If you’ve been watching music award shows recently, chances are you’ve seen one of the biggest names in the art form do a backflip off some high-up ledge only to land on his feet, puff up his chest, and fill the room with song.
That’s right, Benson Boone has wowed many audiences of late thanks to his acrobatics and his singing prowess. But recently, the pop star performed to a limited number of fans thanks to Wells Fargo’s Autograph Card Exclusives series, which gives cardholders access to concerts around the world featuring marquee acts like Dave Matthews and Halsey.
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We caught up with Benson Boone around the time of the show to ask him about his Pacific Northwest roots, his favorite venues, what it’s like for him to play to intimate crowds, his favorite musical discoverers, and much more.
American Songwriter: You’re from Monroe, WA. (I’m writing from Seattle.) There is a great lineage of Washington artists, from Jimi Hendrix to Heart to Nirvana to Brandi Carlile and Macklemore. Can you talk briefly about how the area influenced or shaped your ear?
Benson Boone: Monroe, Washington definitely shaped a lot of who I am. It’s just one of those places where you spend your whole life outside, so growing up you’d hardly ever find me indoors. Music wasn’t really a big part of who I was in my early childhood, which is why I think what you heard from me early on was a pretty innocent, early version of who I was as an artist. And now after being in the industry for the last few years, I really don’t take that for granted—going from a kid who wasn’t even thinking about music to having a spot in this musical landscape, next to people I eventually grew up listening to… It’s wild. Some days it still doesn’t feel real to me.
AS: Being a music fan has a lot to do with discovery at an early age. I imagine when you found a person like Freddie Mercury, you were supercharged. Of course, you are your own fantastic performer now. But who were a few discoveries early on that just blew you away?
BB: My real music taste mainly started in high school. My parents had me on a steady diet of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, Elvis, Earth, Wind & Fire, just constantly. That stuff was always playing in the house, and I didn’t even realize how much it was getting into my bones. Then I hit my teenage years, and I got OBSESSED with Adele, Sam Smith, Dean Lewis—just absolutely emotionally slammed by these songs in the best way. So yeah, my sound is basically old-school soul mixed with that big, dramatic, modern pop-ballad thing. And these days, being in the studio constantly can make my mind a little overwhelmed with melodies, so I always enjoy listening to soundtracks that don’t have vocals. Just symphonic pieces and classical music.
AS: You had the most-streamed song of 2024 with “Beautiful Things”. I’m sure that success was great and weird and everything in between. But what’s one (perhaps small) thing that happened because of that song you’ll always remember?
BB: Probably the craziest moment that came out of “Beautiful Things” blowing up was I got a call one day from a number I didn’t recognize. And this voice just goes, “Hey, it’s Lana.” And I’m standing there like, “Sorry, who? I don’t think I know a Lana.” It took me a second to realize she meant Lana Del Rey. I couldn’t tell you a single other word she said because I was in complete shock. Nothing really prepares you for one of your actual heroes calling you because of a song you wrote. She ended up wanting to sing a song together on stage and, at the time, I had never shared a stage with someone. I went back to the hotel that night and didn’t sleep a wink, just kept replaying it in my head like it couldn’t have actually happened.
AS: You and Fashion Week seem like a match made in heaven. You are as eye-catching as you are ear-catching. What are you looking forward to most on or off stage when it comes to this iconic event?
BB: Fashion week is so interesting to me. Everyone has their own taste and personal touch on style, but for a guy who kind of dresses up for a living—it was a natural fit. Offstage, I’m just there to soak it in and people-watch. On stage, my only real goal is giving people a show they won’t forget. Yes, of course, I do always love to dress up, but I see that as part of the show.
AS: For Fashion Week, you’ll be part of the Wells Fargo Autograph Card Exclusive concert series, performing to an intimate audience of about 1,750 people. How does the venue or audience size influence how you approach a live show?
BB: I live for intimate shows. Whether I’m in an arena or a 500-person room, the people standing in front of me drive me. I love to watch faces, see people’s emotions. In a room like this, it’s nice to know I can get quiet in moments that are supposed to be intimate and know it’ll land the way I want it to.
AS: Every performer has favorite venues along the way as they’re coming up. What’s a favorite one you played earlier in your career around this same size (roughly 1,750 cap)?
BB: Irving Plaza in New York will always be a special one for me. It was probably one of the first rooms where I felt like people kind of knew the words before I sang them, which honestly is a wild feeling the first time it happens to you.
AS: You have a number of terrific songs in your catalog. But I was really struck the first time I heard your 2025 track, “Momma Song”. What was it like to write that heartfelt tune and to be able to sing it out loud when it was finished?
BB: Okay, this one’s big for me. Not everybody gets to have their parents around, and even fewer get parents who actually care about and support what they do in an authentic way. My mom and dad are literally the reason I’m able to work in music, period. They’re the best people in the world. I love them to death, and this song’s just me saying that out loud.
AS: What are you looking forward to most in your career now?
BB: I just really want to keep making stuff I’m actually proud of and get to play it for people live. That’s the whole loop for me. Feel it, write it, then go sing it to a crowd who screams it right back. But also, what’s got me the most excited is just life right now. The people around me. A lot of people expect a lot of things from me. But lately I’m in the mindset that I need to live a little more for myself. I always want to make my fans and family proud, but the first step to doing that is taking care of myself. I’m not great at that, but I’m working on it, and it’s been really nice.
AS: What do you love most about music?
BB: For me it’s the honesty of it. It’s crucial to be open because music is a personal expression of your emotions. Every song you hear from me is kind of a piece of my mind’s diary in some way. But I want to show people that being open can be powerful even when it’s not easy. The internet likes to focus on a few lyrics from specific songs to pick apart. But when you open your eyes up to my discography, you can see there’s a bit more to it. That’s why I want people to hear a song and immediately relate to something, because so much of what I write is really personal to me. And then getting to perform it and have people sing it back… that’s the best feeling in the world.
Photos by Shayden Schoonover
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