Benson Boone makes his debut in Portugal, performing on the NOS Stage on the first day of NOS Alive’25.

Benson Boone is on his way to becoming one of the standout new names in pop. The Washington native first captured attention in 2021 with his debut single, Ghost Town, which entered the Billboard Hot 100.

He recently released his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, featuring the global hit Beautiful Things, which topped the Billboard Global 200. For Benson Boone, Fireworks & Rollerblades carries multiple meanings. The album title stems from one of his favorite lyrics, reflecting his meteoric rise. “The past two years of my life, since I started writing and releasing music, have gone by so fast and were so unexpected,” Boone explains. “Two years ago, I never thought my life would look like this. Everything happened so quickly, and it reminds me of fireworks strapped to rollerblades—like a rocket taking off.”

Influenced by artists like Billy Joel and Adele, whose powerful voices shaped their songs, Boone discovered his talent in 2019 after participating in a battle of the bands competition. In 2021, he was discovered by Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and signed with Night Street Records. After two years of songwriting, the album began to take shape with the track Hello Love.

Fireworks & Rollerblades is a collection of songs Boone considers authentic and personal. He collaborated with producers and writers such as Jack LaFrantz and Evan Blair to create tracks like Beautiful Things (a global hit) and Slow It Down (a reflection on his desire to pause and live in the moment). Boone also wrote emotionally charged songs such as Cry and the piano ballad Love of Mine, showcasing a vulnerable and nostalgic side. “Something I strongly believe is that I can write a good song, but with the people involved in this album, I can create something even better,” says Boone.