meta-scriptWoodstock 50 Performers: Jay-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus & More Announced | GRAMMY.com

Jay-Z

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment

news

Woodstock 50 Performers: Jay-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus & More Announced

Chance the Rapper, Black Keys, Robert Plant, Halsey, Dead & Company, John Fogerty, Santana, and more artists are slated to perform at the 50th anniversary celebration in Watkins Glen, New York

GRAMMYs/Mar 20, 2019 - 03:21 am

Woodstock 50, which is taking place in Watkins Glen, New York on Aug. 16 through 18, has confirmed its three-day lineup.

According to the festival poster, headlining artists include Jay-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Dead & Company, Imagine Dragons, Chance The Rapper, Brandi Carlile, and more. 

Classic artists like John Fogerty, Santana, John Sebastian, Country Joe Mcdonald, Canned Heat and Hot Tuna, all of whom played at the original 1969 fest, are on the bill as well. 

Tickets for Woodstock 50 go on sale April 22. More information is available on the festival’s website.

Check out the full Woodstock 50 lineup below, courtesy of Rolling Stone:

Day 1: The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Santana, The Lumineers, The Raconteurs, Robert Plant, John Fogerty, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Run the Jewels, The Head and the Heart, Maggie Rogers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Anderson East, Princess Nokia, John Sebastian

Day 2: Dead and Company, Chance the Rapper, Black Keys, Sturgill Simpson, Greta Van Fleet, Portugal. The Man, Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Dawes, Margo Price, Country Joe and the Fish, Rival Sons, Emily King, Soccer Mommy, Taylor Bennett

Day 3: Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Cage The Elephant, Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monae, Young The Giant, Courtney Barnett, Common, Vince Staples, Judah and the Lion, Earl Sweatshirt, Boygenius, the Zombies, Canned Heat, Hot Tuna, Pussy Riot, Cherry Glazerr

Two Woodstock 50th Anniversary Events Planned For Aug. 2019

Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez
(L-R) Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez during the 2008 Teen Choice Awards.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/TCA 2008/WireImage/Getty Images

feature

Disney's Golden Age Of Pop: Revisit 2000s Jams From Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez & More

As Disney Music Group celebrates its defining era of superstars and franchises, relive the magic of the 2000s with a playlist of hits from Hilary Duff, Jesse McCartney and more.

GRAMMYs/Apr 23, 2024 - 06:41 pm

"...and you're watching Disney Channel!" For anyone who grew up in the 2000s, those five words likely trigger some pretty vivid imagery: a glowing neon wand, an outline of Mickey Mouse's ears, and every Disney star from Hilary Duff to the Jonas Brothers

Nearly 20 years later, many of those child stars remain instantly recognizable — and often mononymous — to the millions of fans who grew up with them: Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Nick, Kevin and Joe

Each of those names has equally memorable music attached to it — tunes that often wrap any given millennial in a blanket of nostalgia for a time that was, for better or for worse, "So Yesterday." And all of those hits, and the careers that go with them, have the same starting point in Hollywood Records, Disney Music Group's pop-oriented record label.

This time in Disney's history — the core of which can be traced from roughly 2003 to 2010 — was impactful on multiple fronts. With its music-oriented programming and multi-platform marketing strategies, the network launched a procession of teen idols whose music would come to define the soundtrack to millennials' lives, simultaneously breaking records with its Disney Channel Original Movies, TV shows and soundtracks.

Now, two decades later, Disney Music Group launched the Disney 2000s campaign, honoring the pivotal, star-making era that gave fans a generation of unforgettable pop music. The campaign will last through August and lead directly into D23 2024: The Ultimate Fan Event with special vinyl releases of landmark LPs and nostalgic social media activations occurring all summer long. April's campaign activation was Disney 2000s Weekend at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, which featured special screenings of 2008's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert and 2009's Hannah Montana: The Movie and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.

But before Miley and the JoBros, Hollywood Records' formula for creating relatable (and bankable) teen pop stars began with just one name: Hilary Duff. At the time, the bubbly blonde girl next door was essentially the face of the network thanks to her starring role in "Lizzie McGuire," and she'd just made the leap to the big screen in the summer of 2003 with The Lizzie McGuire Movie. In her years with Disney, Duff had dabbled in recording songs for Radio Disney, and even released a Christmas album under Buena Vista Records. However, her first album with Hollywood Records had the potential to catapult her from charming tween ingénue to bonafide teen pop star — and that's exactly what it did.

