Benson Boone poses with Brian May of Queen. Photo:
Brian May/Instagram
- Benson Boone, 22, announced his upcoming sophomore album, American Heart, while on stage at Coachella
- During his set on Friday, April 11, Boone was joined by Queen’s guitarist Brian May, 77
- May’s appearance on stage came seven months after a “minor stroke” left him temporarily unable to move his left arm
Benson Boone brought out rock and roll royalty at his first Coachella set.
On Friday, April 11, Boone, 22, surprised festival-goers in Indio, Calif. by teaming up with Brian May, just seven months after the legendary Queen guitarist, 77, had a “minor stroke” that left him temporarily unable to move his left arm.
Boone donned one of his signature sparkling jumpsuits, shrouded in a dramatic fur shrug as they put on a theatrical cover of the band’s 1975 hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Brian May and Benson Boone at Coachella 2025. Kevin Mazur/Getty
May, who was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 as a member of the iconic rock band and is a recipient of a lifetime achievement Grammy Award, shared some behind-the-scenes photos with Boone on Instagram ahead of the show.
“Do we look happy ? !!! Gonna treasure this moment on the plane with @bensonboone – a truly golden 22 year old prodigy,” May captioned the post.
“I’m proud and happy to say we are now officially pals 💥💥💥💥 Bri,” he added.
Benson Boone and Brian May at Coachella 2025. Kevin Mazur/Getty
May emerged at Coachella to accompany Boone on guitar for the classic rock hit, just after Boone made an announcement of his own.
Prior to playing the cover, Boone announced his upcoming sophomore album, American Heart, to the crowd.
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The singer then premiered the title track, a homage to the roots of 1980s Americana and gritty heartland rock in the vein of Bruce Springsteen instead of the pop music of his debut.
“A lot of it is very Bruce Springsteen, Americana, like a little more of a retro vibe,” said Boone in a previous interview with Rolling Stone. “It all started with me believing in the song ‘Beautiful Things.’ Now, I have a whole album just about ready to go — and I’ve never believed so much in a body of work.”
Benson Boone performs at Coachella on April 11, 2025. Katie Flores/Billboard via Getty
The singer skyrocketed to fame with his viral hit song “Beautiful Things,” which he played to close out his first Coachella set.
The track largely contributed to his 2025 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. The singer delivered a noteworthy performance at the awards ceremony in February 2025, complete with his trademark on-stage flips.
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Prior to his breakthrough, Boone was briefly a contestant on ABC’s long running American Idol in 2021. He later decided to leave the competition, and was subsequently signed to Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds’ record label, Night Street Records. He went on to open for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in London on June 23, 2024.
American Heart will release on June 20, 2025.
