If there were a formula for a Benson Boone song, it would be: a sprinkling of synth-heavy pop plus a quasi-deep hook equals social media virality.
Boone digs himself into a hole with this equation, and it’s evident in his latest project and sophomore album, “American Heart.” The LP was released through Night Street and Warner Records on June 20 with a runtime of half an hour.
Boone returns to love and masculinity as central themes throughout his latest project. In a time where the cultural zeitgeist is talking about the “male loneliness epidemic,” the latter would be an apt motif to discuss. But Boone talks about manliness in a dimensionless, tired way.
In “Mr Electric Blue,” a song reportedly about his father, he croons about wanting to be a “man’s man,” one who’s also a “good, hard-working American.” In this track and subsequent ones, Boone gives listeners a dextrous vocal performance, switching from belt to falsetto with ease, but not much else.
“Man in Me” discusses in an on-the-nose way how the man in Boone has been taken by an ex- lover. Like the track preceding it, this ‘80s-inspired track sounds like it has a lot to say — but falls short of anything new. Similarly, viral single “Mystical Magical,” reminiscent of Olivia Newton-John’s 1981 hit “Physical,” is a danceable, TikTok-ready track. But under Boone’s fun, layered vocals are unsalvageable gaps in storytelling.
When he’s not nursing his fragile masculinity, Boone bursts into self-pitying song. “Reminds Me Of You” laments on Boone’s inability to forget a partner post-breakup — a heartfelt sentiment, had it not been done better by at least 20 other artists. “I Wanna Be The One You Call” falls into this middling category too. It’s another forgettable song where Boone belts with his whole chest, the vocal tricks just ripped off of the “Beautiful Things” chorus that pushed him to stardom.
The album’s one salvation is “Momma Song,” where Boone strips down the flashy production and dynamic vocals to produce a moving ballad about growing older and remembrance. “Momma, don’t you know / There’s nothing to be sorry about?” he coos in the song where he sounds most sincere. It’s the only song I’d listen to again.
Penultimate song “Take Me Home” almost hits that level of rawness, but the bland narrative drags down the key-driven ballad during its three-minute runtime.
Much like its predecessors, closing track “Young American Heart” is energetic and catchy, but it suffers from the shallowness that makes this album a one-time listen, not an anthem for the summer.
The work isn’t a hard listen by any means, but it doesn’t stand out in the saturated, streaming-dependent music market we have now. I’d go back to “Momma Song,” but I’m content with hitting skip on the rest of the album.
Overall, Boone’s album is best described as “Moonbeam ice cream, taking off your blue jeans” — that is to say, mostly nonsensical and bland.
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