Album Review: Benson Boone – American Heart

I had heard very little of Benson Boone before, if I’m being totally honest – I’m not on Tik-Tok! Boone has had a rapid rise from trending social media buzz to major label artist which has been hard to ignore. His sophomore album, American Heart, was released on June 20, 2025 via Night Street Records, with the album marking a significant milestone in Boone’s young career, following the success of his debut and global breakout single Beautiful Things. With ten new tracks and a sleek, radio-ready sound, American Heart aims to position Boone firmly within the new wave of emotionally driven pop-rock. Let’s see if he can truly go from swiping up to blowing up….

The album starts strong, with the electro-heavy guitar chords and quick beats and synths of first single release Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else, which carries a great energy through the song with an upbeat tempo and well timed breaks in the gallop. Continuing in the same rough electro/synth direction, but with a more pop feel, is Mr Electric Blue which feels heavily linked to E.L.O. both stylistically, and the title (feels more than a little loosely tied to Mr. Blue Sky), and the retro vibes flow into Man in Me which manages that tricky combination of having very upbeat instrumentation, but with incredibly sad lyrics. Beginning with a funfair riff, second single release Mystical Magical is the most analogue track so far – slightly slower track but gives great late summer laid back vibes, and the laid back feeling flows into Reminds Me of You, which is a slower heartbroken track steeped in longing, but with a good beat to keep the track moving on at good pace, and great vocals… in particular Benson hits an incredibly impressive high note at one point.

At the halfway we get latest release Momma Song, a ballad and love song to his Mum, which manages to not feel OTT cheesy, and this is followed by a return to the upbeat style of earlier in the album… where I Wanna Be the One You Call hits you with a galloping beat and incredibly catchy lyrics, and Benson shows off his powerful vocals as he changes up the volume later in the track. Turning to a more bluesy rock trip slash a bit muse-like but without the amazing guitars, Wanted Man is a fantastic track and totally different from anything else on offer, whilst penultimate track Take Me Home offers up the second ballad-esque track of the album, thinking about how someone is doing years after parting.  Finally, Young American Heart rounds off the album with a bang with possibly the best track on the album (if not Beautiful Things) – with more than a hint of We Didn’t Start The Fire about the piano and Guitar, with some of the intro music from hit show Stranger Things’ warbling synths in this heavily ode to the 80’s sounding track.

American Heart is a great pop album with no bad tracks and no itching to skip through.  The thirty minute album length is perfect in that you don’t have time to consider getting bored of hearing Benson’s voice, and every song has a super catchy melody! Most of the pop tracks have a nice contrast in the verse and bridge, which is unexpected, but indicates some really got song writing!  American Heart is well paced and well produced, and the track placings are decent (though I think they could be a smidge better, but that’s nit-picking).  Young American Heart and Beautiful Things are the standout tracks, and they will be added to my 2025 favourites, and although this genre of music is really not my go to, I am umming and awwing over whether to add trhe whole album, which is a major compliment to both Benson and the producers… absolutely worth a listen.

Graeme R