Released on August 26, 2003, Duff's Metamorphosis sold more than 200,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The following week, the bubblegum studio set performed the rare feat of rising from No. 2 to No. 1, making the then-16-year-old Duff the first solo artist under 18 to earn a No. 1 album since Britney Spears.

The album's immediate success was no fluke: Within a matter of months, Metamorphosis had sold 2.6 million copies. Music videos for its radio-friendly singles "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean" received constant airplay between programming on the Disney Channel. (The latter was eventually licensed as the theme song for MTV's pioneering teen reality series "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," giving it an additional boost as a cultural touchstone of the early '00s.) A 33-date North American tour soon followed, and Hollywood Records officially had a sensation on their hands. 

Naturally, the label went to work replicating Duff's recipe for success, and even looked outside the pool of Disney Channel stars to develop new talent. Another early signee was Jesse McCartney. With a soulful croon and blonde mop, the former Dream Street member notched the label another big win with his 2004 breakout hit "Beautiful Soul."

"When 'Beautiful Soul' became the label's first No. 1 hit at radio, I think that's when they really knew they had something," McCartney tells GRAMMY.com. "Miley [Cyrus] and the Jonas Brothers were signed shortly after that success and the rest is history.

"The thing that Disney really excelled at was using the synergy of the channel with promoting songs at pop," he continues. "I did appearances on 'Hannah Montana' and 'The Suite Life of Zack & Cody' and my music videos were pushed to Disney Channel. The marketing was incredibly brilliant and I don't think there has been anything as connected with an entire generation like that since then."

By 2006, Disney had nearly perfected its synergistic formula, continually launching wildly popular tentpole franchises like High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls, and then giving stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu recording contracts of their own. (Curiously, the pair's HSM co-star Ashley Tisdale was never signed to Hollywood Records, instead releasing her first two solo albums with Warner.) 

Aly Michalka showed off her vocal chops as sunny girl next door Keely Teslow on "Phil of the Future," and fans could find her off-screen as one half of sibling duo Aly & AJ. In between their 2005 debut album Into the Rush and its electro-pop-charged follow-up, 2007's Insomniatic, Aly and her equally talented younger sister, AJ, also headlined their own Disney Channel Original Movie, Cow Belles. (Duff also helped trailblaze this strategy with her own early DCOM, the ever-charming Cadet Kelly, in 2002, while she was simultaneously starring in "Lizzie McGuire.")

Even after years of proven success, the next class of stars became Disney's biggest and brightest, with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers all joining the network — and record label — around the same time. "Hannah Montana" found Cyrus playing a spunky middle schooler by day and world-famous pop star by night, and the network leveraged the sitcom's conceit to give the Tennessee native (and daughter of '90s country heartthrob Billy Ray Cyrus) the best of both worlds. 

After establishing Hannah as a persona, the series' sophomore soundtrack introduced Miley as a pop star in her own right thanks to a clever double album that was one-half Hannah's music and one-half Miley's. It's literally there in the title: Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus.

From there, Cyrus' stardom took off like a rocket as she scored back-to-back No.1 albums and a parade of Top 10 hits like "See You Again," "7 Things," "The Climb," "Can't Be Tamed," and the ever-so-timeless anthem "Party in the U.S.A."

At the same time, Gomez had top billing on her own Disney Channel series, the magical (but less musical) "Wizards of Waverly Place." That hardly stopped her from launching her own music career, though, first by fronting Selena Gomez & the Scene from 2008 to 2012, then eventually going solo with the release of 2013's Stars Dance after the "Wizards" finale aired.

For her part, Lovato — Gomez's childhood bestie and "Barney & Friends" costar — got her big break playing Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock alongside the Jonas Brothers as fictional boy band Connect 3, led by Joe Jonas as the swaggering and floppy-haired Shane Gray. Much like Duff had five years prior in the wake of The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Lovato released her debut solo album, 2008's Don't Forget, just three months after her DCOM broke records for the Disney Channel. 

Building off their chemistry from the movie musical, nearly the entirety of Don't Forget was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who released two of their own albums on Hollywood Records — 2007's Jonas Brothers and 2008's A Little Bit Longer — before getting their own short-lived, goofily meta Disney series, "Jonas," which wrapped weeks after the inevitable Camp Rock sequel arrived in September 2010.

