Benson Boone Is A Wanted Man

Benson Boone is the kind of pop star who seems to have arrived fully formed, with a falsetto, a flip and a chorus the whole planet knew by early 2024. The real story is more interesting than that, and it starts in a small Washington town rather than a recording studio.

Where Benson Boone came from

Benson James Boone was born on 25th Jun 2002 in Monroe, Washington, and grew up there. Singing was not the plan. He was a high school diver who placed sixth at the 2020 state championships, and his dad has said he was throwing flips and backflips from about the age of three. He only started singing in public when a friend asked him to perform at a battle of the bands in his junior year, with no singing background to speak of.

In 2021 he auditioned for American Idol, made it through to Hollywood Week and landed in the top 24, then walked away from the show to focus on his own music.

From TikTok clips to a record deal

Boone built an audience by posting singing clips on TikTok, amassing circa ~1.7 million followers even before he had released a single song. Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds became an early mentor, and Boone signed to Reynolds' label, Night Street Records, in partnership with Warner Records. His first single, "Ghost Town", arrived with the announcement, followed by "Room for 2" and "In the Stars" in 2022.

The song that changed everything

"Beautiful Things" was the breakthrough, the lead single from his 2024 debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, which went platinum and reached No. 6 on the US Billboard 200. The song became the most-streamed track in the world in 2024, climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and topped the charts in a run of countries, Australia among them. It has since been certified Diamond.

The accolades followed quickly: a Best New Artist nomination at the 2025 Grammys, where he also performed, two Billboard Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award and an iHeartRadio Music Award. He also opened for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, including at Wembley Stadium in London.

Backflips, showmanship and a bigger sound

His second album, American Heart, landed in Jun 2025 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, leaning into Springsteen-style Americana and anthemic choruses, with "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else" and "Mystical Magical" among the highlights. In 2025 he played at Coachella, covering Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and sharing the stage with Brian May. He started 2026 in a Super Bowl ad alongside Ben Stiller, played a Super Bowl LX concert series set, and has since released a new single, "The Time of My Life".

Then there is the stage persona. Those childhood flips never went away: the backflip is now his signature, and fans on the American leg of the Wanted Man Tour have been keeping count.

What to expect when the Wanted Man Tour reaches Australia

Australia is next. The Wanted Man Tour brings nine arena shows across three cities, with Frontier Touring. Sydney-born pop artist RUEL has been confirmed as special guest on all nine nights.

Expect the full catalogue, from the TikTok-era ballads to the American Heart singles, plus the flips. Setlists and production can change from city to city, so the North American shows are a guide rather than a promise for Australia, and no Australian-specific show details have been announced beyond the dates, venues and support act.

At a glance

• Brisbane Entertainment Centre: 6th, 7th and 8th Nov 26
• Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne: 12th, 13th and 14th Nov 26
• Afterpay Arena, Sydney (formerly Qudos Bank Arena): 17th, 18th and 19th Nov 26
• Special guest: RUEL on all dates
• Tickets: listed as on sale via Frontier Touring

Verdict: a former high school diver turned the most-streamed song of 2024 into a full arena show, and the backflips are only part of why Australia is getting nine nights of it.