2010 was a very busy year for Goldstarr artist Bo Benton. With a reality web series, a new mobile app, a hot single reaching Top 100 on the Urban & Rhythmic Charts, this 5'10 stunner proclaims 2011 to be an even greater year. Building her empire on solid ground, Bo is taking on new ventures and putting her mark on the ever changing music industry. This songbird has the formula to make 2011 the groundbreaking year in her career.
This February, Bo will be kicking off her new merch site, which will be stocked with calendars, T-Shirts, dog tags, hats and other Bo branded paraphernalia that has been highly anticipated by her fans.
Having an opera singer for a grandmother, a pianist for a mother, and a bass player for a father, music is in Bo's DNA and she knew from an early age, she was destined to become a musician. Although this multi-talented artist is a young woman, her worldliness has allowed her to be exposed to what others may not experience in their lifetimes. Being raised in Chicago, living abroad in Europe and Asia, and working a triple career as a model, actress and singer, Bo has become a well-rounded person who has encountered the ups and downs of life. “Living in Chicago enriched my life in many ways and has given me an appreciation of music, art and culture on many levels, enabling me to connect with so many different types of people in the world,” says Bo. As she continues to grow in her career, she wants her fans to be there with her through the thick and thin and use her brand and music as a bond that she foresees will last forever.
For the last few months, Bo has been in the studio working on the tracks for her second album Redemption in Wonderland and her new single “Monster” available soon. Bo says “Monster” is a track that was written to expose the gruesome underbelly some relationships can take when men bring out the dark side in women. Written by Bo Benton and produced by Germany's L-Nize, “Monster” and its monster beat is marked to be a club favorite. “'Intimidated' has already started making noise in the club scene in LA & the NYC and is destined to be a club anthem and favorite for hot chicks in control,” says Bo.
“'I-Phone' is a concept song that affects everyone because in this digital day and age, even people that live in the rainforest stay connected through their mobile devices,” responds Bo. I-Phone has a driving cinematic hip-hop beat and was produced by Bo and Lil' Ronnie. It is a song Djs love and has been downloaded heavily on Digiwaxx.com. When it comes to the Digital Age, Bo is not only talking about it, she is being about it. Summer 2010, Bo partnered with Xpressmo, a mobile platform developer and digital content distributor, to create a next-generation mobile application. The free app currently available on Blackberry, Android, and Java phones, is bundled with Bo's tweets, webisodes, videos, music, photos, and other exclusive content . Bo says Xpressmo serves as a platform that she uses to immediately communicate with her fans and allows her to “project myself exactly as my fans want to see me.”
As another way to connect with her fans, Bo has entered the cyber world with the launch of The Bo Benton Club Tour web series. With hundreds of thousands of Youtube views, the webisodes goes behind-the-scenes as this CEO of Goldstarr Entertainment balances her roles as an entrepreneur and entertainer. This 7-part series displays the good, bad and ugly of the music business. It shadowed this emerging pop sensation as she traveled to Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and other major cities across the nation to promote Queen of the Night, her debut album distributed by Bungalo/Universal. The singer, producer and songwriter reveals the challenges of managing an independent label that she started four years ago after deciding she wanted full control of the creative direction of her music.
“Few new artists have come in with the kind of firepower Bo Benton is packing,” says Smooth Magazine. “Posed as the next Don Diva, daring enough to step outside the box,” reveals BRE Magazine. “A soulful serious, career minded woman with somewhat naughty, 'alternate musical personality,” gabs Black Men Magazine. Not afraid to roll up her sleeves and ride the waves of an ever changing music industry, this savvy businesswoman has proven she is more than a pretty face and a great body, she is engulfed with intelligence, using her smitten personality to collaborate with some of today's hottest musicians.
In her most recent radio release “Handle This,” a remix produced by Grammy Award Winner Bangladesh. Bangladesh (Beyonce. Lil' Wayne, Ludacris) and Bo worked together to give a new sound to the track she originally produced with Lil' Ronnie on her Queen of the Night album. The remix version jumped as high as #31 in the Mediabase greatest gainers chart behind Jay Z's “Young Forever featuring Mr. Hudson”, surpassing radio spins averagely obtained by indie labels. Currently available for download on Itunes, Bo knew this song would elevate her career and grab attention because of the talent and chemistry her team brought to the table. “From the beat to the sultry lyrical sound and adding a little hip hop edge, we captured all the ingredients needed to make this a stand out track,” says Bo.
Bo reveals she grew up listening to a wide range of music that artists today continue to emulate from legendary soul artists to stadium rockers on over to hip-hop renegades. Bo also enjoys listening to great jazz masters, classical opera giants and southern blues musicians. In her debut album Queen of the Night, Bo infused many different styles of music. She wanted to create a CD that reflects the new generation of music lovers. If one song doesn’t grab you, she is sure to have another song that will. “In this age of iTunes and iPods, everyone listens to everything. Why should we allow record labels to put us in a box when in reality most music lovers love it all! You can listen to the album from start to finish without the songs sounding the same, or having to skip songs because of the blending of many musical styles.” says Bo.
The album includes such singles as “I Know U Want It”, a woman's empowerment song with pop feel, rock anthem “Queen of the Night”, “Comfort Me”, a ballad that showcases a gentler side of Bo, and “Blue Flame”, a high energy dance single that broke Top 100 on the Urban & Rhythmic Charts. She joined forces with music veterans and hot newcomers on her album. From Producers Jason Edmonds (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston) and Lil' Ronnie (Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Ruben Studdard) to collaborations with Pusher Deville, Raekwon of the WuTang Clan and Too $hort. Bo easily blends the driving sound of hip-hop with evocative lyrics and catchy hooks creating unforgettable pop hits.
This Leo is constantly at work shaping the sounds of tomorrow, building her company's legacy and lionizing her place in the music industry. She says, “My love of music has shaped every step of my life and the foundation of my organization is based on this passion. I envision GoldStarr as an indie label that will one day be the home to a variety of very talented artists.”
Expect more from this dynamic diva, “Queen of the Night” and “Handle This Bangladesh Remix” are both available now for purchase on Itunes. “Monster”, “Intimidated”, “How to Get A Man” and “I-Phone” are hitting the airwaves soon. To learn more about Bo, visit her at www.bobenton.com, www.facebook.com/bobentonfanpage, www.twitter.com/bobenton and www.myspace.com/bobenton.
To download Bo's free mobile app, visit www.bobenton.mobi. To check out web series, visit www.youtube.com/bobentonvideos.
