Benson Boone, the 22-year-old American singer behind last year’s global hit Beautiful Things, has responded to a wave of criticism with a mix of humor and frustration.
Despite the massive success of his breakout track, which topped global streaming charts in 2024 with over two billion plays, Boone has found himself the target of both casual hate and scathing professional reviews.
In a candid message shared on TikTok, Boone urged his detractors to offer more constructive feedback rather than vague negativity. “If you hate me or my music at least have a good reason for it,” he wrote.
Quoting a comment that read, “idek why I hate Benson Boone but it feels right,” he joked, “How am I supposed to improve after reading that?”
Known for his athletic backflips and flamboyant sparkly jumpsuits, Boone leaned into the criticism with wit, offering sarcastic examples of more “valid” complaints: “At least say something like ‘he low key just flips everywhere, can he do anything else?’”
He added, “Or even ‘I just don’t like his songs even though I’m basing my opinion off the only one that I’ve heard over and over’ – super valid.”
Boone captioned the video with a playful jab: “I’m literally giving you ideas.”
Despite the backlash, Beautiful Things remains in the top 10 in both the US and UK more than a year after its release.
The track earned Boone a Grammy nomination and two Brit Award nods, cementing his presence on the global music scene.
However, his mainstream appeal hasn’t spared him from harsh criticism.
Music outlet Pitchfork delivered a particularly brutal review of his recent Coachella set, describing it as “nine absolutely insipid originals” followed by a “galling” cover of Bohemian Rhapsody featuring Queen guitarist Brian May.
The review concluded with the line: “Benson Boone is horrible, just godawful, the kind of act that makes you wonder if this whole medium has been worth it.”
Adding to the pile-on, Nora Princiotti of the We’re Obsessed podcast shared her own disdain: “I’m also a Benson Boone hater.
I don’t care that that man can do a flip, I hate that song that’s all over TikTok. It didn’t deserve anything and I never want to think about him again.”
Yet, Boone shows no signs of backing down.
With more festival dates lined up across North America and his second album American Heart set to drop in June, the pop star appears ready to embrace both the love and the hate that come with the spotlight.
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