12 Jul 2023

‘Ghosts’ Stars Devan Chandler Long, Rose McIver & More Share Their Favorite Songs to Sing in the Car

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Shut up and … sing? The lovable paranormal beings and the “livings” of CBS’ Ghosts may not be trapped in a car like Sasappis’ ex-girlfriend Jessica, nor have they belted out Rihanna’s 2007 hit “Shut Up and Drive” on the sitcom, but they — or at least, the actors portraying them — did leave Woodstone Manor to take part in Carpool Karaoke: The Series.

In a new episode of the Apple TV+ series born from James Corden’s viral segment from The Late Late Show, the sitcom’s stars Devon Chandler Long (who plays Thorfinn), Rose McIver (Samantha), Utkarsh Ambudkar (Jay), Rebecca Wisocky (Hetty) and Román Zaragoza (Sasappis) not only argue about the best of the dead, but also show off Ambudkar’s freestyling skills. And of course, they sing.

Among the hits the cast took on while cruising around in a black SUV were a trio of Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s: Tiffany’s 1987 teen-pop anthem “I Think We’re Alone Now,” Silk Sonic’s sensual 2021 slow jam “Leave the Door Open” and Meat Loaf’s classic 1993 power ballad “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” But perhaps most fittingly, the castmates tried their vocals with Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line,” which was featured in Beetlejuice, the 1988 film starring Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Catherine O’Hara about a family of “livings” who move into a home occupied by … yup, ghosts — just like the CBS sitcom that would come more than 30 years later.

While the Ghosts stars belted out some hits together for five-time Emmy-winner Carpool Karaoke: The Series, the songs they prefer to sing while driving around on their own are more varied, ranging from shoegaze to the Disneyverse to swing and beyond. Read on to see which tunes Long, McIver, Ambudkar, Wisocky and Zaragoza told Billboard they love singing at the top of their lungs while behind the wheel.

And until Ghosts returns with new episodes, revisit the sitcom on Paramount+, and check out all seasons of Carpool Karaoke: The Series on Apple TV+.

Devan Chandler Long

Image Credit: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS

“I pretty much blast all music from the ’50s to the ’90s, and go real hard on singing (more like yelling) the wrong lyrics with the windows down,” the actor, who plays Viking ghost Thorfinn, tells Billboard. “I’m 100% that guy at the traffic light putting on a concert in his car while everyone else rolls up their windows praying for the light to go green.”

“When I’m singing, my imagination always goes straight into music video mode, where I just create montage sequences like the ones that are in every ’80s movie. And I just let the music create the scenes in my mind that usually star a hilarious version of myself with my friends, family and even my dogs in some sort of cheesy music video story that would fit the message of the song.”

“I go through phases every few weeks or so of what songs I’m singing on repeat during my drives,” he concludes. His current three favorite songs to sing:

Neil Diamond, “Forever in Blue Jeans“
“I don’t know where this song has been my whole life. I just scored a vintage Neil Diamond shirt at an old second-hand store and started going back through his catalog again when ‘Forever In Blue Jeans’ came up and it just grabbed me,” the actor shares. “The song just makes me so happy while I sing it — no explanation — and the louder I sing it, the happier I get. So if you are one of the unfortunate commuters stuck at a red light beside me, just know that I’m in a real good mood and would love it if you joined in! Car concert duets with strangers turns traffic into the highlight of my day.”

Peter Gabriel, “In Your Eyes“
“Peter Gabriel’s voice is forged from marbled chocolate ice cream cake,” Long gushes. “If my energy is waning and my spirit is a little dull, I always call on Peter to help me transition toward a better frequency. He just has this ability to lift me when I need it. I have to play him louder than my voice so I can’t hear myself murder the notes; it just has a magical way of lifting me and shedding any heavy energy that I was carrying with me.”

