Benson Boone’s ‘American Heart’ Is a Capitalist Fantasy » PopMatters

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Benson Boone’s sophomore album American Heart treads the same ground as his debut: formulaic pop that is hard to ignore.

American Heart Benson Boone Warner Records 20 June 2025

In April of 2025, Benson Boone appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone’s “Future of Music” issue, an anointing that begs the question, “If Boone is its face, what could the’ future of music’ be?” The 23-year-old American Idol dropout released “Beautiful Things”, 2024’s best-selling single according to the IFPI, but has received criticism for the routine, if attention-grabbing, nature of his performances. 

While auditioning for Season 21 of Idol, Boone was told by Katy Perry, a judge, that he had a chance to win the entire competition. However, after advancing to the top 24, Boone dropped out and signed a record deal with Night Street, the label of Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds. At that point, Boone had gained 1.7 million followers on TikTok and transcended the need for reality television’s platform. 

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Despite a rapid ascent, Boone’s transition to stardom has not been seamless. The music video for “Mr. Electric Blue”, a single from his sophomore album American Heart, parodies criticisms he often receives. In the video, Boone wears a t-shirt that says “One Hit Wonder” while attending a meeting at “Industry Plant Records” with a slimy manager evocative of the 1970s, played by his real-life songwriting collaborator Jack LaFrantz. 

Boone’s willingness to acknowledge his shortcomings earns comedic credit. However, at a time when self-satire has become a common occurrence in entertainment, Boone’s nod towards “industry plant” allegations makes them seem all the more true. Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space”, which parodied her reputation as a serial dater, felt like a wittier satire, coming at a time when the public was beginning to question the harshness of tabloids. 

Cultural significance, or lack thereof, aside, Boone’s American Heart features solid songs. “Man in Me” transmits vulnerability, as Boone asks a former lover, “Where is that man you stole from me?” On “I Wanna Be the One You Call”, a key change elevates the final chorus amid layers of hazy synths, complemented by Boone’s ability to jump octaves. Although the singer’s offerings rely on clichés, their strong composition induces a state of sonic ecstasy. 

One Direction, the group pieced together by X Factor judge Simon Cowell, produced similar corporate pop during its five-year run, made palatable by lush harmonies and undeniable charisma. American Heart attacks music from the same angle, creating airtight songs enlivened by larger-than-life vocals that will never be more significant than the amount of radio play they receive. 

To his credit, Boone represents the democratization of stardom, proving that the public can elect celebrities through social media. However, considering the star’s TikTok platform grew substantially during his tenure on American Idol, traditional media still receives most of the credit—or, depending on one’s perspective, the blame—for his fame. 

Another TikTok star-turned-singer, Addison Rae, said in a 2025 interview with The New York Times Popcast, “Choice and taste is a kind of luxury.” Benson Boone lacks this perspective, as evident in his decision to churn out a second album of formulaic pop barely a year after the first, 2024’s Fireworks and Rollerblades. This title is bewildering in its lack of meaning.

Admittedly, pure maximalism worked for another star who would become Boone’s mentor on American Idol: Katy Perry. However, her inability to evolve beyond the sheer force and willpower of 2010’s record-breaking Teenage Dream led to three critically panned follow-ups: Witness, Smile, and 143. 

To avoid this fate, Boone will need to revamp his marketing strategy, which is currently full of inconsistencies. On the cover of American Heart, Boone stands shirtless, an American flag draped over his shoulders. However, in 2025, he told Rolling Stone, “I can’t be the sex icon of the century, just because that’s not who I am.” The display of his physical form on the American Heart cover contradicts this claim. 

A second inconsistency is that Boone’s Generation Z target audience chose Kamala Harris over Donald Trump by 11 points in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Civics Center. In this case, Boone is marketing a Reagan-era form of Americana to the wrong group. 

In a 1992 interview with Vanity Fair, the actor Luke Perry, of 90210 fame, said, “‘I am a product, hear me roar.” Although Benson Boone has an impressive vocal range, no one can hear him roar because he is trapped inside expensive packaging. Perhaps that is the most American thing about his heart: it does not see its monetizable value. This naïveté makes Boone endearing, like all wide-eyed dreamers who constitute the American stereotype. On the other hand, ignorant bliss spells doom for career longevity. Capitalism consumes itself. Benson Boone may be one-dimensional, but a dollar bill is perfectly flat. 

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