Alec Benjamin

Biography

Alec Shane Benjamin (born May 28, 1994) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. His 2018 single "Let Me Down Slowly×Let Me Down Slowly25 May 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Let Me Down Slowly2:49", from his debut mixtape Narrated for You×Narrated for You15 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1If We Have Each Other3:022Water Fountain3:393Annabelle’s Homework3:134Let Me Down Slowly2:495Swim2:246Boy in the Bubble3:027Steve2:538Gotta Be a Reason3:309Outrunning Karma3:0910If I Killed Someone for You3:0511Death of a Hero3:121219943:04, became his breakthrough and reached the top 40 in over 25 countries.

Life and career

Alec Shane Benjamin was born on May 28, 1994, in Phoenix, Arizona, where he and his sister were raised. As a teenager, in the 2000s he moved to Los Angeles, California. He started writing songs at 13 and learning guitar in high school, and released his first extended play (EP) America in 2013.
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. After the termination of his partnership with Columbia, 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.
Benjamin's debut 12-song mixtape Narrated for You×Narrated for You15 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1If We Have Each Other3:022Water Fountain3:393Annabelle’s Homework3:134Let Me Down Slowly2:495Swim2:246Boy in the Bubble3:027Steve2:538Gotta Be a Reason3:309Outrunning Karma3:0910If I Killed Someone for You3:0511Death of a Hero3:121219943:04 was released on November 16, 2018. It features the songs "If We Have Each Other×If We Have Each Other26 July 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1If We Have Each Other3:01”, "Water Fountain×Water Fountain21 April 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Water Fountain3:39," "Annabelle's Homework×Annabelle's Homework7 October 2018 · Single · DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Annabelle's Homework3:12," and "Let Me Down Slowly×Let Me Down Slowly25 May 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Let Me Down Slowly2:49". On February 1, 2018, Merrick Hanna auditioned for America’s Got Talent, using Benjamin's song "I built a friend×I Built a Friend1 August 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Built a Friend3:08". This would help Benjamin gain traction and soon after he was signed on with Atlantic Records. "Let Me Down Slowly" was later re-released as a single with Alessia Cara. While promoting the mixtape, he started creating his "Can I Sing for You?" series of videos on YouTube, in which he performs acoustic versions of his songs for people in public.
Benjamin's debut studio album These Two Windows×These Two Windows29 May 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Mind Is a Prison2:422Demons2:433Oh My God3:084The Book of You & I3:285Match in the Rain2:396Jesus in LA2:527I'm Not a Cynic2:178Alamo2:259Must Have Been the Wind2:5810Just Like You2:48 was released on May 29, 2020. It peaked at number 8 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart. His second album, (Un)Commentary×(Un)Commentary15 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Dopamine Addict2:272Hammers3:033The Way You Felt3:054Shadow of Mine2:485Speakers2:426Hill I Will Die On2:507Hipocrite2:198Nancy Got a Haircut2:009Nuance2:5510Devil Doesn’t Bargain2:4611Deniro2:2312Older2:4713One Wrong Turn2:46, followed on April 15, 2022.
He occasionally records Mandarin versions of his songs, having been inspired by his father, who had incorporated Chinese culture into his work as a medical doctor through acupuncture and eastern medicine. He collaborated with popular Chinese actress Zhao Lusi on a Mandarin version of "Water Fountain".
As of November 2025, Benjamin's total of monthly listeners was estimated to average 12,992,615. Alec Benjamin’s net worth is estimated to be around $4 million.

Influences

Benjamin has cited influences such as Eminem, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Paul Simon, Joe Venneri and Chris Martin of Coldplay. He has also expressed admiration for Kendrick Lamar and classic singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Carole King, and Jackson Browne.