Benson Boone is undoubtedly one of the biggest rising stars in the music industry.
The 22-year-old singer has been making waves since his hit single “Beautiful Things” topped the charts. His GRAMMY performance, which featured a show-stopping outfit change with the help of Heidi Klum, also generated a lot of attention.
Despite his rapid rise to fame, some fans have only just discovered where they first saw him. A viral TikTok clip shows Benson auditioning for American Idol at just 18-years-old, leaving viewers stunned by his fresh-faced appearance and impressive vocals, especially considering he had only started singing a year prior to the audition.
The clip has garnered over 300,000 views, with fans expressing their surprise and admiration for the young singer. It’s left people totally stunned.
One commenter asked: “Wait, is this the Benson Boone that sang ‘Ghost Town’ and ‘Beautiful Things’?” Another fan inquired: “Did he win American Idol? I just love him.”
Others were shocked they hadn’t known about his American Idol connection, with one writing: “How did I not know he was on American Idol?”
Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Omg I didn’t know he was on American Idol. You got this young man.”
Benson, hailing from Monroe in Washington state, only stumbled upon his vocal prowess at the tender age of 17 when a mate roped him into their high school’s battle of the bands.
Cut to 2021, and he wowed crowds on American Idol, even leaving the judges gobsmacked. He confessed to them: “I didn’t know I could sing before a year ago,” but then blew everyone away, prompting Lionel Richie and Katy Perry to jump up, cheering his name.
Katy Perry dished out high praise, saying: “I see you winning American Idol if you want to.” Richie also chimed in, hailing him as a “natural talent”.
Despite making the top 24, Benson withdrew from the show unexpectedly. Later, he confessed to fretting over being pigeonholed as “the American Idol kid”, keen instead to carve out his career on his own terms.
Looks like his gutsy move paid off as, after his first album dropped last year, he’s been smashing it on TikTok with hordes of videos that showcase not just his ear-pleasing tunes but his acrobatics and piano skills too, much to his fans’ delight.
His track “Beautiful Things” has become a TikTok sensation, featuring in a whopping 4 million videos. His debut offering snagged a Grammy nom, and he even strutted his stuff on the Grammys stage while kitted out in a dazzling ice-blue sparkly jumpsuit.
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