The music scene is an industry that’s constantly changing. Some people make it, and others sadly don’t. It’s ‘cut-throat’ in so many ways.
But what happens when you mix raw talent with a charismatic personality and boy-next-door good looks? You probably end up with Benson Boone. Fresh from dropping his debut EP ‘Walk Me Home‘ into the world, we caught up with the 20-year-old to chat about all things music, finding yourself, and his inevitable rise to stardom.
Chat us through your new EP ‘Walk Me Home’
Walk me home has been in the works for a long time, some of the songs that are in there like ‘Let Me Go’ and ‘Better Alone’ are literally songs that I wrote my first week of writing ever, so it feels like it’s been in the works forever and I’m so proud of it. It’s my first body of work so it’s quite a different experience for me.
Over the past year, I’ve really dived into the music industry. Music isn’t necessarily something I’ve always wanted or expected to do, it’s more so in the last 2 years that it’s become a dream of mine. With that being said, sometimes I can feel like I’ve lost my way and am unsure where I want to go in life, so writing this music has been somewhat therapeutic to me and has been really good for my mental state. That’s why I called it ‘Walk Me Home’ because in a way all of these songs have taken my hand and brought me home to where I want to be.
You auditioned for American Idol in 2021 and received huge praise from the judges, Katy Perry even said that you could win. However, you made the decision to pull out of the show after making it through the first round. What was your reasoning for that?
American Idol was amazing, I had a great experience on the show and everyone was great. At one point I just felt like I was surrounded by all these fellow contestants who, this had been their dream their whole lives, they wanted this so bad, and I had only been singing for a year and was just there for a new opportunity. So sometimes, I did feel like I was there for the wrong reasons.
I needed to make a decision for myself if music was the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and if that was something I wanted to choose, I didn’t want everyone to know me from American Idol but rather I wanted to be known for my own music. So I stepped back and began writing my own stuff and that’s led me on the right path.
You have over 3 million followers on TikTok. Do you think having a large following on social media helps to build a music career?
@bensonbooneYOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TRIED THIS TOOK
Oh totally! Especially during COVID, no one could tour so social media has been so important for me to put out new music and tease songs because now people worldwide can hear my work without me having to perform for them. But, now that live music is back now is the time that I can go sing for those people who have watched my videos or listened to my music so it’s perfect.
Who do you think is your biggest competition in the music industry right now?
Lauren Spencer Smith! I think she’s been killing it, and rather than competition I see her as someone that I look up to a lot. I’m friends with her and we talk occasionally about what we’re both going through in the industry and I have a lot of respect for her as a person and an artist.
There are so many talented teens out there, just like you were, who are dying to break into the industry but have no idea how. If you could give them advice, what would you say?
Well, firstly the music industry is a very cut-throat place. People are out of it as quickly as they’re in it all the time. The most important thing you can do is be yourself and being happy with who that is. Finding out who you are, firstly, and then staying true to that is the most important thing you can do. Because if you start off on the wrong foot and you’re pretending to be someone you’re not then that’s how it’s going to be for the rest of your career and you will never feel fulfilled. So ground yourself first so you can get through it, because it’s hard, it’s so so hard.
There are so many talented people in this world. But having talent is one thing, you need to know how to work it. If you work hard and smart I promise you things will work out.
Your star is only just on the rise, what can we expect to see from you next?
For now, it’s working towards an album and between that will be quite a few singles, until I feel ready for the album. Outside of releasing music I want to do a world tour where I’m playing everywhere!