We slip in and out of songs like daydreams. Akin to a gust of fresh air through an open window, those short bursts of fancy renew and revive us. Ben Platt uncorks such moments of escapism on his second full-length album, the aptly titled Reverie [Atlantic Records]. The GRAMMY®, TONY®, and Emmy® Award-winning artist bottles butterflies of joy, wonder, and hope inside of immersive pop underlined by warm electronic soundscapes, eloquent lyricism, and showstopping vocal dynamics.
“It’s about the long-distance experience of being with my partner,” he explains. “We spent a lot of time together during the first few months of the Pandemic. He lived with me at my parents’ place, which was obviously a very intense experience-but it ended up being a beautiful time. Then, we had to separate for five months, because he was working in a different country. We went from one extreme to another. We were together 24/7, and we were apart for half of the year. I was obviously very emotional when he left, but there was real excitement and joy. I feel lucky, because I never had someone in my life who could affect me that much by just being there.
Working with Michael Pollack as Executive Producer, he architected the framework for the album via ZOOM before wrapping it all up with in-person sessions in a Southern California Airbnb. Sonically, he nodded to influences as diverse as Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and George Michael, expanding the overall palette. Ben heralded Reverie with “Imagine” produced by The Monsters & Strangerz and Jon Bellion. Right out of the gate, Rolling Stone praised it as “both tender and confident.”
In the end, Ben’s created the perfect escape with Reverie .
“I hope people want to dance when they hear this,” he leaves off. “I want to give them a physical release and a catharsis that comes from a place of joy rather than tears or sadness. My greatest hope is for it to be transportive and allow you to get away from everything we’ve experienced recently. If I can connect in any way, it’s a win.”
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