Benny Blanco

Benjamin Joseph Levin grew up in Reston, Virginia. His father, Andrew Levin, worked in the intimate apparel business, while his mother, Sandra Beth Levin, worked in assisted living. Blanco has described making songs from an early age, experimenting with cassette recordings, boomboxes, and homemade beats. He has also identified Nas's "The World Is Yours" and All-4-One's "I Swear" as early musical influences.

During high school, Blanco used the school library's internet access to share music through Myspace and contacted music-industry figures directly. He cold-called producers including Jimmy Iovine and Polow Da Don, sometimes presenting himself as an attorney to get past receptionists. He later traveled by bus from Virginia to New York for an internship with producer Disco D and attended the Institute of Audio Research. His professional name was inspired by the character Benny Blanco from the 1993 film Carlito's Way.

Through Disco D, Blanco met rapper Spank Rock, whose real name is Naeem Juwan. The pair released the 2007 collaborative EP Bangers & Cash, which attracted the attention of producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin. Dr. Luke subsequently mentored Blanco and signed him to Kasz Money Productions. Blanco worked with Dr. Luke on major songs including Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," Kesha's "TiK ToK," and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite."

In 2008, Blanco co-wrote and co-produced Britney Spears's "Circus," which became his first production to reach the Billboard Top 10. He developed an independent run of hits in 2011 with Maroon 5's "Moves like Jagger" and Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts," followed by production and songwriting credits for artists such as Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Kesha, Justin Bieber, and Kanye West. By 2013, he had participated in 13 singles that reached the Billboard Top 10, including six number-one hits.

Blanco has said that he favors traditional instruments and inexpensive keyboards rather than relying entirely on computer-based composition. A small Yamaha keyboard bought at a yard sale for $25 was among his early favorite instruments. His studio process emphasizes personal chemistry and instinct, with Blanco describing his role as partly that of a therapist who helps artists feel comfortable enough for songs to develop naturally.

Blanco began releasing music under his own name with the 2007 Bangers & Cash EP alongside Spank Rock. He made his lead-artist debut in 2018 with "Eastside," featuring Halsey and Khalid. The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the lead single from his debut studio album, Friends Keep Secrets, released that year.

His subsequent artist projects included "I Found You" with Calvin Harris, "Roses" with Juice Wrld and Brendon Urie, "I Can't Get Enough" with Tainy, Selena Gomez, and J Balvin, and "Lonely" with Justin Bieber. He also worked with Gracie Abrams on "Unlearn," BTS and Snoop Dogg on "Bad Decisions," and Juice Wrld and Eminem on "Lace It."

Blanco and Selena Gomez released the collaborative album I Said I Love You First in 2025. Their joint work included songs such as "Scared of Loving You," "Sunset Blvd," "Call Me When You Break Up," and "Ojos Tristes," the latter featuring the Marías. Blanco and Gomez have been married since September 27, 2025.

In 2014, Blanco founded the Interscope imprint labels Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets. Their associated artists included Tory Lanez, Cashmere Cat, Trill Sammy, 6 Dogs, Ryn Weaver, Jessie Ware, and other performers. The labels later became defunct, and Blanco operated a relaunched A&M Records label within Interscope before leaving the position in 2025.

Blanco expanded into television and online media with chef Matty Matheson. They hosted Matty and Benny Eat Out America and later Stupid Fcking Cooking Show on Blanco's YouTube channel. Blanco also appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in the television series Dave, alongside Lil Dicky, and was featured in the documentary Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss*.

His first book, Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends, was published in 2024 by Dey Street Books and HarperCollins. Co-authored with Jess Damuck, the book combines Blanco's recipes with dishes and entertaining advice from contributors including Matty Matheson, Lil Dicky, Mike Solomonov, Mario Carbone, and Eric André.