Benson Boone‘s 7.2 million TikTok followers likely jumped for joy when he sang “Beautiful Things” at the 2025 Grammy Awards… and gasped when he adjusted his jumpsuit. But did the honest and dynamic singer get to this point in his career because of American Idol?
Each season of the reality competition series is a rollercoaster ride full of emotions, exciting moments, and some grumbling from a certain judge with a reputation for not being the nicest. Did Boone have that same emotional experience? Let’s find out about his musical journey.
Did Benson Boone compete on ‘American Idol’ and what happened to him?
Yes, Boone appeared on American Idol season 19 in 2021 when he was 18, but, according to USA Today, he decided to leave once he was chosen for Hollywood Week. He was picked for the Top 24, which is why many were so surprised that he left.
Boone realized that being known as someone who competed on American Idol wasn’t the path he wanted to go down. He said on The Zach Sang Show, “I want to be Benson Boone because I write smash hits and they love my music. That’s why I quit. I just didn’t want that label on me.”
It’s great that Boone realized what he wanted and made a tough decision. His choice to leave American Idol once his audition was over just proves he’s all about following his heart and listening to his gut. Although some might say quitting is a negative thing, having clarity about your goals can be positive.
Some might say Boone should have stuck around because he could have won American Idol, but his music career has worked out (to say the least). Besides his success on TikTok, he opened for the Taylor Swift Eras tour in London, England in June 2024. Swift said he was “so legit.” Career made! According to Variety, he was into sports when he was a kid, but after singing during a battle of the bands when he was 18, a whole new world opened up. People loved his voice and he began pursuing music. It was thanks to TikTok that he landed his American Idol audition as the competition series reached out to him about it.
After playing his song “Ghost Town” on repeat, fans finally got the chance to hear his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, on April 5, 2024.
Boone might have made a bold move, but American Idol contestants have had mixed career results. Kelly Clarkson has been singing her heart out since her 2002 win and has had a long career that includes several Grammy’s, a talk show, and being a coach on The Voice, but there are a handful of victors who didn’t become household names. Then there are singers like Adam Lambert, who didn’t win but have still done great things.
Although the talented Boone would have still likely gotten a record deal if he had stayed on American Idol, his legion of fans would likely say they found him because of TikTok. As he told Notion, “Unless you’re already an A-list artist, you have to break a song on TikTok and that’s the way the music industry is right now. At the same time, it allows for a lot of people to hear your music.” Boone’s fans can’t get enough of his amazing voice (and, hey, he’s pretty dreamy, too), and when he left American Idol season 19, that cemented him as an artist who takes risks and does what feels right to him.
Published: Feb 3, 2025 12:23 pm