𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐮𝐥 ━━━━━ ✶⋆.

[Cat]

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𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒
'by benson boonexxxlength of song. 3 minutes and 12 secondsxxxword count. 1,137xxxrating. 3/10
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in the ever-shifting landscape of modern pop music, new voices emerge with startling intensity—voices that connect with wide audiences in visceral, immediate ways. benson boone, who first gained attention through tiktok and later american idol, has established himself as one such voice. his latest single, “beautiful things,” has made significant waves, quickly climbing charts and resonating deeply with listeners around the globe.

and yet, i’ll be honest: i don’t personally enjoy the sound of “beautiful things.” something about its sonic palette—the production choices, vocal delivery, or even the overall energy—doesn’t quite align with my musical taste. but if we’re being fair (and let’s be fair), it’s incredibly easy to see why others are moved by it. boone’s sincerity, emotional vulnerability, and well-crafted songwriting are undeniable. so, with that in mind, this review won’t be a teardown from a place of taste, but rather a celebration of a song that, while not for me, holds real beauty for many others.


「 ── lyrical vulnerability: wearing his heart on his sleeve ⋆
one of the first things that jumps out when listening to “beautiful things” is how emotionally transparent it is. boone doesn’t hide behind metaphor or abstraction. he leads with open-hearted honesty, grappling with the fear of losing the good things in his life—a universal anxiety if there ever was one. the lyrics, “please stay, i want you, i need you, oh god / don’t take these beautiful things that i’ve got,” lay bare a soul clinging tightly to love, stability, and joy.

for fans of emotionally expressive music, this song hits hard. it evokes the same emotional gravity as tracks by lewis capaldi or dean lewis—artists who’ve also made a name for themselves by singing directly to the ache we carry around, often in silence. boone taps into that same space, and does so with sincerity. whether it's romantic love, family, mental health, or the dread of impermanence, “beautiful things” invites the listener into a safe emotional space where vulnerability is not only accepted, but celebrated.


「 ── a voice made for ballads ⋆
there’s no denying that benson boone’s voice is technically impressive. he has a naturally powerful tenor range with the kind of elasticity that makes songs like this soar. he belts without strain, emotes with clarity, and rides the rise and fall of the melody with grace. it’s easy to imagine listeners being captivated by the crescendo of the chorus, which transforms from a gentle piano-led reflection into an impassioned plea.

boone’s vocal timbre has a rawness to it that might remind some of early sam smith or dermot kennedy. that slightly gravelly edge, paired with emotional delivery, gives the track a lived-in authenticity. for those who enjoy vocally driven ballads, boone’s performance is the highlight of the entire piece. even listeners who don’t follow his entire discography might stop in their tracks during a first listen simply because he sounds like he means every word.


「 ── production that serves the emotion ⋆
the song begins quietly—just boone and a few piano chords, giving it a confessional tone. the production, handled with a light but deliberate touch, builds gradually. subtle string swells, ambient background textures, and a slowly developing rhythm section all help create emotional tension. when the full instrumentation finally kicks in during the chorus, it feels earned rather than forced. there’s a swell to the sound that mirrors the emotional swell of the lyrics—like a heart cracking open in real time.

for many, that kind of build is deeply satisfying. it’s cinematic in structure, almost like a musical catharsis you might find in a coming-of-age film montage. the dynamics are carefully shaped to guide the listener through waves of feeling, and for those attuned to music as an emotional experience, this song delivers on that front impressively.


「 ── universality in the subject matter ⋆
part of the song’s wide appeal can be attributed to its thematic content. “beautiful things” touches on a kind of joy that feels too precious, too fragile. the narrator reflects on the good in his life—whether that’s love, stability, peace, or healing—and fears that it might vanish. it’s the emotional equivalent of holding a butterfly in your hands and being afraid it will fly away.

this is a relatable fear. many people live with an ambient anxiety that the best things in life—whether relationships, mental clarity, or simply good days—are fleeting. in this sense, the song captures a very human desire: to hold on. boone gives voice to that desire in a way that’s plainspoken and immediate.


