It took approximately 13-and-a-half-minutes for a backflip on Friday night. It’s hard to know if that’s a Benson Boone record of some kind, or whether the number of backflips he subsequently pulled off — about five or six for those keeping count — was sufficient. In some cities, there’s reportedly been as many as 10.
The fact that there even are flip counters and fans debating if his soft rolls into the crowd count (maybe it’s a .5?) is quite wild. It can’t just be a regular concert anymore — it has to be the Olympics, too? Still, the acrobatic feat is a huge part of what makes Boone a “Wanted Man” — and he’s not going to let anyone down.
As the 24-year-old tumbled into a packed Allstate Arena on his latest tour, he was clearly committed to giving the people what they wanted. Wearing a vest that bared his chest to show off his hot-guy calendar abs. Donning a backpack as a wink to fans who have turned the accessory into some kind of Boone lore on social media. Easily unleashing his unbelievable vocal range and perfect-pitch falsetto. Attacking the piano with great balls of fire energy on “Mr Electric Blue.” Saving his YouTube Billion Views Club hit “Beautiful Things” for the end so it lingers. And packing in a boatload of ’70s and ’80s Easter eggs with a “Star Wars”-themed intro, mustachioed Freddie Mercury cosplay and songs like “Young American Heart” that sounded an awful lot like “We Didn’t Start the Fire” while paired with video graphics of embers burning in the background.
Kids loved it. Dads loved it. Moms really loved it. Like the musical equivalent of a Pixar movie made for a young audience with all the adult side jabs, Boone has successfully carved out his multi-generational stake. But it all felt a little too … much. For no clear reason. It’s a danger of being a people pleaser — it often leads to a false sense of connection.
“My greatest fear is to show up to this stage, to write songs, to do all of this for no one and to have no one at the end of the day. That’s what I’m the most scared of,” Boone interestingly admitted as he introduced the song “My Greatest Fear” midway through the night. While that’s nothing he has to worry about anytime soon — he just logged his 10th Billboard Hot 100 hit with “The Time of My Life” — there is always the question of longevity with an artist like Boone. One that found virality early and then was explicitly marketed for mass appeal rather than taking the time to find his niche. There’s no doubt the talent is there, but not so much the strategy.
The Wanted Man Tour’s biggest crime is having too many aliases to know Boone’s true identity. The first few songs — “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” “Mr Electric Blue,” “There She Goes” and “Wanted Man” — were an incredible show of force with a magnetic four-piece band (whom he sadly never introduced) that sent shockwaves of arena rock. Yet the next hour was dragged down by a nearly 12-song extended pop ballad that grew stale beyond a few high points.
That included his Technicolor ’80s pop gem “Mystical Magical,” which erupted into a mass singalong. Another highlight was his unreleased song “Traveler,” a dynamo track performed solo at a stripped-down B stage. Written with incredible emotion, it moves away from copy-and-paste heartbreak hymns into something spectacular. If his team is smart, it’ll be his next single. The other standout was the family tribute “Momma Song” that was accompanied by home video, with one segment even capturing Boone’s first baby flip.
Like any well-rounded artist, Boone has many sides to him, but they often feel like fragmented parts rather than adding up to one cohesive whole. He’s been dragged in a million different directions since breaking out. Ten years ago, the Mormon teen from Washington was a competitive diver and tennis player before literally finding his voice in a battle of the bands competition. Soon after, he found some viral moments on TikTok and auditioned for “American Idol” in 2021. The judges loved him, but he stepped away from the competition to make it on his own. Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds stepped up to sign him to his imprint and Boone has been coasting on “Beautiful Things” and backflips ever since.
Yes, all of it may make him a “Wanted Man,” but at some point you hope he stops caring about that and really finds who he wants to be too.
Benson Boone set list for July 24, 2026 show at Allstate Arena
Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else
Mr Electric Blue
There She Goes
Wanted Man
Drunk in My Mind
Slow It Down
Mystical Magical
Pretty Slowly
In the Stars
My Greatest Fear
Take Me Home
Young American Heart
Traveler
Momma Song
Before You
The Time of My Life
I Wanna Be the One You Call
What Was
Cry
Beautiful Things