Benson Boone Releases “What Was”
Benson Boone is a name you should become familiar with if you don't already recognize it.
The singer-songwriter started his climb to success in 2021 when he started sharing TikTok snippets of songs. Boone dropped his first single in October of 2021, and after massive success recorded a 2022 EP Walk Me Home…. The 8-song EP boosted him to over 9 million Spotify listeners, an incredible feat for an artist so early in the game.
Now, rising pop artist Benson Boone is hitting hard with his second single of 2023, the emotional anthem “What Was” out via Night Street Records/Warner Records.
“This song is a reflection of a past relationship that I wish I could re-do,” Boone says of the track. “It’s a hard realization when you missed ‘your person,’ and all you can do is relive the memories in your head.”
An acoustic guitar plays a light melody in the verses, making the sole focus on Boone's vocals feel intimate as he sings.
“Staring at the man that I've become sometimes
When I lose my control
He's dumb, if you blink he'll blow up like a gun”
Instrumentals and background vocals build the tension in the chorus as Boone goes bigger. Strings and heavy drum beats provide a spacious backdrop for Boone’s wishes to change his name and start over.
“Fly me to a lonely place
Where you'll never see my face
So you never feel the pain of
What was”
Boone showcases his range, balancing understated verses with big, bold choruses. The bridge brings the tension to a climax, giving a cathartic release as Boone holds out a note after being haunted by the memory of leaving this person.
Concluding with the line “You need somebody to hold / Where the hell did I go?”, Boone brings the song full circle as it contrasts an earlier line “Where the hell did she go?”
The soaring track is the latest from Boone’s upcoming EP, PULSE, OUT May 5th.
Tickets for Boone's U.S. tour are currently on sale here.
Benson Boone 2023 Tour Dates:
*Sold out
May 31 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
June 1 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
June 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
June 4 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
June 6 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall*
June 8 – Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD*
June 9 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House*
June 10 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement*
June 12 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall*
June 13 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
June 14 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room*
June 16 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
June 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union*
June 18 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
June 20 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
June 21 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
June 23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel*
June 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
