Benson Boone talks celeb comparisons, being a sex icon, and politics
| 03/11/25
simbernardo
One thing about Benson Boone: tea will be spilled!
Benson Boone performing at the Recording Academy's Pre-Grammy Gala.Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty ImagesBenson Boone made waves with his hit single "Beautiful Things" from his debut Fireworks & Rollerblades. He was subsequently booked as an opening act for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, got nominated for Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards, and dazzled viewers with his energetic performances and tight, tight outfits.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the singer essentially covered every single topic one could possibly imagine. He discussed being a closeted fan of other male pop stars, not being into comparisons to other artists, why he struggles with being perceived as a "sex icon," and even where he stands politically.
He's working on new music with Malay, a Grammy-winning collaborator of Frank Ocean.
Boone told Rolling Stone that he's been working on new music with Malay, best known for winning the Best Urban Contemporary Album award at the 2013 Grammy Awards for his contributions to Frank Ocean's landmark studio album Channel Orange.
After naming "I Wanna Be the One You Call" as one of his favorite new songs, Boone revealed the track went through quite a few iterations — and this final version came out of a session with Malay. "I was so shocked," Boone noted. "And it came out of nowhere, because the song before was truly, like, so bad."
Benson Boone was a closeted fan of Justin Bieber and One Direction.
Boone told Rolling Stone that he's always "loved Justin Bieber and One Direction" but felt embarrassed about admitting to those guilty pleasures as he was growing up. And when asked if he stared liking them as a result of consuming their music through his sisters, the singer said that no, it was all him.
"Honestly, I was probably a bigger fan of them than any of my sisters," Boone replied, noting that he and a friend, Eric — the person referenced in the one from the "Young American Heart" car accident — would spend hours watching Bieber and 1D music videos.
"We thought being in a boy band was like the coolest thing ever. And this is before I even knew I could sing. I just thought they were so cool," Boone recalled. "But, again, you know, we would never tell anybody.” The singer also revealed that he and Eric watched Bieber's Never Say Never concert film and documentary at home — where they could "rapidly switch it off when one of his sisters came home," Rolling Stone notes.
However, he doesn't love the Harry Styles and Freddie Mercury comparisons.
Benson Boone performing at the Recording Academy's Pre-Grammy Gala.
Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images
Despite being a very vocal and public Belieber and OneDirectioner, Boone doesn't love getting compared to other popstars.
"I don't want to be the same as Harry Styles," Boone tells Rolling Stone. "And the same as Freddie Mercury, and the same as Justin Bieber, and the same as One Direction. Like, because it's not me. I'm Benson Boone! I'm completely different."
Benson Boone doesn't think he's able to be "the sex icon of the century."
Boone told Rolling Stone that he thinks there's "an art to making anybody go crazy" but doesn't want fans to always "come to a show expecting me to just take my shirt off and it to be like a gun show."
The singer revealed that he's profoundly self-conscious, noting that he relentlessly picks himself apart whenever his looks become the primary focus in this work.
"When I start to think about my appearance too much, it just kills me, because there's always something more I could do," Boone commented. "There's always a hairstyle or, like, my arms could be bigger. My shoulders could be bigger. It's never-ending."
He later added, "Obviously, like, I enjoy working out and I want to keep my physical shape because I need to. But I can't be the sex icon of the century, just because that's not who I am."
He has biweekly "ego checks" with his manager and best friend Jeff Burns.
Benson Boone at the 2025 Grammy Awards.Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesBoone also discussed the feeling of "pride" as an addiction he's prone to falling into — which is, famously, a very slippery slope for celebrities.
"This year has taught me a lot of things, especially that it is incredibly easy to get carried away with my ego," Boone said in the interview. "After 'Beautiful Things,' I was like, 'Dude, I can do anything.' And I can't."
To remedy those dynamics, Boone has "biweekly 'ego checks'" with his best friend and manager Jeff Burns. "It's good to talk about, 'Hey, you know, I'm not the king of the world. I'm not somebody that everybody in the world knows. I'm still an up-and-coming artist.'"
When asked about politics, Benson Boone is neutral.
Benson Boone attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
In the interview, Boone compares his political views to his faith, which means that he's not thrilled to talk about it.
" People think, if you have one or two views, that are on the left or right side, that you have to be the left or on the right. And I don’t think that’s how it is," Boone told the publication, adding that he hopes his upcoming album, American Heart, doesn't drag him into political discourse.
Specifically, the pop star explained that the new album "is not political at all. It’' more of a personal thing. It's just me. American Heart is my heart, and it's not my heart because it's American. It's my heart because I'm Benson Boone."
