A review of Benson Boone’s “Fireworks and Rollerblades”

by Jaya Gupta ’25

October 2, 2024

The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writer and do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.

On April 5, Benson Boone released his first full-length album, “Fireworks & Rollerblades.” This album goes on a fascinating journey: from wanting someone, to the ups and downs of being in a relationship, to just ending up as friends and parting ways from each other.

The way I chose to classify this album is by ranking each song out of 10, sharing my favorite lyric(s), and providing a brief description of the song or explanation of my rating.

Intro: 6.5/10 (this song doesn’t have enough lines for me to have a favorite)

The song starts slowly and crescendos as Boone’s songs often do, then he belts an impressive high note and the music transitions seamlessly into the next song. I can’t say I understand why he made this a separate song despite it being the second verse of “Be Someone,” but creative liberty, I guess.

Be Someone: 7/10 “From night to night, it’s taking you longer when you say goodbye, and baby, it’s almost like you need someone”

This song feels very hopeful, almost like a meet-cute in a cheesy rom-com. One thing I love about Benson Boone’s music style is that he makes his songs feel very extravagant without them actually being extravagant. His production mainly includes piano, drums, sometimes guitar, and background vocals. They’re songs that can be played by a band, but listening to them feels like a symphony. Part of that comes from Boone’s own singing ability (and upper range which surpasses a great deal of female singers), making his songs stand out with passion.

Slow It Down: 8/10 “Oh, now you’re crying, you’re in pieces, ‘cause the only love you’ve ever known is Jesus”

Let me start by explaining why I picked my favorite line. You might know this about me, but I’m not Christian. My fondness of this line doesn’t come so much from the meaning of the words but from the powerful delivery Boone gives them. He transitions from his normal, comfortable belt, to the raw, emotional screaming belt that further emphasizes his tone and strikes a chord in my ear that just feels right. This song as a whole, however, expertly combines ethereal notes in his head voice with those powerful belts, changing the mood and intensity of the song with his voice. He switches between them seamlessly, creating a beautiful song about getting overwhelmed in a relationship.

Beautiful Things: 7/10 “There’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you”

While I understand that this is the most popular song on the album and it’s put Boone all over the charts and that’s great for him, the song as a whole I find underwhelming. I love the chorus – that’s the part that got really popular – but the rest of the song just seems detached. The chorus is so intense and emotional, while the verses feel like a conversation. I personally don’t like it as much, but if that butters your bread, then good for you. That being said, I will scream my lungs out during the chorus because it is spectacular.

Cry: 8.5/10 “I really hate the way you think that you can get away by blaming all your stupid problems on your mental state”

If you were at Zeitgeist this year, you may know that I performed this song there with my friend Alena Ellis ‘25. That being the case, I’m a little biased towards it. I like how singable this song is, it’s perfect for belting while you’re in the car, and how it stays consistent the whole time. For a song called “Cry,” it’s refreshingly upbeat and more angsty than sad. The pacing is really well-organized and flows like the progression of an argument very nicely.

Forever and a Day 7.5/10 “I bet we already knew our names before we met each other”

This song has such a beautiful message about meeting someone and feeling like you’ve known and loved them for a lifetime. Boone’s passionate voice conveys the feeling of giving yourself to someone for the future and the hopefulness of the time you will spend with them. The song is slower than some of the other songs on the album, but I think it suits the message well.

In The Stars 9/10 “I don’t wanna say goodbye cause this one means forever”

This song is one of my favorites on the album and part of that is just because of how personal it is to Boone and how well he puts his grief into words. In terms of tempo and production, the chorus isn’t significantly different from the verses as they are in his other songs, but the song doesn’t suffer from it. This song is more somber and less angry, so the belting chorus wouldn’t be as well-suited as the slow, reflective chorus that “In The Stars” has. A lot of Boone’s songs are tear-provoking, but I think of the other ones as more “screaming-through-tears” songs and this one is a “quietly-sobbing-with-your-knees-to-your-chest” song. 

Drunk In My Mind 6/10 “You must be joking, from taking it slowly to crashing full speed into hopelessly broken”

This song has a lot of fun wordplay, but I’m not in love with how repetitive the choruses are. Boone explores a wide vocal range between head voice and belting and talk-singing. The vibe of the song is very jazzy, but I can’t see anything particularly special about it.

My Greatest Fear 8/10 “I’ll lie there all alone, no flowers on my bones”

Boone has a crazy talent of somehow being able to make a depressing song sound upbeat and hopeful. The contrast between the lyrics in the music isn’t harsh, they pair very well, and it makes you emotional to listen to the lyrics. It’s just another song on this album that’s great to belt in the car if you need to get some feelings out.

There She Goes 6.5/10 “You’re my only ghost, come on, haunt me ‘cause I’m lonely”

I don’t have much to say about this song, in part because I’m having trouble finding meaning in the lyrics. What I can pick out seems like separation anxiety in a relationship (or maybe missing someone after you’ve broken up?), but the melody and production of the song is very satisfying in the way it progresses and builds. I don’t know if this makes sense, but musically it sounds like the opening song for a Despicable Me movie.

Hello Love 7/10 “I could try to blame you but my mind ain’t safe, like two fireworks tied to a rollerblade”

This song feels very nostalgic and magical. It has an oddly similar vibe to “Touch the Sun” from Disney’s Brave with the way that it builds to this spectacular production like a breath of fresh air; the stringed instruments in the background also contribute to this energy. It is also very singable, but its tone shifts multiple times throughout, so it’s harder to get a hand off. Boone’s ethereal falsetto takes this song to a whole different level, transitioning into those iconic, powerful belts. 

Ghost Town 9.5/10 “Maybe loving me’s the reason you can’t love yourself”

Okay first of all, I know this was a single years ago before it was on this album, but it can still be one of my favorite songs on the album. I’m probably in this song’s top 10 fans and I’ve been listening to it since it came out during the pandemic, even before I listened to any other Benson Boone songs. The piano instrumental is beautiful, the melody sits in a place in Boone’s voice where it sounds like he’s on the verge of tears, and the lyrics are beautiful in a tragic way. As a songwriter, I tend to be really picky about syllables and the way they flow with the melody of the song. This song perfectly encapsulates that smoothness and it’s literal music to my ears.

Love Of Mine 5.5/10 “Take me back and let me cry so you can hold me one more time”

This song didn’t leave a very strong impression on me, but it’s beautiful. It’s slower than I like, but it works for the song. Boone takes this song up a step by adding some really pretty harmonies to the chorus, showing off his vocal abilities in a new and refreshing way. 

Friend 8/10 “I’m trying to remember what it’s like to be young and alive”

I love the journey this song takes – starting slow and hopeful, then bursting into this gorgeous belting ballad, wrapping up with the quieter delicacy. I’m running out of new ways to describe the beauty of Benson Boone’s voice, but this song does an amazing job showing off his range and ability.

What Do You Want 6.5/10 “You felt a subtle breeze, so I ripped away my skin to warm your bones”

Boone’s voice in this song is incredibly agile–it seems to change personalities between every line. The way he flips between vocal styles effortlessly brings an impressive character to the song. This song being at the end of the album is perfect for the storyline as well–it has the energy of a grand finale. The lyrics symbolize a cathartic freedom of leaving a toxic relationship and serve as a satisfying conclusion to the album’s story arc.

This album is creatively organized and every song is well-written. Benson Boone’s vocals could never disappoint, so I’m generally blown away by the complexity of each and every song, but I think that a shorter track list could have taken this album up a step, because many of the songs started to feel redundant when listening to them back-to-back.

Overall, I think “Fireworks and Rollerblades”deserves 7.5/10.