Queen of the Night

Whether it is a club manifesto, like her debut single I Know You Want It (But U Can’t Get It), or an ode to a woman’s empowerment, like the fresh rock anthem, Queen of the Night, if Bo Benton sings it, she has lived it. “If I personally have not experienced a topic, I cannot write about it.  I must have a deep connection to my work in order to express the feeling.”  The stunning 5’10” Bo Benton is much more than eye candy.  Bo not only writes and produces, but is a savvy business woman as well, who is poised and ready to establish her name in households everywhere upon the release of her highly anticipated debut album, Queen of the Night which releases July 28, 2009 on GoldStarr/Bungalo/Universal. 

“I love music, all music.  It’s in my DNA, so I made an album reflecting the types of music I love the most which are Hip-Hop, Rock, and Pop”, says Bo.  No doubt Bo loves music and working as a musician and entertainer, but Bo also sees music in a far greater scope, and having a far greater purpose than purely entertainment.  Bo is a firm believer that her music is not just to dance to, but to convey messages through defined moral objectives, as well as being original with a challenging composition.  Her music is universal. While many artists claim to have music for the masses, Bo infuses a rock sound, hip hop mix with R&B.  The order of the songs on the album plays to its diverse styles.  There is no need to skip around to find something different because it’s all right there.  “I love all forms of music, from the drama of opera, to the slow country ballad, but I especially like the driving force behind a hip-hop track.  So the decision to rap came easy” Bo explains. In her music she often shows her un-inhibited personality in her lyrics.   Ultimately Bo would like to see her first album as an introduction and show women that you don’t have to allow society to box you into what is considered the norm.  Most creative geniuses succeed because they didn’t allow the pessimism of others to stop them from following their dream.

Bo sees the world of music as the bridge that connects humanity.  “If everybody loved everybody, this world would be a never-ending party, full of limitless exploration and light.  Music is the key to reaching a high level of being, and I am very happy and grateful to have the opportunity to have a share in bringing it to the world”.  The self-made daughter of an electrical engineer, and a mother who is a special needs teacher, Bo Benton learned at an early age the importance of self-belief and discipline.  “I’m very demanding of myself and of those of whom I work with, but I am also kind and patient.”  Mayasha Long, Bo’s stylist and longtime friend, said of Bo, “Her heart and spirit are so strong and transparent. She has enough love for everyone she comes in contact with.”  With her good natured spirit, loving heart, fierce discipline, extreme talent, and super model good looks, Bo never strays from keeping her eyes set firmly on her goals.  “I dream big, and work persistently until I and everyone else see that dream become reality.”

Bo does dream big, and has achieved what some would say is monumental in the music industry by positioning herself as the next music business mogul.  Bo signed a distribution deal with Bungalo/Universal for her independent label GoldStarr Entertainment, her debut album Queen of the Night is due July 28, 2009.  “The title of the album is based on a rock anthem I wrote and produced with Ansone, Jason Edmonds, and Mark Tabb.  Queen of the Night was inspired by a poem a friend gave me by Lord Byron, entitled She Walks in Beauty.  I love men, but I am very committed to women, and to make women feel more confident.  Queen of the Night is about just that, the confidence and internal strength of a real woman.  I love it when my girlfriends call themselves the Queen of the Night!”

Bo has included various hit making producers on her project, Bo’s latest single “Blue Flame” produced by Jason Edmonds, captured Bo’s vocal ability as well as her confidence in who she is as a woman.  Other singles on the project are “I Know You Want It,” produced by Lil Ronnie (Bow Wow, Nelly, R. Kelly, T Pain), written by Lil Ronnie, Bo Benton and Pusher Deville, with KD aka Kevin Davis (Pink, Usher, NSYNC) as mixer.  The maxi single for “I Know You Want It” will feature the song “Baller” where Bo Features Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan.  Her second release Tabb and Ansone, written by Bo Benton and mixed by Rob Beaton (Devil Wears Prada, Batman Begins).  According to Bo, “Queen of the Night" is sure to be the 2009 girl power anthem, motivating women to rise above and live your own life.”

On her track “If You Really Want to Know Bo” she talks about her lifestyle and mentions her life’s experiences.   “I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk in depth with giants of the music world in many categories from Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Too-Short to Gloria Estefan, and Mariah Carey.  What they all said, in different ways, is that ‘only you hold the true key to your success.’  In Monaco, after the World Music Awards, I met many great artists that I admire like Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone at Jimmy’s Nightclub.  They both told me to always make time for my family because at the end of the day, my family will be the ones who will support me, and recharge my battery.

After living in LA for a few years and coming up in the ranks from acting and singing lessons, auditions and castings, landing a part here and there, she knew no one was going to give her the big shot, so she took matters into her own hands.   “In the beginning, I started the company to showcase my talent, but now GoldStarr is not about Bo Benton, but many other artists and individuals as well.”  The vision for GoldStarr is for it to be the number one independent label within two to three years of my debut album hitting the stores”, says Bo as she moves her long black hair off her shoulders. Bo’s good looks and her statuesque figure can be distracting to some.  Guys assume she is not approachable but she is a very straight forward woman, very much in control of her world, and that is not easy for some men in this industry to deal with.