Benny Blanco | |
|---|---|
 Blanco in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Benjamin Joseph Levin (1988-03-08)March 8, 1988 (age 37) Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.[1] |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | Pop[2] |
| Occupations |
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| Works | Benny Blanco production discography |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | |
Spouse | |
| Website | benny-blanco |
| Signature | |
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Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally asBenny Blanco (stylized inall lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013Hal David Starlight Award from theSongwriters Hall of Fame.[3] Blanco has also won fiveBMI Songwriter of the Year Awards, won the 2017iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award, and received elevenGrammy Award nominations.[4]
He was initially mentored byDr. Luke, who signed him to his production company Kasz Money Productions. Blanco was thereafter credited on various productions with Luke from 2008 to the mid-2010s. Since then, Blanco has contributed to albums and singles that have sold a cumulative 500 millionalbum-equivalent units; having produced or co-written forEd Sheeran,BTS,Eminem,Justin Bieber,Halsey,Katy Perry,Maroon 5,Christina Aguilera,Kesha,Britney Spears,Rihanna,Sia,the Weeknd,Kanye West,Avicii,Adam Lambert,Charlie Puth,Keith Urban,OneRepublic,Wiz Khalifa,J Balvin,Ariana Grande,Kali Uchis,Juice Wrld, andSZA, among others.
In July 2018, Blanco released his debut single as a lead artist, "Eastside" (with Halsey andKhalid).[5] The song peaked at number nine on the USBillboard Hot 100—marking his 27th top-ten song as a writer, a sum which includes seven number-one singles on the chart—while peaking the charts in four countries, and reaching the top ten in several others.[6] Each released that same year, Blanco's follow-up singles—"I Found You" (withCalvin Harris), "Better to Lie" (withJesse andSwae Lee) and "Roses" (withBrendon Urie andJuice Wrld)—preceded the release of his debut studio album,Friends Keep Secrets, in December.[7] A deluxe issue, titledFriends Keep Secrets 2 was released in March 2021, a date which coincided with the original receiving a platinum certification from theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The latter spawned the top 40 single "Lonely" (with Justin Bieber).[8] With his wifeSelena Gomez, they released the albumI Said I Love You First in 2025.
Blanco has founded two labels as imprints ofInterscope Records—Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets—in 2014, through both of which he has signed artists includingTory Lanez,Jessie Ware, andCashmere Cat, among others.[9] After both labels dissolved a decade later, he signed withA&M Records, an imprint of Interscope, where he became a general manager.[10] In October 2025, Blanco left A&M and was replaced by formerElektra Records co-president, Gregg Nadel.
Benjamin Joseph Levin[11][12] was born on March 8, 1988,[13] inGrand Prairie, Texas.[1] He isJewish.[14][15] He began producing hip-hop instrumentals in his bedroom and recording his own vocals on top of them. His first serious exposure to music came in 1994, when he was six years old withNas's "The World Is Yours" andAll-4-One's "I Swear" on cassette tapes, which influenced his early productions.[16][17] After early experiments with beat making and recording himself on his boombox, Blanco's rapping earned the attention ofThe Source magazine[18] and executives atColumbia Records.
His stage name came from the fictional character of the same name (played byJohn Leguizamo) in the 1993 filmCarlito's Way, and was a reference to him being a white rapper.[19]
He attendedCamp Airy for many years of his childhood inThurmont, Maryland, where he would routinely perform and host a radio show under the name "Ebba Ebba". Blanco eventually secured an apprenticeship with producerDisco D after multiple trips to New York City from his home in Virginia to meet with labels and producers.[17]
Blanco was mentored for several years byDr. Luke, who signed Blanco to his production company Kasz Money Productions.[20] While under Dr. Luke's tutelage, Blanco co-produced and co-wrote many songs, including hits such asKaty Perry's "Teenage Dream",Kesha's "TiK ToK", andTaio Cruz's "Dynamite".
