“Beautiful Things” singer plays is too safe on his sophomore album American Heart
Benson Boone has been unavoidable for well over a year now: His 2024 single “Beautiful Things” quickly became a monster success, first on TikTok and later everywhere else, debuting on Billboard’s Hot 100 the month after it was released and peaking at Number Two. And if it isn’t the music you’ve heard, you’ve surely seen this man do flips on every stage he’s been on, from Coachella to the Eras Tour to the Grammys. His sophomore album, American Heart, comes just 14 months after his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, a capitalization off the sudden superstardom that has made him both a radio staple and porn-stached sex symbol.
Despite the Freddie Mercury-referencing deep-V jumpsuits he’s wearing these days, his latest deflates under the weight of all its glam-pop and Seventies and Eighties pastiche. At times swaggerless and too pristine in his attempts to corner the market of retro-pop stardom, Boone loses the youthful edge of his debut and the rawness that made his biggest hit soar so high. On American Heart, songs like “Man in Me” and “Mystical Magical” are the worst offenders of his retromania, the latter too cloying and unconvincing in its whimsy.
At least the ELO-referencing “Mr Electric Blue” is saved by an earnest tribute to his father and his own ambitions. “Momma Song” is just as endearing, offering more insight into a young pop star’s personality and sense of identity. Even though Boone plays it too safe here, there are moments when his star power makes it clear there’s potential; lead single “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” is a sharp stadium-pop moment that could take over as “Beautiful Things” begins to die down.
Same goes for the title track, a warm reflection on a teenage car accident where his references (touches of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger, but bathed in synths) are most convincing. There’s still a long way to go before the most authentic form of Boone emerges, but there’s no denying there’s a spark of charm that reels you in, whether or not you’re sick of his throaty screams and backflips.
