it looks like his exit from the popular singing reality series was indeed the right move. Inadvertently becoming a sex symbol? Not so much. "Obviously, like, I enjoy working out and I want to keep my physical shape because I need to," he said in the same interview. "But I can't be the sex icon of the -century, just because that's not who I am."

Kicking off Rolling Stone's Future of Music Showcase at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, Boone again lept onto the piano, this time in much looser pants, but apparently without any underwear. It's no wonder why he's making the world thirsty.

His social media presence is also a space where his sex appeal comes through whether he wants it to or not. Selfies that expose his perfectly shaped chest and abs are abundant. Back in the 70s and 80s, Teen Beat Magazine would have filled their issues with pull out posters and cutesy photo spreads of Boone to the delight any teenager ravaged by hormones. Today one just has to log on.

Actually, TikTok is kind of where he got his start. Four years ago, his online singing videos caught the attention of Imagine Dragons lead singer, Dan Reynolds. This led to a record contract with Reynold's, and Boone's first single as a professional: "Ghost Town." It's a ballad about leaving childhood behind, something Boone was actively doing, "I was just getting my first apartment, away from friends and family, and it's less about a fading relationship than me realizing it's time to grow up and move on from my teenage years," he told Billboard in 2021. "It's a song that represents my emotional maturity in saying, 'Maybe you'd be happier with someone else.' It's a grownup way of breaking up with someone. And it's not about a person, it's a thing – my childhood."

Boone not only sang the track, but he also played the drums, guitar and piano. Multiple television appearances with popular day and nighttime talk shows later and the single propelled higher up the charts --- nothing could stop him. Not even God.

Boone has said he was raised in a devout Mormon household but he never felt connected to that belief system.

"Growing up, a lot of people at church would talk about these experiences that they've had and these personal revelations and feelings and voices," he recalled in Rolling Stone. "I never felt it as physically present as they did, and so I was always confused and frustrated."

It all worked out; his parents accepted his departure and Boone has moved on. Maybe his biggest break was being one of the artists opening for Taylor Swift last year on the European leg of her Eras Tour. "I chose artists whose music I love listening to, and I can't wait for them to add an extra jolt of excitement to our shows at Wembley Stadium in June," she said at the time

That jolt of excitement will continue this year without Tay Tay stealing the spotlight. Boone is currently on his own tour and scheduled to make festival appearances at Coachella and the Governor's Ball this summer. Also expected, a new album. It's untitled but is scheduled for a 2025 release.

Boone seems like the kind of artist who likes to include theatrics in his act. Elton John used to do the same thing back in the day, and Elvis too. It's an energy fueled by the screams of the crowd, the passion of the song and an artist's natural freneticism. This persona has bolstered his position as a future music legend, and people are excited to see it happen.

In an Instagram post from last year Boone announced he had made an acoustic version of "Beautiful Things," for those who, "get tired of hearin' me scream." He also thanked his fans for their support and making him the superstar he is becoming. "I've been working very hard on a body of work that has been my pride and joy for the last year. This is only the beginning. God speed and good day."

We are probably going to hear a lot about Boone in the future. Who knows what fame will do to him. If anything, he's making pop music cool again. In the process he is also redefining what it means to be a modern sex symbol: a curly mullet, a rockin' body and a 70s mustache wasn't exactly on the bingo card for making a musical dreamboat in 2025. History has shown, the more famous the rock star, the tighter the pants. In Boone's case we are eager to see him in both.