View source for Imagine (Ben Platt song)

{{short description|2021 single by Ben Platt}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Imagine
| cover      = Ben Platt Imagine cover.jpg
| alt        =
| border     = yes
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Ben Platt]]
| album      = [[Reverie (Ben Platt album)|Reverie]]
| released   = {{Start date|2021|04|23|mf=y}}
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| length     = 2:44
| label      = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| writer     =
*Ben Platt
*[[Michael Pollack (musician)|Michael Pollack]]
*[[Jon Bellion]]
*[[Eskeerdo]]
*[[Stefan Johnson]]
*[[The Monsters & Strangerz]]
| producer   =
* Jon Bellion
* The Monsters & Strangerz
| chronology =  [[Ben Platt]]
| prev_title = [[Everything I Did to Get to You]]
| prev_year  = 2020
| next_title = Happy to be Sad
| next_year  = 2021
| misc       = {{External music video|header=Music video|{{YouTube|m70w-33z6AM|"Imagine"}}}}
}}
"'''Imagine'''" is a song by American actor and singer-songwriter [[Ben Platt]]. It was written by Platt, with additional writing from [[Michael Pollack (musician)|Michael Pollack]], [[Eskeerdo]], [[Stefan Johnson]], [[Jon Bellion]] and [[The Monsters & Strangerz]], the latter two of whom also served as [[music producers]] for the song. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, ''[[Reverie (Ben Platt album)|Reverie]]'', on April 23, 2021, followed by a remixed version by [[Tiësto]] on May 28, 2021.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/9561950/first-out-rebecca-black-greyson-chance-k-flay/|title=First Out: New Music From Rebecca Black, Greyson Chance, K.Flay & More|last=Daw |first=Stephen |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=2021-05-05}}</ref>

==Background==
According to Platt, the song was written in 2020 while he was stuck in quarantine during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and during the writing process for his second solo album. He described that for both the song and its accompanying music video, he was inspired by "the way that our loved ones, the people that make life worth living, can turn the mundanity of suburbia into something magical and fantastical. Everyone has that person or people that make their world [[technicolor]], fueling us with a love that can feel supernatural." He also stated that the song's lyrics are clearly related to his relationship with boyfriend [[Noah Galvin]].<ref name="Imagine">{{cite magazine |last=Hissong |first=Samantha |title=Ben Platt Finds Magic in the Mundane in 'Imagine' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ben-platt-song-imagine-1160095/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=May 5, 2021 |location=United States |date=April 23, 2021}}</ref>

==Release and promotion==
Prior to the single's release, Platt teased the chorus of the song on [[TikTok]]. The complete song was made available for pre-sale on April 20, 2021, and was released on April 23, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |author=BWW News Desk |title=Ben Platt to Release New Single 'Imagine' |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Ben-Platt-to-Release-New-Single-Imagine-20210420 |website=[[BroadwayWorld]] |access-date=May 5, 2021 |location=United States |date=April 23, 2021}}</ref> Dutch electronic producer [[Tiësto]] released a remix of the song on May 28, 2021.{{cn|date=August 2023}} An acoustic version was released on June 11, 2021.<ref name= "acoustic">{{cite web |author=TV News Desk |title=Ben Platt Shares Acoustic Version of 'Imagine' |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Ben-Platt-Shares-Acoustic-Version-of-Imagine-20210611|website=[[BroadwayWorld]] |access-date=June 15, 2021 |location=United States |date=June 11, 2021}}</ref>

==Music video==
A music video for the song, directed by Matty Peacock, was released the same day as the song, which features Platt jumping on cars and [[Levitation (paranormal)|levitating]] in mid-air in a suburban neighborhood setting.<ref name="Imagine" />

==Live performances==
Platt's first live performance of the song took place on the May 13, 2021 episode of ''[[The Late Late Show with James Corden]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Stage Tube |title=VIDEO: Ben Platt Talks DEAR EVAN HANSEN Movie on LATE LATE SHOW |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Ben-Platt-Talks-DEAR-EVAN-HANSEN-Movie-on-LATE-LATE-SHOW-20210514 |website=[[BroadwayWorld]] |access-date=May 14, 2021 |location=United States |date=May 17, 2021}}</ref> He also performed it on ''[[The Kelly Clarkson Show]]'' on June 8, 2021, as well as on the Season 20 finale of [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Voice (American season 20)|The Voice]]'' on May 25, 2021, where he also introduced a trailer for the upcoming [[Dear Evan Hansen (film)|2021 film adaptation]] of ''[[Dear Evan Hansen]]'', in which he reprises his performance in the [[Evan Hansen|titular role]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.etonline.com/adam-levine-and-gwen-stefani-returning-to-the-voice-for-season-20-finale-performances-165980|title=Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani Returning to 'The Voice' for Season 20 Finale Performances &#124; Entertainment Tonight}}</ref>

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for "Imagine"
! scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Canada [[Hot Canadian Digital Songs]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Ben Platt Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales)|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ben-platt/chart-history/cns/|access-date=June 14, 2021|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>
|48
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles ([[Recorded Music NZ|RMNZ]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2021-04-30|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart|publisher=[[Recorded Music NZ]]|date=May 3, 2021|access-date=May 5, 2021}}</ref>
| 33
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|27|artist=Ben Platt|rowheader=true|accss-date=July 27, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboarddigitalsongs|36|artist=Ben Platt|rowheader=true|accss-date=June 14, 2021}}
|}

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Release history for "Imagine"
! Region
! Date
! Version
! Format
! Label
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3"| United States
| April 23, 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/hot-modern-ac/future-releases|title=Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases|publisher=All Access Music Group|access-date=May 5, 2021}}</ref>
| Main
| rowspan="3"| {{hlist|[[Music download|Digital download]]|[[Streaming media|streaming]]}}
| rowspan="3"| [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
|-
| May 28, 2021{{cn|date=August 2023}}
| Tiësto Remix
|-
| June 11, 2021<ref name= "acoustic"/>
| Acoustic Version
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Ben Platt}}

{{authority control}}
[[Category:2021 songs]]
[[Category:2021 singles]]
[[Category:Ben Platt songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ben Platt]]
[[Category:Songs written by Michael Pollack (musician)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jon Bellion]]
[[Category:Songs written by Eskeerdo]]
[[Category:Songs written by Stefan Johnson]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by the Monsters & Strangerz]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related songs]]