In 2008, he took part in writing and producingBritney Spears' "Circus" (with Dr. Luke, andClaude Kelly). The song reached number three on theBillboardHot 100 and number one on American pop radio and is her second-best-selling digital song in the United States, having sold over 3.2 million downloads as of July 2016.[21] On a global scale, "Circus" was one of the top 10 best-selling songs of 2009 with 5.5 million digital copies sold that year across the world, according to theIFPI.[22]
In 2011, Blanco wrote and produced his first charting hits without Dr. Luke, among them Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" andGym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts". The same year, Blanco went on to work on Maroon 5'sPlatinum-selling albumOverexposed and its lead single "Payphone" featuringWiz Khalifa.[23]
On June 13, 2013, Blanco was presented with theHal David Starlight Award at the 44th AnnualSongwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, an honor awarded to young artists who have already made an impression on the music industry.[24] In his acceptance speech, he joked, "They picked the wrong person, I'm in a room with people I should probably be serving food to."[25]
In the years since, Blanco has amassed 29 total number-one songs and is recognized for his achievements with artists includingBTS,Gracie Abrams,Ed Sheeran,Justin Bieber,the Weeknd,Selena Gomez,Ariana Grande,Britney Spears,Lana Del Rey,Miguel,Halsey, andCamila Cabello.
Blanco was named Producer of the Year at the 2017iHeartRadio Music Awards.[26]
In 2025, Blanco was nominated for Latin Billboard Award for Latin Pop Song of the Year, and won Crossover Artist of the Year.
On November 7th, 2025, Blanco received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording for Bluest Flame with Selena Gomez.
In 2007, Blanco teamed up with Baltimore rapper Spank Rock to releaseSpank Rock and Benny Blanco Are... "Bangers & Cash", a collaborativeEP for both artists based on2 Live Crew samples that caught the attention of many in the industry and sparked connections to future collaboratorsAmanda Blank andSantigold. The EP received acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and more.
In July 2018, Blanco released his debut song as a standalone solo artist, "Eastside" featuringHalsey andKhalid, on his own label Friends Keep Secrets withInterscope Records. The song peaked at number nine on theBillboard Hot 100, and was also a global success, topping the charts in New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and peaking within the top ten of the charts in several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, and Norway.[27] Later in 2018, he released his second, third, and fourth singles: "I Found You" withCalvin Harris, "Better to Lie" withJesse andSwae Lee, and "Roses" withJuice Wrld featuringBrendon Urie, respectively.[28] His debut albumFriends Keep Secrets was released on December 7, 2018.[29]
In January 2019, Blanco released "I Found You / Nilda's Story" withCalvin Harris andMiguel in conjunction with the launch of The While They Wait Fund to benefitasylum seekers in the United States, an initiative by Brooklyn Defender Services,Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services andAmerican Civil Liberties Union.[30][31] The song debuted with a video directed byJake Schreier highlighting the story of oneHonduran woman, Nilda, and her two-year-old son Keyden.[32]
In February 2019, Blanco released "I Can't Get Enough" withTainy,Selena Gomez, andJ Balvin. On August 30, 2019, Blanco released a song with Juice Wrld called "Graduation", their second collaboration after "Roses".[33]
In October 2020, Blanco released his first artist collaboration withJustin Bieber titled "Lonely".[34] The second and third singles ("Real Shit" with Juice Wrld[35] and "Unlearn" withGracie Abrams[36]) followed in December 2020 and March 2021, respectively.
A deluxe version of his albumFriends Keep Secrets 2 was released on March 26, 2021, and was certifiedRIAA platinum on the day of release.[8]
On August 5, 2022, Blanco released his first artist collaboration withBTS membersJin,Jimin,V, andJungkook as well asSnoop Dogg titled "Bad Decisions".[37]
On December 16, 2023, a posthumous Juice Wrld song with Blanco andEminem titled "Lace It" was released.[38]
On October 17, 2024, Blanco released a collaboration withMyke Towers, the song "Degenere" reached #1 on the Latin Pop Chart, Latin Airplay Chart and Billboard's Latin Rhythm Chart.
In February 2025, Blanco and fiancée Selena Gomez announced a collaborative album,I Said I Love You First, which was released on March 21, 2025. "Scared of Loving You" was the first track to be released from the album.[39] On August 25, 2025, their collaboration with The Marías “Ojos Tristes” reached #1 on the overall Latin Chart, Latin Pop Chart and Urban Latin Chart.
On November 14th, 2025 Blanco released a collaboration withNetón Vega titled "Perro Fiel".
