GRAMMY, TONY, and Emmy Award-winning songwriter Ben Platt announced his “Reverie Tour”

When Ben Platt released his debut studio album Sing to Me Instead in 2019, which borrowed from pop’s traditional and easy listening areas, the beloved actor and singer had already amassed an ardent fanbase of supporters across social media. That was primarily due to his appearances in films like Pitch Perfect, Ricki and the Flash, or his Tony Award-winning run in the titular role of Dear Evan Hansen. While the pop of his first record recalled the sound of perhaps Bublé, Sinatra, or even the show tunes of his Broadway forefathers, Platt’s compelling vocal ability, as well as his openly queer lyrics, were enough to generate cross-generational appeal, similar to Adele’s 21.

Even so, it was still predictable that the singer would try his hand at more mainstream pop for his sophomore album Reverie, preceded by the ultra-synths on its lead single “Imagine”. However, even for a musical figure like Platt, whose stage presence and media personality are incredibly loveable, it probably would have better suited him to make a follow-up more in line with the sounds of his debut LP.

For Reverie, Platt once again collaborated with Alex Hope, whose emotionally gutting production of “Grow As We Go” from Sing to Me Instead was enough to propose some potential new gems. The singer also found inspiration working with Julia Michaels, a songwriter whose name has appeared on any number of successful pop albums from the last half-decade. These attributes alone would have led even the least educated listeners to assume that Platt’s first foray into mainstream pop would be just as captivating and enjoyable as his traditional tunes, but that’s ultimately just not the case.