It may seem like Benson Boone was an overnight success, but the pop superstar got his start on “American Idol” back in 2021. Five years later, on February 16, 2026, the show is airing an unseen excerpt of Boone singing during Hollywood Week.
Benson Boone Already Had Star Power During ‘American Idol’ Season 19
Posting the clip of Boone on social media in advance of its latest episode, “American Idol” reminded fans that Boone possessed star power back then. He had already shown off his signature backflip after earning a golden ticket during his audition. Then, during Hollywood Week, he took the lead when his duet partner, Mary Jo Young, forgot the words to their song.
Young wasn’t left in the dust, though. She went on to record several singles and open for major acts on tour, including Alex Warren, JVKE, and Jessie Murph. She returns to audition again for the “American Idol” judges on February 16.
She and Boone impressed judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry enough to advance to the Top 24, but she was soon cut and he disappeared from the show before the live episodes began, opting to walk away from the competition.
At the time, viewers were shocked that Boone gave up an opportunity to gain so much exposure and guidance. But it turns out Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds had seen him on the show and lured him away to sign a record deal with the record label he started. By 2024, Boone was opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour and was nominated for his first Grammy.
Katy Perry Predicted Benson Boone Would Be a Huge Star
DisneyWhen Boone auditioned for “American Idol,” Perry predicted he could win the show and said fans everywhere would one day “swoon for Benson Boone.”
In June 2025, Boone revealed he’d reunited with Perry for the first time since his “Idol” run. He told the Scott Mills’ Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 that he talked to Perry “a couple of months ago” at an awards show, and got the impression that the pop star was thrilled for his success.
Boone was asked whether he thought Perry felt like she “discovered” him on “American Idol,” and he replied, “Do you want to know the actual truth? I actually think she is really glad that I left the show.”
Mentioning that they got to “chit-chat for a little bit” at a recent awards show, Boone said, “She was, like, really happy for me. Also really worried about me. Like, I think she understands that when you’re starting to go through all of this, like, there’s just a lot of hate coming your way, a lot of people that want things from you, so she was more just checking in on me.”
In December 2024, Boone and Perry were photographed backstage at Z100’s Jingle Ball in New York. It’s not clear if that’s where they chatted about his time on “American Idol,” or if it was, indeed, at a later awards show.
When Mills noted how great it was that Perry was concerned for him, Boone said, “Yeah, she actually really is a lovely person … She was like, ‘Leaving that show was, like, the best thing you ever did.’ I think she just understands, like, I didn’t even know if I wanted to do music at that time.”
Perry also left the show in 2024, after serving as a judge for seven seasons. Former winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood took her place in 2025 and is back for season 24.
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