As the 2000s gave way to the 2010s, the Disney machine began slowing down as its cavalcade of stars graduated to more grown-up acting roles, music and careers. But from Duff's Metamorphosis through Lovato's 2017 LP, Tell Me You Love Me, Hollywood Records caught lightning in a bottle again and again and again, giving millennials an entire generation of talent that has carried them through adulthood and into the 2020s.

To commemorate the Disney 2000s campaign, GRAMMY.com crafted a playlist to look back on Disney's golden age of pop with favorite tracks from Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and more. Listen and reminisce below.

Beyoncé accepts the Innovator Award onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, April 1.
Beyoncé accepts the Innovator Award onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, April 1.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

feature

Beyond Country: All The Genres Beyoncé Explores On 'Cowboy Carter'

On 'COWBOY CARTER,' Beyoncé is free. Her eighth studio album is an unbridled exploration of musical genres — from country to opera and R&B — that celebrates the fluidity of music and her Texas roots.

GRAMMYs/Apr 3, 2024 - 08:50 pm

"Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined."

With those words, spoken on "SPAGHETTII" by Linda Martell — the first commercially successful Black female artist in country music and the first to play the Grand Ole Opry solo — Beyoncé provides a proxy response to her original call on Instagram 10 days before COWBOY CARTER was released: "This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album." 

She delivered on that promise with intent. Through a mix of homage and innovation, Beyoncé's latest is a 27-track testament to her boundless musicality and draws  from a rich aural palette. In addition to its country leanings, COWBOY CARTER includes everything from the soulful depths of gospel to the intricate layers of opera. 

Beyoncé's stance is clear: she's not here to fit into a box. From the heartfelt tribute in "BLACKBIIRD" to the genre-blurring tracks like "YA YA," Beyoncé uses her platform to elevate the conversation around genre, culture, and history. She doesn't claim country music; she illuminates its roots and wings, celebrating the Black artists who've shaped its essence.

The collective album proves no genre was created or remains in isolation. It's a concept stoked in the words of the opening track, "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" when Beyonce reflects, "Nothing really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again." For country, and all popular genres of music to exist they have to evolve. No sound ever stays the same.

COWBOY CARTER's narrative arc, from "AMERICAN REQUIEM" to "AMEN," is a journey through American music's heart and soul, paying tribute to its origins while charting a path forward. This album isn't just an exploration of musical heritage; it's an act of freedom and a declaration of the multifaceted influence of Black culture on American pop culture.

Here's a closer look at some of some of the musical genres touched on in act ii, the second release of an anticipated trilogy by Beyoncé, the most GRAMMY-winning artist of all-time: 

Country 

Before COWBOY CARTER was even released, Beyoncé sparked critical discussion over the role of herself and all Black artists in country music. Yet COWBOY CARTER doesn't stake a claim on country music. Rather, it spotlights the genre through collaborations with legends and modern icons, while championing the message that country music, like all popular American music and culture, has always been built on the labor and love of Black lives. 

It's a reckoning acknowledged not only by Beyoncé's personal connection to country music growing up in Texas, but the role Black artists have played in country music rooted in gospel, blues, and folk music. 

Enter The World Of Beyoncé

Country legends, Dolly Parton ("DOLLY P", "JOLENE," and "TYRANT"), Willie Nelson ("SMOKE HOUR" and "SMOKE HOUR II"), and Martell ("SPAGHETTII and "THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW") serve mainly as spoken-word collaborators, becoming MCs for Queen Bey. Some of the most prolific country music legends receiving her in a space where she has been made to feel unwelcome in music (most notably with the racism surrounding her 2016 CMA performance of "Daddy Lessons" with the Dixie Chicks) provides a prolific release of industry levies. Martell, a woman who trod the dark country road before Bey, finally getting her much-deserved dues appears as an almost pre-ordained and poetic act of justice. 

"BLACKBIIRD," a version of the Beatles' civil rights era song of encouragement and hope for the struggle of Black women is led softly by Beyoncé, backed by a quartet of Black female contemporary country songbirds: Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. 

Beyoncé holds space for others, using the power of her star to shine a light on those around her. These inclusions rebuke nay-sayers who quipped pre-release that she was stealing attention from other Black country artists. It also flies in the faces that shunned and discriminated against her, serving as an example of how to do better. The reality that Beyoncé wasn't stealing a spotlight, but building a stage for fellow artists, is a case study in how success for one begets success for others. 

