Benson Boone made it to the Top 24 on American Idol (Season 19) and then voluntarily quit the show before the live rounds began.

Quick Scoop: How far did Benson Boone go on American Idol?

  • Benson Boone auditioned for Season 19 of American Idol in 2021 and impressed all three judges, especially Katy Perry, who even said she could see him winning the show.
  • He advanced through Hollywood Week and officially reached the Top 24 contestants.
  • Before the live shows started, he chose to withdraw from the competition, so he never competed in the live performance rounds.
  • After he left, his spot in the Top 24 was filled by previously eliminated contestant Anilee List.

Why did he leave instead of going further?

Benson has explained in interviews that he didn’t want to be known mainly as “the American Idol kid” and preferred to build a career where people recognized him for his own music and songwriting rather than the show. He felt that if he stayed, people might always credit the show for his success instead of his work, so he took a risk and stepped away early to carve out his own path in the industry.

This gamble has since paid off: he’s released hit songs like “Ghost Town” and “Beautiful Things,” built a big global fanbase, and even opened for major tours, proving he could succeed without going all the way on American Idol.

Mini “trending” angle & forum-style note

On fan forums and Reddit, people still debate how far he would have gone if he’d stayed, with many saying he likely would have reached the finale or even won, given his popularity and vocal style. In hindsight, his decision to quit has become part of the “how far did Benson Boone go on American Idol” story itself—he went far enough to be a clear front-runner, then stepped away right before the show could define him.

“Back in 2021, he threw everyone for a loop by dropping out after making the top 24 — and now he’s a hitmaker in his own right.”

TL;DR: Benson Boone went as far as the Top 24 on American Idol Season 19, then quit the show before the live rounds to avoid being defined by the franchise and to build his own music career.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.