What songs does Ben Platt sing in The Politician?
Payton Hobart is one of the few politicians to release a Joni Mitchell cover.
Ryan Murphy's satirical drama The Politician marks the first major television project for star Ben Platt, who broke out on Broadway when he won the title role in acclaimed musical Dear Evan Hansen.
Given his obvious vocal talent, producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy couldn't resist adding a few songs for Platt to sing, with both seasons showcasing some impressive renditions.
As the second season lands on Netflix, here's a quick look at every song Platt has performed in character as Payton Hobart, as well as where you can find them in the series...
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River by Joni Mitchell
Season 1, episode 1: Payton's first song is a cover of Joni Mitchell's River, from her 1971 album Blue, which he performs in memory of his late friend at a memorial service.
Unworthy of Your Love from Assassins
Season 1, episode 6: Platt teams up with Zoey Deutch (who plays Infinity Jackson) for this number, taken from a Broadway musical called Assassins, for which Stephen Sondheim wrote the music.
Vienna by Billy Joel
Season 1, episode 8: The season one finale sees Payton become a regular musical act at a bar in New York City, where Infinity and Skye see him perform this cover of Vienna by Billy Joel. He goes on to describe Joel as "the greatest songwriter of the 20th century".
Run Away by Ben Platt
Season 2, episode 7: The second season of The Politician returns to that same New York City bar, where Platt performs one of his own original songs. Run Away is taken from his debut studio album Sing To Me Instead, released in March 2019.
Corner of the Sky from Pippin
Season 2, episode 7: Payton follows it up with another performance at his grand piano, choosing to sing Corner of the Sky from Stephen Schwartz musical Pippin and dedicating it to his political opponents Dede Standish and Hadassah Gold.
The Politician is now available to stream on Netflix. Check out our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
