Benson Boone

A pop singer and songwriter with a powerful, soulful delivery, Benson Boone appeared on television at the audition stage of American Idol in 2021 before withdrawing to cut his own path. Later the same year, he made his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with his first single, "Ghost Town." Another song, 2022's "In the Stars," from his debut EP Walk Me Home, fared even better in the U.S. and charted internationally. Boone's second EP, Pulse, arrived in 2023, followed by the Top Ten Hot 100 single "Beautiful Things," in 2024.

A native of Washington State, Boone discovered his musical ability only after being asked to join a band for a high school talent show. He auditioned for the 19th season of American Idol just a year later, making the difficult decision to withdraw despite televised praise from the judges, because he wanted to be known for his own music. Along the way, he found a mentor in Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds, who signed Boone to his label, Night Street Records (Warner Records). Meanwhile, Boone had racked up hundreds of thousands of followers with his social media posts and enrolled at Brigham Young University-Idaho.

In October 2021, he released his debut single, "Ghost Town," a poignant breakup ballad based on a friend's relationship. It cracked the Hot 100 at number 100, faring better in Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, and European countries including Norway, where it hit number one. He performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2022, the same month he followed up with "Room for Two." A succession of singles arrived during the front half of 2022, the most successful of which, "In the Stars," hit number 82 in the U.S. and performed even better internationally. It was included on Boone's debut EP, Walk Me Home, in July of that year. More singles arrived with 2022's "Before You" and 2023's "Sugar Sweet," the latter of which appeared on his 2023 Pulse EP. A non-album single, "Beautiful Things," appeared in early 2024, cracking the Top Ten of the Hot 100. ~ Marcy Donelson