He Cooks. He Hosts. He Woos. Benny Blanco Shares His Rules for Being a Sexy Gentleman: ‘Chivalry’s Not Dead’ (Exclusive)

The music mega-producer — who’s featured in PEOPLE’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive issue — reveals eight secrets to success in life and love

But Benny Blanco — who’s been dating Selena Gomez since 2023 — has no airs about him. Growing up in Virginia, “I always felt pretty confident,” says Blanco, 36, who’s produced hits for Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. “My mom was like, ‘You’re the best,’ and my brother was always so sweet to me. He always paved the way, always made sure people were nice to me. He is a sweetie.”

His family still keeps him grounded, and with his self-deprecating humor and flair for fashion (“I love a heel!”), Blanco is happily redefining masculinity while embracing chivalry.

When it comes to matters of the heart, there should be “no games,” he insists. “I [still] go all out for every date. It doesn’t mean spending your entire bank account. It means being attentive and listening.”

Blanco loves gathering loved ones for themed dinner parties at his Los Angeles-area home (keep reading for his best hosting tips!), and he can often be found in the kitchen whipping up his girlfriend’s favorite foods (homemade Taco Bell and deep-fried pickles, to name a few).

Despite his massive success, it’s the “simple” things Blanco savors most.

“I’m a real morning person. It’s my favorite time to spend with Sel, because we both wake up really early. It’s like our moment before the rest of the world wakes up,” he says. “I have a true best friend that I get to do everything in the world with, and every day is the best day of my life.”

Even if you’re terrible at cooking, [your partner will] like it because you did it. Ask your partner what they want to eat. Don’t try to cook them what you want to eat. If you don’t know how to cook it — learn it.

If you don’t know how to learn it, get it from Postmates and put it on a plate and pretend you cooked it. No, lying is bad! We never lie. Especially if you’re a guy, we’re disgusting. No one should even look at us. Try to be chivalrous: Tell her how pretty she is. Chivalry’s not dead.

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[I learned how to] recreate Taco Bell meat. I’ve practiced a lot, and I think it’s pretty indistinguishable now if you put them side by side. There’s so many things you have to do. Part of the meat is kind of blended. It’s disgusting, but it’s delicious. I do it all from scratch.

2. First Dates Should Be Experiences
Whatever the date is, you want your partner to leave and be like, “Oh my God, I’m calling all my friends. This was the craziest thing. We were on the back of a tractor trailer flying and he had me spinning out the…” It’s got to be something insane because you want to leave an impression. The person’s going to be going out on a bunch of first dates, and you got to secure your spot.

I try to create a moment in time because everyone’s f—ing busy, everyone has so much work to do, everyone’s so stressed. If we can just sit back and forget everything for an hour to four hours — if it’s a good date, five — then things are good. Don’t you leave a date sometimes and you’re like, “Oh my God, what the hell? Time flew!”