Alec Benjamin
American singer and songwriter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alec Shane Benjamin (born May 28, 1994) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, his 2018 breakthrough Let Me Down Slowly from his album Narrated for You reached the top 40 in over 25 countries.
Alec Benjamin | |
|---|---|
Benjamin in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alec Shane Benjamin |
| Born | May 28, 1994 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | youtube |
Life and career
Summarize
Perspective
Alec Shane Benjamin was born on May 28, 1994, in Phoenix, Arizona,[5][6] where he and his sister were raised.[7] He started writing songs at 13 and learning guitar in high school,[8][9] and released his first extended play (EP) America in 2013.[6]
Benjamin signed with Columbia Records and enrolled at the University of Southern California. However, Columbia Records ended their partnership weeks after he submitted his album.[7] After termination of his partnership with Columbia Records, he went on a self-funded tour in Europe, opening for Marina Kaye in France and Lea in Germany. He promoted his music by performing in parking lots outside concert venues and handing out business cards to passersby.[10]
Benjamin's mixtape Narrated for You was released on November 16, 2018. It features the songs "If We Have Each Other”, "Water Fountain," "Annabelle's Homework," and "Let Me Down Slowly". "Let Me Down Slowly" was later re-released as a single with Alessia Cara.[11] While promoting the mixtape, he started creating the "Can I Sing for You?" videos on YouTube, in which he performs acoustic versions of his songs for people in public.[12]
Benjamin's debut studio album These Two Windows was released on May 29, 2020. It peaked at number 8 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart.[13] His second album, (Un)Commentary, followed on April 15, 2022.[14][15]
In 2023, he opened for John Mayer for a portion of Mayer's North American tour. He also performed at the annual Minecraft Live, singing a parody of his song "Let Me Down Slowly" using words from the Minecraft game universe.[16] Additionally, he began releasing tracks from his upcoming album, 12 Notes, which was released on May 10, 2024.
He occasionally records Mandarin versions of his songs, having been inspired by his dad who’s incorporated Chinese culture into his work as a medical doctor through acupuncture and eastern medicine.[17] He collaborated with popular Chinese actress Zhao Lusi on a Mandarin version of "Water Fountain".[18]
Influences
Benjamin has cited influences such as Eminem,[19] John Mayer,[20] Jason Mraz, Paul Simon, Joe Venneri and Chris Martin of Coldplay.[21] He has also expressed admiration for Kendrick Lamar[22] and classic singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Carole King,[23] and Jackson Browne.[24]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [25] |
AUS [26] |
BEL (FL) [27] |
NLD [28] |
SWI [29] |
UK [30] | ||
| These Two Windows |
|
75 | 70 | 99 | 42 | 75 | 52 |
| (Un)Commentary | — | — | — | 84 | 62 | — | |
| 12 Notes |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Mixtapes
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [25] |
US Heat. [33] |
BEL (FL) [27] |
CAN [34] |
DEN [35] |
FRA [36] |
NLD [28] |
NOR [37] |
SWE [38] | |||
| Narrated for You |
|
127 | 3 | 121 | 62 | 10 | 130 | 59 | 5 | 20 | |
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| America[1] |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [45] |
AUS [46] |
BEL (FL) [27] |
CAN [47] |
DEN [48] |
IRE [49] |
NLD [28] |
NOR [50] |
SWI [29] |
UK [30] | ||||
| "Paper Crown"[51] | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "End of the Summer"[52] | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Way to Nowhere" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Built a Friend" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Let Me Down Slowly" (solo or featuring Alessia Cara) |
2018 | 79 | 56 | 4 | 49 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 6 | 20 | 31 | Narrated for You | |
| "Boy in the Bubble"[58][59][60] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "If We Have Each Other" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Death of a Hero"[62][63][64] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Outrunning Karma"[65][66] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "1994"[67][68] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Must Have Been the Wind"[69] | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | These Two Windows | |
| "Jesus in LA"[70] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Mind Is a Prison"[71] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "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)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "The Way You Felt"[74] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | (Un)Commentary | |
| "Change My Clothes" (with Dream) |
— | — | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | 67 | Non-album single | ||
| "Older" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | (Un)Commentary | ||
| "Shadow of Mine" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Speakers" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Devil Doesn't Bargain" | — | — | — | — | — | — | —[D] | 30 | — | 95 | |||
| "Different Kind of Beautiful"[76] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 Notes | |
| "I Sent My Therapist to Therapy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Pick Me" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "King Size Bed" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Found You First" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" 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)[77] |
2016 | The Human Condition |
| "Eyes Blue Like the Atlantic, Pt. 2" (Sista Prod featuring Powfu, Alec Benjamin, and Rxseboy)[78] |
2020 | Non-album single |
Other certified songs
Notes
- "Demons" did not enter the Ultratop 50 chart, but peaked at number 5 on the Ultratip chart.[27]
- "Oh My God" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but peaked at number 32 on the Pop Songs chart[72] and at number 26 on the Adult Pop Songs chart.[73]
- "Oh My God" did not enter the Ultratop 50 chart, but peaked at number 49 on the Ultratip chart.[27]
- "Devil Doesn't Bargain" did not enter the Single Top 100, but reached number 11 on its extension, the Single Tip.[75]
References
External links
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