Read more: 8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More

Gospel, Blues, & Folk (American Roots)

As is Beyoncé's way, she mounts a case for country music with evidence to back up her testimony. She meanders a course through a sequence of styles that serve as the genre's foundation: gospel, blues, and folk music.

"AMERIICAN REQUIEM" and "AMEN" bookend the album with gospel-inspired lyrics and choir vocals. The opener sets up a reflective sermon buoyed by  the sounds of a reverberating church organ, while the closer, with its introspective lyrics, pleads for mercy and redemption. The main verse on "AMEN", "This house was built with blood and bone/ The statues they made were beautiful/ But they were lies of stone," is complemented by a blend of piano, and choral harmonies. 

Hymnal references are interlaced throughout the album, particularly in songs like "II HANDS II HEAVEN" and in the lyrical nuances on "JUST FOR FUN." In the later track, Beyoncé's voice soars with gratitude in a powerful delivery of the lines, "Time heals everything / I don't need anything / Hallelujah, I pray to her." 

The gospel-inspired, blues-based "16 CARRIAGES" reflects the rich history of country songs borrowing from the blues while simultaneously calling back to songs sung by field laborers in the colonial American South. "Sixteen dollars, workin' all day/ Ain't got time to waste, I got art to make" serves as the exhausted plea of an artist working tirelessly long hours in dedication to a better life. 

Rhiannon Giddens, a celebrated musician-scholar, two-time GRAMMY winner, and Pulitzer Prize recipient, infuses "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" with her profound understanding of American folk, country, and blues. She plays the viola and banjo, the latter tracing its origins to Sub-Saharan West Africa and the lutes of ancient Egypt. Through her skilled plucking and bending of the strings, Giddens bridges the rich musical heritage of Africa and the South with the soul of country, blues, and folk music.

Pop, Funk, Soul & Rock 'n' Roll 

All in, Beyoncé is a pop star who is wrestling with labels placed on her 27-year career in COWBOY CARTER. Fittingly, she brings in two other pop artists known for swimming in the brackish water between country and pop, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. Her intentional inclusion of two artists who have blurred genres without much cross-examination begs the question, Why should Beyoncé's sound be segregated to a different realm? 

On "YA YA" Linda Martell returns as the listener's sonic sentinel, introducing the track like a lesson plan: "This particular tune stretches across a range of genres. And that’s what makes it a unique listening experience." The tune sinks into the strummed chords of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" before leaping into a fiery dance track that features reimagined lyrics from the Beach Boys, with soulful vocal flourishes and breaks that show the throughline connection between '60s era rock, funk, and pop music.

Robert Randolph lends his hands on "16 CARRIAGES" with a funk-infused grapple on his pedal-steel guitar. It's a style he honed through his early years touring and recording with his family band and later in his career as an in-demand collaborator working with names including the Allman Brothers, and Norah Jones

The lesson is solidified as the album transitions into an interlude on "OH LOUISIANA," featuring a sped-up sample of a classic track by Chuck Berry. This moment emphasizes the pop superstar's nod to civil rights era music history, spotlighting a controversial artist celebrated for his pioneering contributions to rock 'n' roll. (It's a part of music history Beyoncé knows well, after starring as Etta James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records, a veiled biopic of the legendary Chicago label Chess Records.)

Classical & Opera

Opera was missing from many listeners' Beyoncé Bingo card, but didn't surprise those that know her background. Beyoncé was trained for over a decade starting at an early age by her voice teacher David Lee Brewer, a retired opera singer who once lived with the Knowles family. 

COWBOY CARTER gives sing-along fans a 101 opera class with "DAUGHTER." In Italian, Beyoncé sings passages from the 1783 Italian opera "Caro Mio Ben," composed by Giuseppe Tommaso Giovanni Giordani. The aria is a classic piece of vocal training that fittingly shows off her full range — taking us back to the earliest days of her vocal teachings.

Hip-Hop & R&B

Midway through the album on "SPAGHETTII" Beyoncé announces, "I ain't no regular singer, now come get everythin' you came for," landing right where expectations have confined her: in the throes of a romping beat, experimenting with sounds that blend hip-hop with R&B and soul. The track notably highlights the talent of Nigerian American singer/rapper Shaboozey, who also shows up to the rodeo on "SWEET HONEY BUCKIN'" brandishing his unique mix of hip-hop, folk-pop, and country music. 