On March 9, 2020, Blanco and acclaimed chefMatty Matheson debuted a new collaborative cooking show,Matty and Benny Eat Out America, on Blanco'sYouTube channel. The first episode featured a behind-the-scenes visit to fellow YouTuberKenny Beats's showThe Cave where Blanco teaches Matheson to rap. Additional episodes includedLil Dicky,Mason Ramsey,Diplo,Laird Hamilton and more.[40]
On April 16, 2020, Blanco made his TV debut playing a fictionalized version of himself on the first and second seasons of theFXX seriesDave withLil Dicky.[41]
On March 31, 2021, Blanco and chefMatty Matheson debuted a new cooking show on Blanco's YouTube channel, calledStupid F*cking Cooking Show.[42]
Blanco's first book,Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends,[43] was published on April 30, 2024, by Dey Street Books/HarperCollins.[44] Co-authored withJess Damuck,Open Wide debuted on best seller lists fromThe New York Times,Los Angeles Times andUSA Today,[45] sitting onThe New York Times list for two weeks at publication. The book is a guide to entertaining and features Blanco's own recipes as well as dishes and advice from friends includingMatty Matheson,Lil Dicky,Mike Solomonov, Mario Carbone andEric André.
In 2014, Blanco founded two imprint labels underInterscope, Mad Love Records andFriends Keep Secrets.[46] The label includes the following artists, many of whom were initially signed with the former, which served as its predecessor.[47]
As of 2024, they were both defunct, andInterscope relaunched a newA&M Records label, operated by Blanco (until October 2025).[54]
Blanco has been in a relationship withSelena Gomez since June 2023.[55][56] They formally announced their engagement on December 11, 2024, following a period of media speculation[57][58] and were married on September 27, 2025 at the Sea Crest Nursery inSanta Barbara, California.[59][60]
| Title | Details | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| Bangers & Cash (withSpank Rock) |
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [62] | AUS [63] | CAN [64] | DEN [65] | GER [66] | IRE [67] | NOR [68] | NZ [69] | SWE [70] | UK [71] | ||||
| Friends Keep Secrets |
| 41 | 39 | 21 | — | — | 74 | 35 | — | — | — | ||
| I Said I Love You First (withSelena Gomez) | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 45 | 4 | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| IRE [67] | ||
| Friends Keep Secrets 2 |
| 97 |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [73] | AUS [74] | CAN [75] | DEN [65] | GER [66] | IRE [67] | NOR [68] | NZ [69] | SWE [70] | UK [71] | |||||
| "Eastside" (withHalsey andKhalid) | 2018 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | Friends Keep Secrets | ||
| "I Found You" (withCalvin Harris) | — | 54 | 95 | — | — | 24 | — | —[A] | 86 | 29 | ||||
| "Better to Lie" (withJesse andSwae Lee) | — | — | — | — | — | 88 | — | —[B] | —[C] | — | ||||
| "Roses" (withJuice Wrld featuringBrendon Urie) | 85 | — | 58 | — | — | 81 | 38 | —[D] | —[E] | — | ||||
| "I Found You / Nilda's Story" (with Calvin Harris andMiguel) | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "I Can't Get Enough" (withTainy,Selena Gomez andJ Balvin) | 66 | 43 | 33 | — | 53 | 20 | — | —[F] | 53 | 42 | I Said I Love You First | |||
| "Graduation" (with Juice Wrld) | —[G] | — | 90 | — | — | 56 | — | —[H] | — | 88 | Friends Keep Secrets 2 | |||
| "Lonely" (withJustin Bieber) | 2020 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 17 | Justice andFriends Keep Secrets 2 | ||
| "Real Shit" (with Juice Wrld) | 72 | 52 | 52 | — | — | 57 | — | —[I] | —[J] | 75 | Friends Keep Secrets 2 | |||
| "You" (withMarshmello andVance Joy) | 2021 | — | 55 | 62 | — | — | 77 | — | —[K] | 38 | — | |||
| "Unlearn" (withGracie Abrams)[97] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Bad Decisions" (withBTS andSnoop Dogg) | 2022 | 10 | 31 | 31 | — | 89 | 63 | — | —[L] | —[M] | 53 |
| Non-album single | |
| "Lace It" (with Juice Wrld andEminem) | 2023 | 85 | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | —[N] | — | 95 | The Party Never Ends | ||
| "Degenere" (withMyke Towers) | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | La Pantera Negra | ||
| "Call Me When You Break Up" (with Selena Gomez and Gracie Abrams) | 2025 | 46 | 84 | 41 | — | 61 | 37 | — | —[O] | —[P] | 28 | I Said I Love You First | ||
