Benson Boone Schools Haters: Give Me a 'Good Reason'

Benson Boone took on mindless hate (or at least dismissive comments about him and his work), posting on TikTok that he'd like to hear a "good reason" for people's dislike along with the critiques, the BBC reported.

Taking to TikTok, the 22-year-old American singer expressed his disbelief at the sorts of slams targeting him in the wake of the phenomenal success of his single "Beautiful Things," which was "the world's most popular song of last year," the BBC said.

"Boone's breakout hit has been near-inescapable on radio and social media," the report noted, "and the impassioned folk-pop anthem is still in both the US and UK top 10s more than a year after its release."

A song with that sort of success is bound to fall on a few disapproving ears, but Boone let his detractors know he, at least, was listening.

"If you hate me or my music at least have a good reason for it," Benson requested in the video post, which has seemingly now been deleted.

"I just read a comment that said 'idek why I hate Benson Boone but it feels right.' Like WHAT!? how am I supposed to improve after reading that?" the athletic singer, who often punctuates his performances with backflips, added.

Boone has been ubiquitous – and often shirtless – recently, wowing fans in real life as well as online with his ripped physique as well as his singing chops and acrobatic prowess.

But critics, as well as trolls online, have offered some brutal assessments, the BBC article noted. Although he "was nominated for a Grammy and two Brit Awards, and made headlines at the first weekend of the recent Coachella festival when he brought out Queen guitarist Brian May to perform Bohemian Rhapsody," some notices about his work and appearances took ugly swipes.

Pitchfork's review was pointed, calling Boone's Coachella set "nine absolutely insipid originals" before slamming his cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" as "galling..."

A look around the internet finds plenty more in that vein. A review at AOTY brushed past the way "Beautiful Things" has rogered the charts, declaring the song to be "loud, cloying, obnoxious, charmless, tuneless, and totally artless..."

A user at Musicboard called the song an "ear-torturing pile of shit" and dissed Boone as a "strangled goose demon 'singer'".

Boone didn't push back by disagreeing, but he did call for some specifics, including pointers, from those who seemed unhesitating about voicing their dislike but did not supply useful feedback. He also offered a few criticisms of his own, captioning his message with the helpful title "I'm literally giving you ideas," the BBC detailed.

"At least say something valid like 'he low key just flips everywhere can he [do] anything else?'" Boone suggested. "Or even 'I just don't like his songs even though I'm basing my opinion off the only one that I've heard over and over' (super valid)."

What are your thoughts about Benson Boone, his chart-topping hit, and his music in general?