Beyoncé worked with longtime collaborator Raphael Saadiq on this album, a career legend in the R&B industry, who lends his mark to several tracks on which he wrote, produced, and played multiple instruments. Beyoncé also utilizes the Louisiana songwriter Willie Jones on "JUST FOR FUN," an artist who draws on a contemporary blend of country, Southern rap, and R&B in the hymnal ballad. 

The violin-heavy "TYRANT" and "SPAGHETTII" both underscore hip-hop's long love affair with the classical string instrument (See: Common's "Be," and Wu Tang Clan's "Reunited" as the tip of that particular iceberg) with a blend of soulful R&B lyrics paired with beat-based instrumentalization. 

In a world quick to draw lines and label sounds, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER stands as a vibrant mosaic of musical influence and innovation. Ultimately, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER isn't seeking anyone's acceptance. As a Texan once told she didn't belong, her critical response claps back at this exclusion.  It's also a reminder that in the hands of a true artist, music is limitless.

Run The World: Why Beyoncé Is One Of The Most Influential Women In Music History

Benson Boone performing at 2023 KCON
Benson Boone performs at KIIS FM's K-Pop Village at KCON LA in August 2023.

Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

list

Get To Know Benson Boone, The "Beautiful Things" Singer & Rising Pop-Rock Sensation

As Benson Boone's erupting smash "Beautiful Things" continues to dominate Billboard's global charts, GRAMMY.com rounded up seven things to know about the budding star, from his reality TV roots to his rock star mentor.

GRAMMYs/Mar 15, 2024 - 08:25 pm

Benson Boone's swift rise to stardom has been a beautiful thing to witness. Over the past three years, the Monroe, Washington native has gone from viral TikTok influencer to one of Gen Z's most promising pop talents.

Remarkably, the 21-year-old pop-rock artist didn't even discover his voice until he reached high school, after his best friend asked him to play the piano in their school's battle of the bands competition and the singer dropped out at the last second. Boone found himself filling in, an impromptu decision that would unwittingly alter the course of his entire life.

"It's just like I unlocked something I didn't know I had," he mused recently to MTV. "And I stopped, like, halfway through the first verse and just looked around, and I was so shocked that I had just sang…It was, like, the best feeling of my life."

Cut to the present day, and Boone's voice has helped him soar to the top of multiple Billboard charts. His latest single "Beautiful Things," a desperate prayer of a love song that pinballs between warm, folksy verses and a rollicking chorus reminiscent of Freddie Mercury's electrifying vocals, has positively exploded since its January release. Boone's breakout hit has spent six consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 3 as of press time and topping both of Billboard's global charts for multi-week runs.

"My life has changed dramatically since the song came out," Boone reflected earlier this month in a sit-down with Variety. "It's so, so, so insane to me that this is happening. I'm trying so hard to formulate words. I have so much trouble processing it all right now…But when I sit back and look at what's happening, it really, truly blows my mind. Because it's something a lot of people dream of, and [I'm] one of those people."

Benson is steadfast in building on the runaway success of "Beautiful Things," too. The singer/songwriter's forthcoming debut album is expected some time later this year, and his just-announced Fireworks and Rollerblades World Tour kicks off April 3 in Chicago, with legs in North America, the U.K., Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

As Boone's rise to superstardom continues, GRAMMY.com rounded up everything you need to know about the buzzy star-in-the-making, from his brief stint on reality TV to the A-list rocker who's taken him under his wing.

He's A Proud "American Idol" Dropout

Before he became a rising star on the charts, Boone initially attempted to get his start in music on "American Idol." During Season 19, the then-18-year-old auditioned for the reality show with a piano-playing cover of Aidan Martin's 2017 single "Punchline" after producers came across his videos online.

Boone's jaw-dropping audition earned a standing ovation from judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan before Katy Perry confidently declared, "They're gonna swoon over Benson Boone." All three judges were baffled to learn that the teenager had only discovered his obvious musical talent the year before, and the "Roar" singer doubled down on her praise by predicting, "I'm gonna tell you something that you may not believe. But if you believe it, it might happen…I see you winning 'American Idol' if you want to."

