Benson Boone closed out 2024 on an undeniable high. "A lot of insane things have happened this year," he shared in a reflective, year-end Instagram post. "More than I ever imagined were even a possibility for my career."
In less than a calendar year, the 20-something from rural Washington had gone seemingly overnight from a budding talent worth keeping an eye on to a certified global superstar and the voice behind the biggest song in the world.
In 2024 alone, the mustachioed singer released his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, on the heels of his breakout single "Beautiful Things," and criss-crossed the globe on his first-ever world tour. His shaggy mullet, impish grin and penchant for onstage acrobatics helped turn him into an internet heartthrob, a viral sensation and one of Gen Z's first defining male pop stars. By year's end, he'd also become a GRAMMY nominee setting attendance records at live shows and drawing thousands of fans to festivals he wasn't even headlining.
Now, Boone is on the precipice of releasing his wildly anticipated sophomore album, American Heart, out now via Night Street Records and Warner Records. The full-length features a portrait of the hunky pop star shirtless and dirt-smudged on its patriotic cover, arms outstretched like a modern-day Jesus as he brandishes a well-worn version of the Stars and Stripes. The bold imagery harkens back to classics from an earlier age, like Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. or Johnny Cash's Ragged Old Flag.
If American Heart's trio of singles is any indication, Boone is also aiming for a more timeless, retro-leaning sound on the new LP — from the pulsing synths and spacey production of "Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else" to the fanciful romance of "Mystical Magical" and its nonsensical devotion to a "moonbeam ice cream"-flavored love. (The latter also contains a clever interpolation of Olivia Newton-John's 1981 hit "Physical.")
The rest of the album's 10 tracks broaden the singer's sonic palette even further. "Mr Electric Blue," which seems to be locked and loaded as the album's next single, is pure 1980s power pop; the soaring, belt-it-out refrain of "I Wanna Be The One You Call" sounds like a spiritual successor to the emotional bombast the singer struck gold with on "Beautiful Things."
With momentum and talent on his side, Boone seems primed for the next level of his career as he shows his American Heart to the world. But as his celebrity climbs ever higher, the newly minted pop idol is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
"If this is a bigger year than last year, I want to be ready to keep the fabric of who I am," he told Rolling Stone in a March cover story declaring him "The Future of Music." "Just hold on to everything that I have. If this is a bigger year, it will be so easy to get carried away. Again."
Ahead of American Heart's release, GRAMMY.com took a journey back through seven major moments in the year Boone became a global superstar — from the worldwide takeover of "Beautiful Things" and earning Taylor Swift's stamp of approval to his triumphant moment on stage at the 2025 GRAMMYs and more.
These "Beautiful Things" That He's Got
When Boone released "Beautiful Things" at the start of 2024, there's no way he could have predicted just how much the song would change his life.
While the lead single off his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, initially debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February of that year, the anthemic track then spent eight solid weeks gaining momentum and climbing the chart — ultimately peaking at No. 2 by the end of March, just in time for his LP's April 5 arrival.
A No. 2 single would be a major victory for any rising artist, but the success of "Beautiful Things" was far from complete. Thanks to a perfect storm of TikTok virality, strategic promotion and a rapidly growing fan base, the singer's breakout hit went on to become the biggest song in the world in 2024.
After topping the charts in 19 other countries across the globe, "Beautiful Things" ended 2024 as the most-streamed song of the year (with over three billion streams worldwide) and was named the Top Global 200 song on Billboard's year-end chart. The song's record-breaking success even continued into 2025, when it hit the top of yet another chart, Billboard's Adult Contemporary tally, in March following an unprecedented 55-week ascent.
In his Rolling Stone cover story, the newcomer didn't hesitate to chalk up all of his success to the song. "I mean, it's the reason I'm here," he said. "Like, it is the reason this year has been a big year."
Just two months after dropping Fireworks & Rollerblades, Boone got the opportunity of a lifetime to open for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour's final night in London. The singer even tweaked the lyrics of "Beautiful Things" to mark his first time performing at Wembley Stadium, cutely sticking Swift's name into the chorus. ("Please stay/ I want you, I need you, oh god/ I need Taylor Swift," he sang, before adding, "These beautiful things that I've got.")
Once Swift hit the stage for the June 2024 show, she returned the favor by giving the opener a shout-out of his own. "He's such a showman, he's out here doing flips for you!" the superstar told the ecstatic crowd before performing "Lover" — much to the stunned delight of Boone, who was watching the live spectacle from the audience.
