Opinion Piece
August 10, 2025
Photographed by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen
It’s a Mormon rebellion. It’s moonbeam ice cream. Or, and hear me out, is it just an uber-talented 23-year-old who is crushing it in the music industry?
Benson Boone has got to be one of the most polarising musicians of 2025, yet he hasn’t *actually* done anything wrong. Are you all just jealous because you can’t do a backflip? It’s time to break down why Benson Boone’s huge chart success has resulted in a mass hate train towards him.
Benson Boone isn’t some random nepo-baby industry plant who got his career handed to him. In fact, he’s a bit of a genius. He leveraged TikTok to grow a following before blowing Katy Perry away on American Idol. His audition was over four years ago, back in 2021, and he’s been grinding every day to get his pinch-me moment.
He’s put in the work, releasing two albums and an EP. After his American Idol stint and rise to fame on TikTok, he got signed by Imagine Dragons’ main man, Dan Reynolds, who has his own record label. After that, it was song after song trying to make it big.
And when he finally hit the top, he was met with excessive slander, hate posts and endless mean comments. Okay, "moonbeam ice cream" is a bit of an unconventional lyric, but nobody ever got anywhere by being boring.
Many artists crack under negative public opinion. Benson? He leans into it. He’s embraced the “moonbeam ice cream” jokes, making hilarious TikToks that play along with the meme. That kind of self-awareness has started to turn public opinion, showing that he can laugh at himself while still being an incredible artist.
I know, I know - being funny shouldn’t automatically win you VMA nominations or a successful music career. However, with over 54 million monthly Spotify listeners, I encourage you to go back to the scene of the crime and give him a chance. If you’ve actually listened to *that* moonbeam ice cream song, you’d actually realize that 'Mystical Magical' is about him yearning for someone he can’t have. Get some context. It’s ridiculous on purpose, and it’s quite the opposite of the cringe persona we’ve projected onto him.
If we’re deep-diving this far, let’s look at one of the most beautiful songs he’s ever released - 'In The Stars.' Released on his 2022 EP, it’s about the death of his great-grandmother, who made it to 96 years old.
“Sunday mornings were your favorite
I used to meet you down on Woods Creek Road
You did your hair up like you were famous
Even though it's only church where we were goin'
Now, Sunday mornings, I just sleep in
It's like I buried my faith with you
I'm screamin' at a God I don't know if I believe in
'Cause I don't know what else I can do”
Yes, “you’re in the stars and six feet’s never felt so far” is a far cry from “moonbeam ice cream,” but that’s exactly my point: Benson is a talented songwriter, just like you wouldn’t judge Taylor Swift’s lyricism by “haters gonna hate.”
And yes, he can sing. His vocals are just as strong as they were during his American Idol audition, now polished with the confidence of an established artist. Try belting high notes while doing a backflip on live television.
The bottom line is that his career is booming; He’s about to headline a massive sold-out world tour this Autumn, stopping off everywhere from the US to Europe.
So, if you’re a devout Benson Boone hater, I encourage you to look inwards. What’s so bad about Benson having a fun, catchy song with great vocals sitting at the top of the charts? Is it a crime to wear blue jeans and dance at the movies? Let the 23-year-old live a little, and one day we’ll all look back at that song and laugh. If you’re still unconvinced… go touch some grass.
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