「 ── for fans of heart-on-sleeve pop, it’s a home run ⋆
though i don’t find myself returning to this kind of sound often, it’s clear that boone’s style aligns beautifully with a growing genre of emotionally charged, ballad-forward pop. he joins the ranks of artists like alec benjamin, finneas, or even ed sheeran—singer-songwriters who thrive in moments of lyrical intimacy and emotional intensity.

listeners who crave that kind of music—the kind that feels like a personal diary set to melody—will likely find “beautiful things” to be exactly what they’re looking for. it’s polished enough for mainstream radio, but still carries enough emotional grit to feel authentic.


「 ── audience connection & cultural impact ⋆
another reason why “beautiful things” resonates is because it feels personal, even when played through headphones in a crowded subway. it’s the kind of song that invites personal reflection. it’s been used widely in tiktok trends, often set to vulnerable storytelling or slideshows of loved ones—further proof that its emotional undercurrents are connecting with people deeply.

even though the song doesn’t align with my own musical tastes, i can appreciate the cultural moment it’s having. it’s not an empty pop song trying to be deep; it’s a genuinely heartfelt expression, and that’s something i’ll always respect—even if i won’t be putting it on repeat.


「 ── final thoughts ⋆
“beautiful things” by benson boone is a delicate, powerful pop ballad that leans into raw emotion, soaring vocals, and relatable themes of fear, love, and impermanence. it’s not a track that personally resonates with me in terms of sound or style—i tend to gravitate toward more experimental textures or nuanced lyrical abstraction—but i recognize and respect the immense care that went into it.

for those who love emotional, straightforward ballads that cut straight to the heart, this song is a gem. boone delivers vulnerability without pretense and sings with a voice that begs to be heard. it’s no surprise it’s resonating with so many people—and if emotional release, heartfelt vocals, and universal themes are your thing, then “beautiful things” will likely be a meaningful addition to your playlist.

not every song has to be for everyone. but every song that touches someone’s heart has value. and in that regard, “beautiful things” absolutely earns its place.​

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[Cat]

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𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋, 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒
'by underscoresxxxlength of song. 5 minutes and 4 secondsxxxword count. 1,143xxxrating. 7/10
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when something abrasive feels like home in the wrong way

every once in a while, a song comes along that punches straight through the walls you didn’t even know you’d built. that’s what underscores’ “shoot to kill, kill your darlings” did to me. what makes my enjoyment of this track so surprising is that, on paper, it’s not something i’d normally vibe with. it’s chaotic, abrasive, layered in distortion, and emotionally disorienting. but somehow, those exact traits are what make it so captivating.

this isn’t comfort-listening. this is suffocating, serrated, and sharp-edged from the moment it starts to unravel. and that’s precisely why it sticks.


「 ── the art of the breakdown: chaos as composition ⋆
at its core, “shoot to kill, kill your darlings” thrives on tension and collapse. the song plays out like a self-destruction anthem—an intentional mess that becomes more meaningful the longer you sit with it. it sounds like it’s trying to shake itself apart, like it’s resisting its own structure in real-time. and while that might sound like a criticism, it's actually what gives the song so much raw, honest energy.

from a compositional standpoint, underscores is doing something incredibly smart: blending the harsh aesthetics of glitch, hyperpop, emo-tronica, and digital punk into something that feels post-genre. the sonic overload—clipped vocals, sudden beat switches, layered static—becomes an intentional commentary. it mirrors the content. the suffocating feeling isn’t accidental. it’s part of the design.


「 ── suffocation as a mood, not a flaw ⋆
there’s something emotionally claustrophobic about this track. it doesn't give you breathing room—not in its lyrics, not in its sound design. listening feels like being trapped inside someone else’s downward spiral. every sound has weight. every distortion is a sigh of frustration. every disjointed shift in rhythm or pitch feels like a panic attack in progress.

and strangely? that resonates.

the title alone—“shoot to kill, kill your darlings”—invokes both violence and sacrifice. the creative implication of “killing your darlings” (letting go of the parts of yourself or your work that you love, for the sake of growth or survival) takes on a much darker tone here. it's not about artistic pruning—it’s about emotional annihilation.

the suffocation isn't just sonic. it's thematic. it’s existential.


