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Benson Boone brought the big guns to his Coachella debut performance — not just acrobatics and skyscraping vocals, but a coveted guest appearance from Queen’s Brian May to perform a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The 22-year-old was joined by May at the end of his set, emerging in a sparkling onesie shrouded in a regal fur. Beginning the song at the piano, Boone shed his fur and flipped off the piano as May emerged behind him at the top of the stage for the song’s famed guitar solo. What ensued was a spot-on rendition of the song that’s notoriously difficult to cover, accented by a full choir decked in robes and theatrical lights that recalled that of Queen’s own stage rig.
🎶 | Benson Boone haciéndole tributo a Freddie Mercury cantando Bohemian Rapsody junto al guitarrista de Queen Brian May! pic.twitter.com/XZZMA1owvT— Benson Boone Argentina (@BensonBooneARG) April 12, 2025
May stuck around for closer “Beautiful Things,” the hit that put Boone on the map, and the closer to his star-making Coachella set. The Queen cover was a half-kept secret, as hours before the performance, May posted a photo of him traveling with Boone on an airplane to Coachella, captioning it, “Look who I bumped into – on the way to the fabled Palm Springs … 💥💥💥💥 Maybe something will happen ?!” He then posted a selfie with Boone, writing, “Do we look happy ? !!! Gonna treasure this moment on the plane with @bensonboone – a truly golden 22 year old prodigy. I’m proud and happy to say we are now officially pals 💥💥💥💥”
Boone also used the opportunity to announce his sophomore album “American Heart,” slated for release on June 20. “I’ve got one more announcement to make,” he said. “This is less like one song and more like 10. My second album will be coming out June 20, 2025 and it is called ‘American Heart.’”
He then debuted the title track. Boone previously told Rolling Stone that the album was inspired by Bruce Springsteen, a comparison that holds up, at least if that song is any indication. “A lot of it is very Bruce Springsteen, Americana, like a little more of a retro vibe,” he said. “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.”
The rest of the set was Boone’s talents on full display. He worked the crowd as he performed “Cry,” “Drunk in My Mind” and “Slow It Down,” backflipping off of the piano on the latter. He led the audience in a call-and-response for “Forever and a Day,” and gave a live debut of “Mystical Magical.”
The Coachella performance was the latest in a series of career-making milestones in his rapidly rising career over the past year. In Jan. 2024, he released “Beautiful Things,” the scorching ballad that ended up becoming one of the biggest hits of the year. Following an extensive tour and the release of his debut album “Fireworks & Rollerblades,” he celebrated a Grammy nomination for best new artist with a show-stopping performance at the ceremony earlier this year.
Boone is slated to return to the desert for the second weekend of this year’s Coachella festival.