"That is the biggest compliment I've ever gotten, thank you," a starstruck Boone replied. However, by the time Hollywood week rolled around, the fresh-faced teenager had apparently decided he didn't want to win the long-running reality competition, and withdrew after advancing to the Top 24. 

"The reason I quit 'American Idol' is because I wanted to do music," he explained a couple of years later during an appearance on The Zach Sang Show. "I don't want people to be like, 'Oh, Benson Boone, 'American Idol' blew him up. Like, that's where he comes from. No. I want to be Benson Boone 'cause I write smash hits and they love my music…I just didn't want that label on me."

He Has A Bonafide Rock Superstar For A Mentor

Part of Boone's success as a solo artist can be attributed to Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, who came across the young talent and personally signed him to Night Street Records, the rock singer's own Warner Records imprint that has also boasted K.Flay on its exclusive roster, in 2021. 

"We sign artists so rarely at Night Street — it was one of those moments where you know you have no choice," the frontman told Billboard at the time Boone inked his record deal. "That's how I felt when I first sat in a recording booth with Benson. I'm excited for the world to get to know him the way I have these last months."

Since then, Reynolds has also served as a sort of industry mentor figure for Boone, as the burgeoning rocker explained in a 2023 interview promoting the release of his EP Pulse. "He makes you feel comfortable in your own skin, he's very gifted in that way," Boone told iHeartRadio Canada. "So working with him has been incredible, and him taking time for an artist very much smaller than him is just…he's a very kind soul. 

"I think that the main thing that he's taught me is that in this industry, everybody wants something different from you," he continued. "Everybody has a different outlook on yourself than you actually do. And regardless of what that is, you are the leader of your own career and your own life. You have to do things that make you happy, write music that you want to be writing, releasing things that you're proud of…He's just taught me to stick to my gut and just follow my own dreams."

His Earlier Singles Pack An Emotional Punch (No, Seriously, Grab Some Tissues)

The runaway success of "Beautiful Things" may have earned Boone's legions of newfound fans in the last two months, but it's actually not his biggest song on streaming platforms (at least just yet). Before his soul-baring folk-rock anthem was burning up charts around the world, the singer released his debut single "Ghost Town" and heartbreaking follow-up "In The Stars," both of which are included on his debut 2021 EP Walk Me Home… (As of press time, the former has more than 336 million streams on Spotify, and the latter has a whopping 617 million.)

Another smoldering torch song, "Ghost Town" became Boone's first official entry on the Hot 100 after it was released in October 2021. "Maybe you'd be happier with someone else/ Maybe loving me's the reason you can't love yourself/ Before I turn your heart into a ghost town/ Show me everything we build so I can tear it all down," he laments on the soaring chorus over a running piano line and booming, orchestral percussion.

On the heels of "Ghost Town," Boone then penned "In the Stars" in 2022 about the death of his beloved great-grandma. "That kind of loss can be more emotional and heartfelt than a relationship," he told Genius about the song's tender meaning. "I wanted to write about something that was real. It's something I've never really talked about or dealt face to face with. Songwriting is very new to me, and so I'm still learning that process of figuring out how to cope with something through a song. And I think this is kind of where that starts for me." 

Other pre-"Beautiful Things" tracks worth checking out in Boone's quickly blossoming discography include the addictive TikTok smash "Sugar Sweet," wistfully upbeat bop "Coffee Cake" and the introspective "What Was."

His Stage Presence Is Downright Acrobatic

Boone may be a relative newcomer in the music industry, but he's already developed a magnetic stage presence at his packed live shows. In fact, one of his signature tricks on stage is landing a backflip mid-song without so much as missing a beat.

To tease his upcoming world tour, the singer posted a clip of himself in late January belting out "What Was" in front of an ecstatic crowd. In the video, he impressively nails a flip before effortlessly transitioning right into the power ballad's bombastic climax, wailing, "Let me/ Start over/ The moment that I left you in tears/ Is a mem'ry that will haunt me for years/ And years and years and years and years."

"My dad is 49 years old and still backflips, I get it from him," the singer confessed to Australian outlet The Project on his first trip Down Under in the fall of 2022. "I always thought he was, like, the coolest…but yeah, I've been flipping since I was, like, four and it's just always been my thing."

He Has Roots In Mormonism

Boone grew up in small-town Washington as the only boy in a Mormon family with four sisters. He's never really spoken publicly about growing up in the clean-cut, high-demand religion, but he actually briefly attended Brigham Young University—Idaho, the Mormon university in Rexburg, for a semester before pausing his education to focus on music.

