At the 2025 Las Culturistas Culture Awards, a surprising moment unfolded when Ben Platt delivered a heartfelt ballad version of Addison Rae’s viral track, “Diet Pepsi,” capturing the attention of both attendees and online fans. This unexpected performance took place midway through the ceremony and transformed the pop song into an emotionally charged showcase that elevated the Addison Rae Diet Pepsi Ballad to a new level.
A Shocking Win and a Unique Performance Concept
During the award segment for Best News We Heard, actress Rachel Bloom revealed a notable upset: a write-in candidate, not originally nominated, had won the category. She announced,
“In a Culture Awards first, a write-in candidate has won: ‘Ben Platt is here to sing a Record of the Year nominee.’”
This announcement preceded Platt’s live performance, which featured a full string orchestra backing him as he sang a dramatically reimagined version of Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi.”
Ben Platt, known for his Broadway breakthrough with Dear Evan Hansen, brought a level of emotional depth to the quirky pop hit rarely heard before. The performance was both a nod to award show ballads and a comedic gimmick, seamlessly blending earnest musicianship with humor.
The Rise of Platt’s Rendition and Viral Online Response
Since the awards ceremony debut on Bravo and subsequent streaming availability on Peacock, Platt’s cover has sparked widespread online fascination. Fans have created thousands of TikTok videos praising his vocal delivery and urging him to officially release the song. Responding to this demand, Platt released a full live recording four days after the show premiered.
Discussing the viral sensation in an interview, Platt reflected on the unexpected nature of the moment:
“Like, I’ve certainly had a lot of ups and downs and wonderful moments in terms of my career. But in terms of virality and having this moment that lives so specifically online, this is very much uncharted territory for me. And I certainly didn’t expect it to be this.”
Las Culturistas: A Blend of Satire and Celebration of Award Shows
The Culture Awards were developed as an affectionate parody of traditional entertainment ceremonies like the Emmys, Oscars, and Grammys. Originally a podcast bit from Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, the event evolved into a televised show designed to both honor and lampoon award show conventions. Rogers explained,
“We wanted to pay very specific homage to this type of ceremony that we love but is also so ripe for parody. These award shows take themselves very seriously, and so we wanted to follow and honor that seriousness while going off the rails with the details.”
Bowen Yang added insight on the show‘s evolution:
“Focusing it on the conventional awards show moments made it an easier pitch to the network and gave Matt and the writers and me a point of view to work from.”
This added structure enabled the team to hone in on key formats, including the classic awards show ballad performance.
Choosing ‘Diet Pepsi’ for a Dramatic Ballad Cover
One key tradition the producers aimed to replicate was the moving ballad performance of a nominated song. When reviewing the nominated tracks for Record of the Year, Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” quickly stood out. Matt Rogers recalled,
“Something inside me said, ‘Ben should do Diet Pepsi’ and I’m happy I spoke it out loud. We texted him and asked him to cover it ‘like My Heart Will Go On at the Oscars.’ I figured it would be hilarious, and Ben has a great sense of humor. That’s where it started. From a place of comedy. I thought, ‘and it’ll probably be gorgeous because it’s Ben.’ But that part was honestly secondary.”
Despite being a fan of theater and music, Platt was only somewhat familiar with the original song. His husband, Noah Galvin, was
“a little more in tune with culture than I am”
and a fan of the track. Platt himself said,
“I knew it was hooky and great, but had never personally connected the song with myself. There’s sort of an antithesis energy to that.”
Nevertheless, when approached to perform it, he responded eagerly:
“I’ll do anything, whatever you want.”
Preparing a Serious Yet Playful Interpretation
Platt and producers Leland and Gabe Lopez quickly began creating a backing track tailored to his vision for the ballad. Platt described the process of making the performance feel sincere as essential.
“In my head I was like, ‘I feel like the more sort of deadly serious and lyrically authentic that I can present this, the better.’ That’s what made this so fun and joyful and unserious in the best way.”
Yang remembered the first time hearing Platt perform the cover live at Leland’s studio in Los Angeles:
“I was sort of stunned into silence, but did have the instinct to whip out my phone and record video, just because I knew it was something special that I’d want for posterity. It just speaks to Ben’s talent and willingness to commit to something unknown, both in the booking of the show to do something and then for that something to be a song he hadn’t connected to yet. Obviously he locked the f–k in at some point and the rest is history.”
Rogers shared a similar sense of amazement watching Platt’s recording session.
“I looked at Bowen like … ‘this is beyond what we expected.’ The arrangement and his performance are insane. It was so much fun to be there and watch the work. And I knew, knowing Ben as a friend and a fan of his music, that he was going to absolutely wail over those last choruses. In the studio, he held back. But I knew what was coming.”
Fan Reactions and Comparisons to Other Music Icons
The reception from fans online has been enthusiastic, with many applauding Platt’s vocal prowess and the emotional weight he brought to the cover. Some even likened his rendition to Kelly Clarkson’s famous covers on her talk show, coining the term that Platt had “Kelly Clarkson’d” the song. Reflecting on this comparison, Platt remarked,
“I mean, she is top-tier, one of the greatest vocalists of all time, I’ve been a die hard fan since the very beginning, and I got the huge privilege of singing ‘Make You Feel My Love‘ with her on her show. Anytime I’m in the same sentence with her is fantastic. And I agree with them that, like, whenever Kelly sings a song, it’s like, ‘Well, we had a good run, but now it’s Kelly’s.’ So for people to feel that this is a situation like that makes me very happy.”
Other fans connected the performance to a wave of nostalgic enthusiasm, comparing the emotional cover to the style of pop renditions popularized by the TV show Glee. Platt acknowledged this influence, saying,
“I think that’s the last time that there was a sort of cultural machine giving us pop covers done earnestly or narratively. I mean, I was a huge Gleek, so I love it, and I agree; I would love for there to be a musical TV show where we’re getting weekly covers of the hits of the day done as bleeding-heart ballads.”
The Charm of Platt’s Unique Ad-Lib and Deeper Appreciation
Bowen Yang also noted the lasting impact of one particular spontaneous vocal moment from Platt’s performance, his ad-lib
“I like it from the fountain”
in the song’s final chorus.
“It’s this flair that doesn’t fully register for people because the first dozen times you’re just blown away by the vocal,”
Yang explained. The moment has gained a delayed but profound following in fan conversations as an emblem of the performance’s artistic depth and humor.
Matt Rogers emphasized that the success of the cover could not have happened without the strength of Addison Rae’s original writing.
“What’s most special to me about the cover is that it reveals what a fantastic song that Addison Rae created to begin with. It is really evocatively written and the melodies are beautiful. Not every song just holds up like this after it transitions genre. It’s a testament to what a lovely artist she has become and is becoming.”
Ben Platt’s Reflection on Virality and Career Impact
For Platt, the experience has been both humbling and educational about the unpredictable nature of internet fame. He shared,
“I feel like it was such a lesson in the idea that the moment that you aren’t necessarily trying for something like this to happen, it randomly catches fire. I’m still sort of adapting to the reality that this became anything more than just a really fun night. It’s been wonderful to see it draw people to other performances of mine and other covers and my own music — anything that can reopen that door is such a blessing.”
This unexpected viral moment highlights the evolving relationship between traditional performances and online culture, showing how a playful reinterpretation can resonate widely and create new opportunities for artists like Platt and for songs like Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi.”
