Alec Benjamin
Alec Benjamin | |
|---|---|
 Benjamin in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alec Shane Benjamin |
| Born | May 28, 1994 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Alec Shane Benjamin[4] (born May 28, 1994[5]) is an American singer-songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona. His 2018 breakthrough single "Let Me Down Slowly" reached the top 40 in over 25 countries and it has amassed over 854 million streams as of August 2021.[6]
Early life[]
Benjamin was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, but lived in Long Island, New York during kindergarten and first grade.[7] He has a sister for whom he wrote his song "If We Have Each Other."[8]
Career[]
Initially, Benjamin signed to Columbia Records, while still enrolled at University of Southern California.[9] However, Columbia Records ended their partnership weeks after he submitted his album.[10] Despite this, he went on a self-funded tour in Europe to open for Marina Kaye in France and Lea in Germany. He promoted his music by performing in parking lots outside of concert venues and handing out business cards.[10]
His song "I Built a Friend" was used as backing material for Merrick Hanna's contemporary dance audition in the 12th season of America's Got Talent. In addition, Hanna used Benjamin's cover of Lost Boy by Ruth B for his live quarter-final performance later in the season.[11]
Benjamin's mixtape Narrated For You reached number 127 on the US Billboard 200 in 2019. The mixtape features the songs "Water Fountain" and "Let Me Down Slowly", which was rereleased as a single with Alessia Cara.[12] To stay true to his roots while promoting the mixtape, he created "Can I Sing For You?" videos on YouTube in which he performs his written songs in acoustic to people in public.[13] In 2019, he recorded two singles with Spotify Studios NYC, one of which was a cover of Eminem's "Stan".[14] He performed at the music festival KAABOO in Del Mar, CA in 2019.
Benjamin's debut album These Two Windows was released on May 29, 2020. The album reached number 75 on the US Billboard 200. The album features the single "Oh My God"; the song did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart but peaked at number 32 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and at number 26 on the Adult Top 40 chart.[citation needed]. To promote the album, he brought back "The Story Behind the Story" videos on YouTube, a series he started with the original versions of "I Built a Friend" and "Water Fountain". The videos explain the background and the lyrics behind some of his biggest songs.
In addition to his solo project, Benjamin has co-written songs for artists such as Jon Bellion, and has a songwriting credit on the track "New York Soul (Part II)" from Bellion's album The Human Condition.[15]
Artistry[]
In a brief interview, Benjamin says he's influenced by Eminem, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Paul Simon, and Chris Martin of Coldplay.[16]
Personal life[]
Known for his honesty and vulnerability in his songwriting[17] and his support of mental health awareness,[18] Benjamin has stated in separate interviews that he has social anxiety[19] and OCD.[20]
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [21] |
AUS [22] |
BEL (FL) [23] |
NLD [24] |
SWI [25] |
UK [26] | ||
| These Two Windows |
|
75 | 70 | 99 | 42 | 75 | 52 |
Mixtapes[]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [21] |
US Heat. [28] |
BEL (FL) [23] |
CAN [29] |
DEN [30] |
FRA [31] |
NLD [24] |
NOR [32] |
SWE [33] | |||
| America[1] |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Narrated for You |
|
127 | 3 | 121 | 62 | 10 | 130 | 61 | 5 | 20 | |
Singles[]
As lead artist[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [38] |
AUS [39] |
BEL (FL) [23] |
CAN [40] |
DEN [41] |
IRE [42] |
NLD [24] |
NOR [43] |
SWI [25] |
UK [26] | ||||
| "Paper Crown"[44] | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "End of the Summer"[45] | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Built a Friend" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Let Me Down Slowly" (solo or featuring Alessia Cara) |
2018 | 79 | 56 | 4 | 49 | 6 | 17 | 22 | 6 | 20 | 31 | Narrated for You | |
| "Boy in the Bubble" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "If We Have Each Other" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Death of a Hero" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Annabelle's Homework" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Outrunning Karma" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "1994" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Water Fountain" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Must Have Been the Wind"[54] | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | These Two Windows | |
| "Jesus in LA"[55] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Mind Is a Prison"[56] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Demons" | 2020 | — | — | —[A] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Oh My God" | —[B] | — | —[C] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "The Book of You & I" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Six Feet Apart" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Match in the Rain" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | These Two Windows | ||
| "I Built a Friend (2020)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | These Two Windows (Part 2) | ||
| "The Way You Felt"[59] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | TBA | |
| "Change My Clothes" (with Dream) |
— | — | — | — | — | 70 [60] |
— | — | — | 67 | |||
| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
As featured artist[]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "New York Soul, Pt. ii" (Jon Bellion featuring Alec Benjamin)[61] |
2016 | The Human Condition |
| "Eyes Blue Like the Atlantic, Pt. 2" ( featuring Powfu, Alec Benjamin, and Rxseboy)[62] |
2020 | Non-album single |
Notes[]
- ^ "Demons" did not enter the Ultratop 50 chart, but peaked at number 5 on the Ultratip chart.[23]
- ^ "Oh My God" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but peaked at number 32 on the Pop Songs chart[57] and at number 26 on the Adult Pop Songs chart.[58]
- ^ "Oh My God" did not enter the Ultratop 50 chart, but peaked at number 49 on the Ultratip chart.[23]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Donelson, Marcy. "Alec Benjamin Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Alec Benjamin". Ones to Watch. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ "Narrated for You by Alec Benjamin on Apple Music". Apple Music.
