Source // Playbill.com
Ben Platt, also known as Benji from Pitch Perfect or Evan Hansen from Dear Evan Hansen, is set to release his debut album, Sing to Me Instead, on March 29th. As we get closer and closer to the album premiere, Platt has been releasing several songs from his debut solo album, and if they’re giving us any hints about what’s to come, it’ll be an emotional album.
Platt first came to pop culture’s center stage as Skylar Astin’s quirky magician roommate in Pitch Perfect, socially awkward and strange before eventually impressing everyone with his clear, powerful vocals.
Source // giphy.com
After Pitch Perfect, Platt found a home, first in the Chicago musical theatre scene and then on Broadway, playing Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. He then went on to star as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen, winning the 2017 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor and becoming the youngest performer ever to win the Distinguished Performance Award from the Drama League.
Source // Vulture
Things are only just taking off for him in the acting world, as he’s set to lead a brand-new Netflix series The Politician, which premieres in September and has an all-star cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoey Deutch, Lucy Boynton, and his Dear Evan Hansen co-star Laura Dreyfuss.
Source // Deadline
After signing a record deal in 2017 with Atlantic Records, Platt released “Found/Tonight” with Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda, donating a portion of the proceeds made from that single to the March For Our Lives campaign. Now, he is releasing his first album, but not before giving us a little taste of his sound.
Source // Deadline
Platt first released his songs “Bad Habit” and “Ease My Mind” at the beginning of February, both accompanied by music videos. “Bad Habit” looks back at a relationship he can’t seem to escape. Meanwhile, in “Ease My Mind” he sings about how his significant other is the only person that can put his anxiety to rest. Backed by a chorus and piano, Platt showcases his vulnerability through his trembling vibrato, intimate lyrics, and gospel-tinged sound. Platt also gave a very powerful live performance of “Bad Habit” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that’s definitely worth watching.
Source // Entertainment Weekly
When asked by the Los Angeles Times why he chose these two songs to launch his debut album, Platt said, “The album itself is an amalgam of a bunch of different relationships in my past, and the very small amount that I’ve learned while grappling with love and romance. I put them in somewhat of a narrative structure, and these two songs open the album. And stylistically, they’re a great introduction to the album’s sound.”
Following up with those two releases, Platt released “Grow As We Go,” my personal favorite so far, with a music video featuring dancers Rudy Abreu and Effie Tutko. The choreography matches the emotional lyrics really well and Platt does an impressive job conveying his emotions. Listening to this song, you can feel the desperation and heartbreak in his vocal technique and lyrics. On Twitter, Platt said, “I wrote ‘Grow As We Go’ about how desperately I wanted a very special relationship to work despite knowing how much personal growth we both still needed.”
Source // Genius.com
Platt also released “Temporary Love,” with a music video as well. He gave a stirring live performance on Ellen, also opening up about expressing his sexuality in his music as a “new thing” for him. Platt currently on tour with his impressive Broadway-trained vocals which began on March 3rd and will conclude on May 24th. While he doesn’t have any stops in Colorado on this tour, we can hope that once his album is a massive success, he’ll stop by here!
Overall, Platt’s first releases from his album have been a marked success. Things are only bound to get more emotional and impressive when his album drops. Until March 29th, I’ll have these first four songs on repeat, so check them out and join us as we all anticipate Ben Platt’s first foray into the pop world with Sing to Me Instead.
You can find all four songs on Spotify and Apple Music!