「 ── lyrical density and inner conflict ⋆
underscores doesn’t spoon-feed lyrics. they’re often buried beneath effects, fractured between lines, or delivered in a half-whisper/half-scream that’s hard to parse on first listen. but that ambiguity works in the song’s favor. it forces you to dig.

the lyrics that do come through read like intrusive thoughts dressed up in brutalist poetry. phrases hit like fragments from a manifesto—charged, confused, painful. there’s a disconnect between what’s said and how it’s presented, but that mismatch reinforces the core message: you can’t trust your own narrative anymore.

there’s a desperate kind of honesty at play. not the polished, instagram-filtered kind. the kind you only hear in the middle of the night, whispered into a cracked iphone screen or spilled across a notebook you don’t plan to show anyone.


「 ── a sound you’re not meant to “like” ⋆
here’s where things get interesting for me personally: i usually don’t gravitate toward music like this. i love precision, lush melody, musical clarity. “shoot to kill, kill your darlings” offers none of that on the surface. it’s jagged. it glitches. it punches and pulls back. but instead of pushing me away, that violence draws me in.

why? because it feels true. it sounds like the internal dialogue no one wants to admit they’re having. like the exact noise playing inside your head when everything’s crumbling, but you still have to smile at someone in the hallway. it’s the sonic equivalent of silently screaming while your hands stay folded in your lap.

that kind of contradiction is addictive—especially when it’s pulled off with this much intentionality.


「 ── production as perspective ⋆
there’s a tendency in modern pop to over-polish everything—to clean up the edges and level the volume until it’s palatable. underscores does the opposite here. every production choice is used to unsettle.

• the drums are abrasive and sometimes off-grid, like they’re skipping a heartbeat.
• vocal layering is messy on purpose, often hard-panned or pitch-shifted until they resemble digital hallucinations.
• melodies are hinted at, then erased mid-bar.
• even silence is weaponized, used to create tension between sonic bursts.

this isn’t about being catchy. it’s about being unignorable.


「 ── for fans of… or not? ⋆
it’s hard to categorize this track in terms of genre or typical fanbase. fans of 100 gecs, arca, dorian electra, or nine inch nails might find something familiar in the chaos. but even if those names don’t appeal to you, the song might still hit—especially if you’ve ever been in a mental space where clarity and calm were impossible to access.

if you’re someone who doesn’t usually reach for glitchy, noisy, deliberately uncomfortable music… this track might surprise you. in the best (or worst) way.


「 ── a personal reaction: it shouldn’t work, but it does ⋆
i’m still surprised by how much i love this song. every time i listen, i expect to finally grow tired of it—to feel the noise grind away at me. but i don’t. it somehow slips under my skin. it scratches the part of my brain that needs things to be ugly but honest. and even when it makes me feel trapped, panicked, or uncertain—that’s the point.

this song isn’t easy. but it gets it. it gets what it feels like to drown quietly in your own thoughts. to be hyper-aware of every decision, every misstep, every moment you weren’t enough. it doesn’t offer peace. it offers recognition. and sometimes, that’s more valuable.


「 ── final thoughts ⋆
“shoot to kill, kill your darlings” isn’t trying to be liked. it’s not designed to soothe or uplift. it’s a song born from breakdowns, stitched together with tension, and framed in noise. but underneath the sonic wreckage lies something intensely human: a desperate plea to hold on, even when everything inside is falling apart.

for me, the track is powerful because it shouldn’t work. i shouldn’t enjoy it. it defies all my usual taste. but it’s exactly that chaos, that sonic suffocation, that makes it feel so strangely necessary.

if you’ve ever needed a song that reflects your own inner static—this is it.​

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