When Benson Boone dropped out of American Idol in 2021 because he wanted to be known for his own music, it's doubtful even he imagined that his debut single, "Ghost Town" (out later the same year), would chart internationally. Two years later, with help from his strong social media base, "Beautiful Things," the lead single from his first album, topped the Billboard Global 200 chart while reaching number two on the Hot 100. That song's theatrical, rock-injected, arena-ready pop is surprisingly representative of the 15-track Fireworks & Rollerblades, an album flush with full-throated (sometimes strained) belting, earnest affirmations, self-doubt, and good relationship intentions. As foreshadowed by a credit list with 13 producers and even more co-songwriters, the debut seems to embrace "more is more" as a philosophy, with soaring melodies on even the sparest, tenderest entries ("Ghost Town," "Intro," "In the Stars," "Hello Love"). But in the tradition of one of Boone's biggest influences, Queen, that's not necessarily a bad thing. ~ Marcy Donelson