Benson Boone’s sparkling debut at Coachella this year was one for the books. That’s not just because Boone finished his marvelous set with Queen’s Brian May, performing the band’s iconic Bohemian Rhapsody and his very own hit Beautiful Things, but also paid homage to the late frontman Freddie Mercury in more ways than one.
Aside from reviving the Live Aid call-and-response, Boone also rocked the stage in a vibrant, deep-neck jumpsuit, reminiscent of Mercury’s own performance picks. The Before You singer, who also notably wore skin-tight fits at the Grammys, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the nostalgic intent behind his eye-catching sartorial choices.
“My dad has always been a fanatic about Halloween and costumes,” he recalled. “Every year our family would go all out and we would do family pictures. And I think now, because of that, I see being on stage as an opportunity to dress up and be a little more of an elevated version of myself, because obviously I would never pull up to a hangout with the boys in a jumpsuit.”
Laughing, he added, “But at the same time, when I’m on stage, I want to give people something that’s interesting, fun, cool, colourful, and sparkly, something that I can move around in – sometimes that’s jumpsuits, sometimes that’s open vests with dress pants, and I’m sure it will elevate to something else.”
Boone opened his Coachella segment with a cotton gabardine jacket and wide leg trousers strapped with a leather belt flaunting a gold Devotion Heart buckle. The golden accents of the ensemble complemented the crop top’s blue straps. He later donned Dolce & Gabbana’s custom belt-strapping printed lurex long-sleeve bodysuit, which flared down the crystal-decked legs. He paired the look with a velvet cape with faux-fur train.
“I probably spent more time on my outfits than I think I ever have in my life,” he said. “But definitely the highlight was having Brian May up on stage. He is incredible and such a lovely person.”
Boone’s performance of Bohemian Rhapsody made quite the splash, eliciting cheers as the singer played the piano, tossed away his fur coat, and sprung down the platform with a flip. “It was actually my first time going to Coachella, so I really had no idea what to expect.”
After serenading the audience, he lent the spotlight to May who strummed his iconic guitar solo, though even Boone’s efforts to hype up the legendary guitarist fell short. He acknowledged the audience’s underwhelming response in a funny TikTok video.
“The crowd for sure was tough,” he admitted in the interview. “But really other than that, the experience is pretty wild. It was incredible.”