- ^ alecbenjamin [@AlecBenjamin] (June 20, 2016). "Alec Shane Benjamin :)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Alec Benjamin | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Tracy, Brianne (May 29, 2020). "Alec Benjamin Talks New Album, 'Struggle' with Social Media: 'It's Harder to Just Make Music'". People. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Ginsberg, Gab (April 30, 2019). "Alec Benjamin Is Rising 'Slowly,' But Surely". Billboard.
- ^ Lin, Joanna; Wu, Wenbo (July 9, 2020). "'These Two Windows' successfully lights a match in the rain". The Tech.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin". Warnerchappel. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Theatre, Royal Oak Music. "Alec Benjamin | Royal Oak Music Theatre". www.royaloakmusictheatre.com. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "Merrick Hanna Best Dance w Judges Comments "Best Act" Quarter Finals America's Got Talent 2017 Live". YouTube.
- ^ Lukarcanin, Emina (July 2020). "Alec Benjamin Breaks Down His 'Narrated For You' Mixtape: Exclusive".
- ^ Firman, Tehrene. "Press Play on This Exclusive "Paper Crown" Music Video, Fall Totally in Love with Jersey-Wearing, Boombox-Toting Alec Benjamin". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
- ^ "Singer-Songwriter Alec Benjamin Covers Eminem's "Stan" For Spotify". Genius. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- ^ "Jon Beion - New York Soul (Part II)".
- ^ Alec Benjamin Speaks Mandarin, Talks Musical Inspiration and Upcoming Album!, retrieved 2021-06-11
- ^ "Alec Benjamin on Apple Music". Apple Music.
- ^ "alecbenjamin on Twitter". Twitter. January 30, 2021.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin Discusses His New Single "If We Have Each Other"". Youtube.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin "Mind Is A Prison" Official Lyrics & Meaning | Verified". Youtube.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Alec Benjamin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 8 June 2020". No. 1579. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 8, 2020. Cite magazine requires
|magazine=(help) - ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Discografie Alec Benjamin". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Discografie Alec Benjamin". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Discography Alec Benjamin". hitparade.ch. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Alec Benjamin | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "These Two Windows – Album by Alec Benjamin on Apple Music". Apple Music US. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin – Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin – Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ "Album Top-40 Uge 7, 2019". Hitlisten. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 28, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved July 16, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "VG-lista – Topp 40 Album uke 4, 2019". VG-lista. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ "Veckolista Album, vecka 14". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin "Narrated For You"". IFPI Denmark. November 12, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "IFPI Norge – Alec Benjamin". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Gold/Platinum - Music Canada". Music Canada. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ "Narrated For You". Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #521". auspOp. April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Track Top-40 Uge 10, 2019". Hitlisten. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
- ^ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 7, 2019". VG-lista. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- ^ "WHO IS ALEC BENJAMIN?". www.warnermusic.com.au. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin's "End Of The Summer": Premiere".
- ^ "American single certifications – Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2020 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2019". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "British certifications – Alec Benjamin". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 29, 2019. Type Alec Benjamin in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Alec Benjamin feat Alessia Cara "Let Me Down Slowly"". IFPI Denmark. August 2, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community". Hitparade.ch – Swiss Charts. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ "American single certifications – Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ "American single certifications – Alec Benjamin – Water Fountain". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Must Have Been the Wind – Single by Alec Benjamin". Apple Music. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ @AlecBenjamin (July 9, 2019). "jesus in la. out everywhere tmrw . 9:30 am PST .