Benny Blanco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benny Blanco
Blanco in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Joseph Levin
Born	(1988-03-08) March 8, 1988 (age 37) Reston, Virginia, U.S.
Origin	Reston, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer songwriter music executive author
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Mad Love Interscope Friends Keep Secrets A&M
Signature

Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known as benny blanco, is a famous American music producer and songwriter. He has won many awards, including the Hal David Starlight Award and several BMI Songwriter of the Year awards. He also received the iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award in 2017 and has been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards.

Benny Blanco has worked with many popular artists. He has helped create songs for Ed Sheeran, BTS, Justin Bieber, Halsey, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Rihanna, and Sia. His work has contributed to albums and singles that have sold over 500 million copies worldwide.

In 2018, Benny Blanco released his first song as a main artist, "Eastside". This song featured Halsey and Khalid. It became a huge hit, reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also topped the charts in several other countries. He released his first album, Friends Keep Secrets, in December 2018. A special edition, Friends Keep Secrets 2, came out in March 2021. This album included the popular song "Lonely" with Justin Bieber. In 2025, he released the album I Said I Love You First with his wife, Selena Gomez.

Benny Blanco also started two record labels, Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets, in 2014. Through these labels, he signed artists like Tory Lanez, Jessie Ware, and Cashmere Cat. These labels later became part of A&M Records, where he now works as a general manager.

Early Life and How He Started in Music

Benjamin Joseph Levin was born on March 8, 1988, in Reston, Virginia. From a young age, he loved making music. He started by creating hip-hop beats in his room and recording his own voice.

His first big musical influences came when he was six years old. He listened to songs like Nas' "The World Is Yours" and All-4-One's "I Swear" on cassette tapes. These songs inspired his early music.

Benny Blanco's rapping skills caught the eye of The Source magazine and people at Columbia Records. His stage name, Benny Blanco, comes from a character in the 1993 movie Carlito's Way.

As a child, he went to Camp Airy in Thurmont, Maryland. There, he often performed and hosted a radio show called "Ebba Ebba." Later, he got to learn from producer Disco D after many trips to New York City.

Benny Blanco's Music Career

Working with Top Artists

Benny Blanco in his studio in 2015

Benny Blanco learned a lot from producer Dr. Luke for several years. He signed with Dr. Luke's production company. Together, they created many hit songs. These included Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Kesha's "TiK ToK". They also worked on Taio Cruz's "Dynamite".

In 2008, Benny Blanco helped write and produce Britney Spears' song "Circus." This song was very popular. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was also one of the best-selling songs worldwide in 2009.

By 2011, Benny Blanco started creating hits on his own. He worked on Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" and Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts". He also helped with Maroon 5's album Overexposed. This album included the hit song "Payphone" with Wiz Khalifa.

In 2013, Benny Blanco received the Hal David Starlight Award. This award honors young artists who have made a big impact on music. He joked that he felt like he should be serving food to the other famous people there.

Since then, Benny Blanco has created 29 number-one songs. He has worked with many stars. These include BTS, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and Halsey.

He was named Producer of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2017. In 2025, he was nominated for two Latin Billboard Awards.

Benny Blanco's Own Music Projects

Benny Blanco in 2008

In 2007, Benny Blanco worked with rappers Spank Rock. They released an EP called Spank Rock and Benny Blanco Are... "Bangers & Cash". This project used samples from 2 Live Crew and got a lot of attention.

In July 2018, Benny Blanco released his first song as a solo artist, "Eastside." It featured Halsey and Khalid. The song was a huge success around the world. It reached number one in New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, and the UK. It also made it to the top ten in many other countries.

Later in 2018, he released more singles: "I Found You" with Calvin Harris, "Better to Lie" with Jesse and Swae Lee, and "Roses" with Juice Wrld and Brendon Urie. His first album, Friends Keep Secrets, came out in December 2018.

In January 2019, Benny Blanco released "I Found You / Nilda's Story" with Calvin Harris and Miguel. This song helped launch a fund to support people seeking safety in the United States.

He continued to release popular songs. In February 2019, he released "I Can't Get Enough" with Tainy, Selena Gomez, and J Balvin. In August 2019, he released "Graduation" with Juice Wrld.

In October 2020, Benny Blanco worked with Justin Bieber on the song "Lonely." Other singles like "Real ..." with Juice Wrld and "Unlearn" with Gracie Abrams followed.

A special version of his album, Friends Keep Secrets 2, was released in March 2021. It quickly became a platinum-certified album.

In August 2022, Benny Blanco released "Bad Decisions." This song featured BTS members Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, along with Snoop Dogg.

In December 2023, a song by Juice Wrld with Benny Blanco and Eminem called "Lace It" was released after Juice Wrld's passing.

In October 2024, Benny Blanco released "Degenere" with Myke Towers. This song quickly reached number one on several Latin music charts.

In February 2025, Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez announced their collaborative album, I Said I Love You First. It was released on March 21, 2025. "Scared of Loving You" was the first song from the album. In August 2025, their song "Ojos Tristes" with The Marías also hit number one on Latin charts.

Other Projects and Books

Cooking Shows and TV Appearances

Benny Blanco also enjoys cooking! In March 2020, he and chef Matty Matheson started a cooking show on YouTube called Matty and Benny Eat Out America. In the first episode, Benny Blanco even taught Matty Matheson how to rap. They had guests like Lil Dicky and Diplo.

In April 2020, Benny Blanco appeared on the TV show Dave on FXX. He played a version of himself in the first two seasons.

In March 2021, he and chef Matty Matheson launched another cooking show on YouTube, called Stupid Cooking Show.

Writing a Cookbook

Benny Blanco's first book, Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends, was published in April 2024. He wrote it with Jess Damuck. The book quickly became a bestseller on lists like The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Open Wide is a guide to entertaining and includes Benny Blanco's own recipes. It also features dishes and advice from his friends, including Matty Matheson and Lil Dicky.

Benny Blanco's Record Labels

In 2014, Benny Blanco started two record labels under Interscope: Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets. These labels helped launch the careers of artists like Cashmere Cat and Jessie Ware.

By 2024, these labels became part of a new A&M Records label, which Benny Blanco now helps manage.

Personal Life

Benny Blanco has been in a relationship with Selena Gomez since June 2023. They announced their engagement in December 2024. They were officially married on September 27, 2025, in California.

Discography

As producer

Extended plays

Studio albums

Reissues

Songwriting and Production Work

Benny Blanco has written and produced many songs for famous artists. These include:

• Ed Sheeran ("Don't" and "Castle on the Hill")
• Justin Bieber ("Love Yourself")
• Major Lazer ("Cold Water")
• Maroon 5 ("Moves Like Jagger", "Payphone", "Maps", "Animals", "Don't Wanna Know")
• Katy Perry ("Teenage Dream", "California Gurls")
• Rihanna ("Diamonds")
• Kesha ("TiK ToK", "We R Who We R")
• Taio Cruz ("Dynamite")
• Wiz Khalifa ("Work Hard, Play Hard")
• Gym Class Heroes ("Stereo Hearts")
• Kanye West ("I Thought About ... You", "Ghost Town")
• Lil Dicky ("Freaky Friday")
• Tory Lanez ("Luv")

Awards and Nominations

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Benny Blanco para niños