| "Sunset Blvd" (with Selena Gomez) | 97 | — | 79 | — | — | — | — | —[Q] | — | 100 | ||||
| "Ojos Tristes" (with Selena Gomez andthe Marías) | 56 | — | 83 | — | — | — | — | —[R] | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [90] | CAN [75] | NZ Hot [105] | ||||
| "Scared of Loving You" (with Selena Gomez) | 2025 | 12 | 97 | 14 | I Said I Love You First | |
| "Younger and Hotter Than Me" (with Selena Gomez) | 2 | 85 | 11 | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that territory. | ||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [73] | CAN [75] | IRE [67] | NZ Hot [104] | UK [71] | WW [106] | |||
| "Don't Wanna Cry" (with Selena Gomez) | 2025 | —[S] | — | — | — | — | — | I Said I Love You First |
| "Cowboy" (with Selena Gomez) | —[T] | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bluest Flame" (with Selena Gomez) | —[U] | 92 | 17 | 13 | 55 | — | ||
| "How Does It Feel to Be Forgotten" (with Selena Gomez) | 71 | 63 | 81 | 10 | 86 | 98 | ||
| "Talk" (with Selena Gomez) | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | I Said I Love You First... And You Said It Back | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart in that territory. | ||||||||
Blanco has written and produced songs for artists includingEd Sheeran ("Don't" and "Castle on the Hill"),[107]Justin Bieber ("Love Yourself"),Major Lazer ("Cold Water"),Maroon 5 ("Moves Like Jagger", "Payphone", "Maps", "Animals", "Don't Wanna Know"),the Weeknd ("True Colors"),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 Killing You", "Ghost Town")Lil Dicky ("Freaky Friday"),Tory Lanez ("Luv").[108]
| Award ceremony | Year | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI Awards | 2011 | benny blanco | Pop Songwriter of the Year | Won | |
| 2012 | Won | ||||
| "Moves like Jagger" (Maroon 5) | Song of the Year | Won | [109] | ||
| benny blanco | R&B/ Hip Hop Songwriter of the Year | Won | |||
| benny blanco | Pop Songwriter of the Year | Won | |||
| 2013 | benny blanco | Urban Songwriter of the Year | Won | [110][111] | |
| 2014 | Pop Songwriter of the Year | Won | [109] | ||
| 2024 | benny blanco | Presidents Award | Won | [112] | |
| Clio Awards | 2019 | "I Found You / Nilda's Story" (Benny Blanco,Calvin Harris, andMiguel) | Music Videos | Gold | [113] |
| Direction | Gold | ||||
| Golden Globe Awards | 2017 | "Faith" (Stevie Wonder featuringAriana Grande) | Best Original Song | Nominated | |
| Grammy Awards | 2011 | Teenage Dream | Album of the Year | Nominated | [114] |
| 2013 | "Heart Attack" | Best R&B Song | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | x | Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Purpose | Nominated | |||
| "Love Yourself" | Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Luv" | Best R&B Song | Nominated | |||
| Benny Blanco | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | "Issues" | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2022 | "Lonely" | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Nominated | ||
| Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) | Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Special | Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2026 | "Bluest Flame" | Best Dance Pop Recording | Pending | ||
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2017 | "Love Yourself" (Justin Bieber) | Best Lyrics | Won | [115] |
| Benny Blanco | Producer of the Year | Won | |||
| 2018 | Nominated | [116] | |||
| iHeartRadio Titanium Award | 2019 | "Eastside" (withKhalid &Halsey) | 1 Billion Total Audience Spins on iHeartRadio Stations | Won | [117] |
| Ivor Novello Awards | 2018 | "Castle on the Hill" (Ed Sheeran) | PRS for Most Performed Work | Nominated | [118] |
| Songwriters Hall of Fame | 2013 | Benny Blanco | Hal David Starlight Award | Won | [119] |
| Spotify Secret Genius Awards | 2018 | Secret Genius: Pop | Won | [120] | |
| Billboard | 2025 | benny blanco | Latin Pop Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| benny blanco | Crossover Artist of the Year | Won |
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dave | Actor and Producer | |
| 2021 | Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss | Himself | [121] |
| 2023 | The Eric Andre Show |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