Mormonism is a trait he coincidentally shares with his mentor Reynolds, who's been outspoken throughout his career about his Mormon background and actually got kicked out of Brigham Young University around the same time he formed Imagine Dragons. 

While Boone grew up outside the "Book of Mormon Belt" — the geographic area that radiates from Mormonism's Salt Lake City headquarters to include parts of Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and even southern Alberta, Canada — his Mormon roots have shown up in his music in subtle ways. He even filmed the official music video for "Beautiful Things" against the majestic backdrop of the red rock bluffs outside St. George, Utah (which just so happens to be this writer's hometown!).

He Serves As His Own Creative Team

Boone's creative side extends beyond the realm of music: he's also a talented artist who often draws the cover art for his own singles. When "Ghost Town" was released in 2021, he showed off his skills by sketching the song's artwork for Spotify's Today's Top Hits — even admitting it was his first time attempting to draw a self-portrait with charcoal.

"I've always loved drawing and painting," Boone said of his artistic flair in a 2023 interview, also noting that he designs all his own merchandise. "I get that from my dad…My dad's, like, a crazy artist, he's so good. And so it's kinda just always been something that I've done."

He's An Avid Rollerblader

As the name of his upcoming Fireworks and Rollerblades World Tour would suggest, Boone is both a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie and has a not-so-secret passion for rollerblading. In fact, the singer's TikTok feed is littered with videos of himself landing tricks, stunts and, of course, flips on wheels in between the requisite promo material teasing new music like his upcoming single "Slow It Down," footage from live shows and other viral TikTok content.

What other tricks does Benson Boone have up his sleeve for the rest of 2024? Judging by his meteoric chart success thus far, the world is eagerly waiting to find out.

25 Artists To Watch In 2024: Chappell Roan, VCHA, Teezo Touchdown & More

Miley Cyrus 2024 GRAMMYs performance shot
Miley Cyrus performs at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

news

Listen: Miley Cyrus & Pharrell Reunite For New Song "Doctor (Work It Out)"

Ten years after their first funky single, Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams strike again with "Doctor (Work It Out)," which arrived on March 1. Hear the new track and watch the spirited music video here.

GRAMMYs/Mar 1, 2024 - 04:31 pm

On the heels of her first GRAMMY wins, Miley Cyrus is feeling good — and she's ready to be your cure.

The pop superstar unveiled her new single, a lustful, funky dance track titled "Doctor (Work It Out)," on March 1. The track is her latest collaboration with Pharrell, and their first in 10 years.

Over a pulsating bass guitar-driven beat, Cyrus opens with the punchy chorus (“I could be your doctor/ And I could be your nurse/ I think I see the problem/ It's only gon' get worse/ A midnight medication/ Just show me where it hurts," she sings) before erupting into a dance break as she declares, "Let me work it out… Imma work it out…”

So far, 2024 is feelin' fine for Cyrus. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, her 2023 smash, "Flowers," took home two awards, for Best Pop Solo Performance and Record Of The Year. Following her first win, she delivered a knockout performance featuring the unforgettable ad lib, "I started to cry and then I remembered I… just won my first GRAMMY!" 

Less than a month later, "Doctor (Work It Out)" serves as another groovy celebration of Cyrus' achievements in life and music so far.

The song's music video is reminiscent of her 2024 GRAMMYs performance, too. Not only is she wearing a similar shimmery fringe dress, but the entire video is a jubilant, blissful solo dance party.

Though Cyrus first teased "Doctor (Work It Out)" just a few days before the song's arrival, Pharrell first gave a sneak peek in January, at his American Western themed Fall/Winter 2024 Louis Vuitton Men's fashion show in Paris. It was Pharrell's third collection for the luxury house, and the bouncy single served as a fitting soundtrack. 

The song marks Cyrus' first release in 2024, and her first collab with Pharrell since 2014's "Come Get It Bae" from his album G I R L'; Pharrell also co-wrote and produced four tracks on the deluxe version of Cyrus' 2013 album, Bangerz.

Watch the "Doctor (Work It Out)" video above, and stay tuned to GRAMMY.com for more Miley Cyrus news.

Miley Cyrus' Big GRAMMYs Night: Why Her Two Wins Were Monumental