Katy Perry thought he’d win ‘American Idol’ but the contestant walked away: 'I want to be known for...'
It seems like Benson Boone had his own reasons for quitting 'American Idol.' For the unversed, let us share with you that Boone competed on Season 19 of the ABC singing competition, which saw the light of day in 2021. For his audition, Boone stunned the esteemed judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie with a beautiful rendition of 'Punchline' by British singer-songwriter Aidan Martin. Following his performance, Boone received a standing ovation from Bryan and Richie. When we talked about Perry, she gave the ultimate compliment to Boone. “I’m going to tell you something that you may not believe. But if you believe it, it might happen. I see American Idol, and I see you. I see you winning American Idol, if you want to," Perry told Boone, as per Us Weekly.
Soon after, Richie referred to Boone as a “natural talent" and went on to say, “You know, there’s some folks that need to practice, and there’s some folks that just are gifted at it.” On the other hand, Bryan commended then 18-year-old Boone for not being too 'cocky' during his performance. Along with this, Bryan also playfully joked about Boone's young age by saying, "You’re still in diapers! You’re a toddler when it comes to this world. Just start having fun with your voice, ‘cause it’s a true gift, man.”
Then, Boone received three yeses from the judging panel, and he advanced to the next round of the show. At the end of the day, Perry's prediction didn't come true, as Boone dropped out of the competition just before the live shows began. While appearing on a 2022 episode of 'The Zach Sang Show, ' Boone candidly spoke about his decision to quit 'American Idol.' As per Betches, Boone explained, “The reason I quit American Idol is because I wanted to do music. I don’t want people to be like, ‘Oh, Benson Boone. American Idol blew him up. That’s where he comes from.' No. I want to be Benson Boone because I write smash hits, and they love my music. That’s why I quit. I just didn’t want that label on me.”
During the same interview, the 'Beautiful Things' hitmaker stated that he was lucky to have the support of his parents when he decided to leave the popular singing show. Boone recalled, “Once I explained it — like, ‘I don’t want to have this label posted on me for life, that I’m the American Idol kid. But if I really want to do music, and I really think I can do it, then I’m going to try my best to get as far as I can. They just believed in me. I really thought I could do it.”
Since his brief stint on 'American Idol,' Boone has come a long way. Boone released his debut studio album titled 'Fireworks & Rollerblades' in 2024. After a month, Boone opened for the 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour. Shortly afterward, Boone got the chance to perform at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Earlier this year, Boone also performed at Coachella. Then, Boone also announced his second album, 'American Heart,' which is scheduled for release on June 20.
