The Summer We Wondered, What Exactly is ‘Moonbeam Ice Cream’?
- John Teh
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Retail workers have heard “Moonbeam Ice Cream” for the hundredth time today, and you’re probably watching Benson Boone backflip to it again. But what exactly is this meme? Our Music writer, John, breaks down how a song turned into a viral "memefied" phenomenon.
The ‘memeification’ of a song is perceived that the spread of memes is often far more influential than the popularisation of the song itself.
From Blackmore's (2000) perspective, the meme is indeed powerful, as it leads humans to evolve by embracing the infinite extent of creativity and culture. But what is the true outcome of the memeification of a song? Does the unhinged nature of a meme eventually affect what qualifies as a good song?
“What is ‘Moonbeam ice cream’? How did this guy come out with this? ”
Questions were asked of Benson Boone on Fallon tonight; however, he replied that neither he nor anyone else has a clue. So this “mal-conversation” has led the audience into an unstable “mental era”, endlessly questioning what “Moonbeam ice cream” actually is. He also mentioned that the lyrics were just a creation that emerged during his ‘Eureka Moment’ while writing lyrics unseriously with the lyricist, Jake LaFrantz. He portrayed the lyrics as nothing more than a sudden discovery that finally propels the song to a certain level of popularity.
It is noted that the meme spreads so influentially because the lyric has delivered the sensation of “déjà vu” to the audience; as a result, people are genuinely questioning what “Moonbeam Ice Cream” exactly is. The curiosity naturally draws audiences to inquire about the concept of the meme. Therefore, even if one might not remember the song “Mystical, Magical”, they would 100% remember “Moonbeam Ice Cream” and the memes surrounding it.
Needless to say, “memeification” is a double-edged sword, as it seems to only draw attention to the meaning behind the presentation of a meme rather than showing the artist’s brilliance. It’s no longer about the talent or the rhythm, but really about the “interesting presentation” that could be created inadvertently, absurdly, or even just intentionally.
Nevertheless, Benson Boone’s explanation of his infamous lyrics leads to another question: Can audiences truly accept lyrics written unseriously? Will disappointment follow otherwise? Is he consequently denied the chance to be seen as a legitimate artist after this whole fiasco? There’s no doubt that what we understand through the voice of the singer is their view of the world. A song without a well-founded concept is seemingly a chocolate ball without its filling inside but the crust. It might taste crunchy from the beginning, but it’s left the rest of the expectation into endless disappointment and lament.
Indeed, this whole show may have been intentional. The presentation of his authenticity during the production of “Mystical, Magical” could lead to two situations. One, people may recognize him as a real artist and praise him. On the other hand, if the authenticity is perceived as made up, audiences may conclude that his heart was not for the sincerity of the art. His story about Moonbeam ice cream would mean absolutely nothing. However, one man's meat could be poison for another man; the valorization of art is somehow reaching.
Nevertheless, it could be a strategic way to realise one’s marketing as it is effective in capturing audiences’ attention and “creation of a collective memory, especially in this ‘fast culture of music’ (Mlombo, 2025, September 16). For example, cowboy hat memes on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” have brought the song to a new hit after years (Mlombo, 2025, September 16).
All in all, it is argued that the ‘memeification’ of a song attracts the audience’s attention and piques the curiosity of revealing the ‘truth’ behind the creation of the song. However, this might lead to overlooking the artists themselves. One might still be clueless about what “Moonbeam ice cream" is, yet it has created a shared memory in which everyone was equally confused or intrigued by the back-flipping singer. Misgivings and suspicions will not stop floating as it is Benson Boone’s ‘Mystical, Magical’.
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