BWW Album Review: Ben Platt's REVERIE Legitimizes His Solo Pop Career

Earlier this month, Ben Platt dropped REVERIE, his second studio album. The irresistible pop project includes the highly lauded and much played singles "Happy to Be Sad" and "Imagine" while further cementing Platt as a legitimate pop musician.

First listening to the album in the back of a taxi as I was leaving my boyfriend's Brooklyn apartment and heading to my own home in Jersey City, I was struck by how melancholy REVERIE felt compared to SING TO ME INSTEAD. Upon further listening, I'm not entirely convinced that this assessment is true. Instead, Platt, as a songwriter, is deft at plumbing emotions that are seemingly hard to verbalize. In turn, his skills with lyrics tap into the current emotional state of the listener and allow them to see aspects of themselves, in any moment, in the songs he croons.

The album, much like Lady Gaga's CHROMATICA, is structured around a trio of brief pieces titled "King of the World" and numbered in their respective parts. These segments serve as a guidepost for the album. They introduce us to the record, provide a musical interlude at the midpoint, and close out the album. Blatant references to James Cameron's 1997 TITANIC set the stage for the nostalgic trip through various emotions and romances that this album explores.

"Childhood Bedroom" takes listeners back to the now inaccessible safe spaces that we took for granted in our childhoods but recall as temporary reprieves from the heaviness we confront while 'adulting.' This track is followed by the chart-topping "Happy to Be Sad," which expertly puts into words the minor grief we feel when we have to be temporarily separated from a lover for any extended period of time. The song perfectly balances acknowledgement of the happiness of a healthy romance paired with the heartbreak we experience when we know we won't see our partner for a while. Then, "I Wanna Love You But I Don't" delves into the confusing awkwardness that happens when you recognize that a partner is a wonderful human but not the right match for you. Platt's uptempo celebration of a person held dear and respectfully released from a romantic relationship that isn't fulfilling is evocative and mature.

Despite the cheerful tempo and key of "Leave My Mind," the lyrics of this track encapsulate an all too relatable emotional turmoil. Platt's narrator is still hung up on an ex, and despite his best efforts to move on, he can't let go. In a similar vein, the ebullient "Dance With You" paints the picture of someone caught in a loop of unrequited love. Here, Platt's narrator longs to dance with the object of their affection. Despite the happiness this potential partner brings the narrator, they are separated by the dance floor.

The album takes a more somber note with "Carefully." In this song, a plaintive Platt asks his departing lover to break his heart with care. The song, thematically, is reminiscent of SING TO ME INSTEAD's "Hurt Me Once" and ardently tugs on the same heart strings. Juxtaposed to these sentiments is "Chasing You," which is an uptempo and synthy ode to the toxicity of the neverending chase. It's hard not to completely let go of everything and just dance to this track, but the lyrics ground the heart with their bluntness and the tune's minor chords highlight how disorienting and unhealthy this kind of love game can be. Conversely, when a relationship is healthy the joy of requited love is especially intoxicating, which is the dynamic that "Come Back" explores. Platt sings about how once you allow yourself to love a partner fully the couple may desire to never come back from that feeling.

"Dark Times" is a truly profound elegy to the experience of growing up queer. We follow Platt through the struggles of being ostracized by peers as an adolescent, the heartbreak of his boyfriend leaving him for another as a young adult, and the evolution we undergo when "scars turn to memories." This compelling ballad eviscerates the heart, and reduces the listener to tears. Moving onward, the cheerful opening beats of "Imagine" are a welcome relief from "Dark Times." Essentially closing the album, this charming chart-topper's celebration of being so totally in love with someone that you can't imagine life without them is a delicious high note to end on.

When he signed the contract to play Evan Hansen, I doubt Platt could have predicted his rise to stardom. Yet, here we are. He is a more than capable artist with a captivating voice that demands to be listened to. He shares emotions and experiences with a frankness that makes them utterly accessible. REVERIE picks up where SING TO ME INSTEAD left off, ensuring Platt's follow-up album is anything but a sophomore slump

To post a comment, you must register and login.