After the fact, Boone admitted to Rolling Stone that he "didn't even know much about" Swift or her music prior to opening for the Eras Tour, but said the experience had a massive impact on him. "She shouted me out on stage, which you do not need to do," he said. "It really changed my perspective on so many things that I want to carry into my own career. Just the way I treat people and my crew, watching the way she treats people."
Boone's big breakout year has come with plenty of recognition, most notably when the newcomer scored a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards. ("[It feels] like a fever dream; it is so psycho," he gushed about the honor from the GRAMMYs red carpet.) Along his road to superstardom, the singer also racked up an MTV Video Music Award, two Billboard Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act, Song of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, and the BMI Champion Award and two other trophies at the 2025 BMI Pop Awards.
The 22-year-old's accolades haven't just been confined to North America, either. With "Beautiful Things" becoming a bonafide global smash, he's received a trove of awards and other nominations everywhere from France, Great Britain and Spain to South Korea, Japan, and Switzerland in the last year.
The Infamous GRAMMYs Jumpsuit
Speaking of the GRAMMY Awards, Boone delivered one of the most talked-about moments of the night thanks to his gravity-defying performance during the Best New Artist showcase inside L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena.
Kicking off a medley that also included performances by fellow BNA nominees Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey, and RAYE, the crooner launched "Beautiful Things" with help from Heidi Klum and Nikki Glaser — who ripped off his dapper tuxedo to reveal a glittering, baby blue jumpsuit underneath.
Naturally, the very first thing he did in the ab-baring ensemble was one of his signature flips (this time a rare front flip!) headfirst off the piano. However, it was the end of the jaw-dropping number that really got tongues wagging, as Boone adjusted his skin-tight jumpsuit before taking his final bow.
The viral moment quickly proliferated across the internet, resulting in memes, gifs and commentary galore — and was even lampooned in a "Saturday Night Live" sketch by Marcello Hernandez and copped by Mark Zuckerberg for a surprise performance of his own during his wife's star-studded 40th birthday party in February. ("Shoutout to @bensonboone for the jumpsuit and the new single," the Meta founder said on Instagram about borrowing the now-iconic stage costume.)
Much has been made of Boone possibly being the heir apparent to the late Freddie Mercury ever since he exploded onto the scene. After all, from his bombastic vocal style to theatrical stage presence, the singer certainly seems to have picked up a thing or two from channeling the late Queen frontman's indelible swagger, charisma and star power.
Boone made those comparisons all the more real by bringing out none other than Brian May as a surprise guest at his first-ever Coachella set in April. With help from the legendary Queen guitarist, the singer delivered a majestic cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" — even starting out the number in a grandiose cape that immediately brought to mind the image of Mercury donning his iconic crown and cloak on the band's final live tour in 1986.
While he sang May's praises as a "brilliant, wonderful, legendary human being" following the show, the Washington native was also quick to reiterate that Mercury's legacy remains untouchable in his eyes. "Honestly, I take that as a huge compliment," he toldTMZ of being compared to the late icon. "I'm not trying to be anybody else but myself, but, like, to hear that is incredible."
On top of being one of Gen Z's most promising rising pop sensations, Boone also happens to be very funny. In May, the pop star made his debut on "Saturday Night Live" as the musical guest opposite host Quinta Brunson.
In addition to lighting up Studio 8H with American Heart singles "Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else" and "Mystical Magical," Boone also made a hilarious cameo during Weekend Update, playing a hunky server responsible for delivering a pair of sizzlin' sriracha fajitas (with a side of Asian glaze) to Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang's raunchy Applebee's barflies Darlene and Duke.
A 9-Second American Heart-Beat
Following the release of American Heart, Boone is set to embark on the American Heart World Tour, which kicks off Aug. 22 at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.
Fans who snagged tickets to one of the 30-plus dates across North America should consider themselves awfully lucky, considering Boone's entire tour of arena shows sold out in less than 10 seconds when tickets went live earlier this spring.
"SOLD OUT. IN 9 SECONDS??? bruh. (Pees himself) THANK YOU THANK YOU," the singer posted in disbelief upon learning the news. (Since then, additional shows have been added to the trek, including two extra dates to close out the North American run at Salt Lake City's Delta Center and an entire European leg running through mid-November.)
Boone seemed just as surprised as anyone about the blink-and-you'll-miss-them sales feat. "It, honestly, is actually very shocking," he dished to Billboard at the 2025 American Music Awards. "I was really obviously hoping the tour would sell out … I thought it would take a couple weeks though. It went so fast.
"But I'm very honored. It feels so good because I love being on tour, I love being on stage. I'm very excited," the singer continued. "But I promise you, everyone who did get tickets, it will be worth it."