Paul Simon, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes“
“I’m a big shoulder dancer in the car, and when I put this on, my shoulders just get loose and it just puts a huge smile in my belly. You could literally side swipe me and I will smile and wave back when this song is playing … but if Metallica is on the dial, I’m def not waving.”
Rebecca Wisocky

Image Credit: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS

“I’ll rep the ’80s kid playlist for the Ghosts group,” the actress, who plays the late lady of Woodstone Manor and great-aunt many times over to Samantha, offers to Billboard. “In the car, I’m most often listening to 1st Wave on SiriusXM. Prince, Bowie, Queen, Kate Bush, Sugar Cubes, Pixies, Sade, The Smiths, Roxy Music …”

As for the song that makes her the “most deliriously happy lately”?

Talking Heads, “This Must Be the Place“
“I don’t think I fully got David Byrne when I was a teen,” Wisocky admits. “But his voice, his poetry, movements, weirdnesses — all of it — he’s brilliant and his music lifts me up. I loved it then, but it resonates so differently with me now. The production of [Byrne’s] American Utopia on Broadway featuring choreography by Annie-B Parson was one of the most thrilling things I’ve ever seen.”
Román Zaragoza

Image Credit: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS

“I generally like to listen to pop/indie/folk artists,” the actor, who plays Lenape ghost Sass, tells Billboard. “Other favorites include Joseph, Oshima Brothers, Lake Street Dive and Lizzie McAlpine.”

His singing-in-the-car songs are:

Raye Zaragoza, “Hold That Spirit“
“I’ve been waiting for this album to drop, and Raye — my amazingly talented sister — just released this powerful new single, ‘Hold That Spirit,’ from her new album. This song is so beautiful and powerful, and you better believe I’ll be belting this in my car all summer.”

Devon Gilfillian, “All I Really Wanna Do“
“I’ve been obsessed with Devon since I first saw him play, and his music has the power to make you forget about all your responsibilities and just groove. This song in particular is a great stress reducer and a fun one to sing along to while stuck in traffic on the 101.”

Laufey, “Promise“
“I fell for Laufey the first time I heard her voice, and this song in particular just hits deep. Her smooth vocals are so fun to harmonize with while driving. Also, she’s mixed and Asian, so I’m a big fan.”
Rose McIver

Image Credit: Jonathan Wenk/CBS

“As much as I love atmospheric and dreamy shoegaze music, when I want to sing along with a song, I want that track to have a lot of punch — I want that personality and pizzazz that makes you want to slap the steering wheel to punctuate the phrases,” explains McIver, who plays “living” Sam. “I’m an actor — I guess I love the character that comes with singing along with higher-intensity songs. Hence, Louis Prima, The Shangri-Las, Dexys Midnight Runners, Pat Benatar, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, etc.”

Louis Prima, “Sing Sing Sing“
“Anything Louis Prima gets me in the mood for a party. I love the trumpet solos for a good bit of performance art at the traffic lights too.”

The Shangri-Las, “Sophisticated Boom Boom“
“‘Sophisticated Boom Boom’ is one of those songs with good Sprechstimme and a lot of attitude. I love the confidence in the women’s voices.”

Dexys Midnight Runners, “Come On Eileen“
“‘Come On Eileen’ was one of those songs we discovered at high school that our parents hadn’t played for us, but was a cool ‘retro ’80s track’ that felt like our very own peek into the era. Such a good build throughout the song.”
Utkarsh Ambudkar

Image Credit: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS

Ambudkar, who plays the Dungeons and Dragons-loving chef Jay, leaned into hip-hop when it came to selecting his top three songs to sing in the car, including one he performs himself.

Utkarsh Ambudkar and Manny Magnus, “World’s Best“
“My son Bhumi always asks for this song on the way to school,” the actor tells Billboard of the tune from the soundtrack for the Disney+ musical comedy film of the same name. “‘Play the song with Papa and Manny!’ That is the highest honor I could ever imagine receiving for my work.”

Grouptherapy, “Peak“
“Really any track off their new album I Was Mature for My Age, But I Was Still a Child! could be on this list. I just love the risks this group is taking and the fearlessness of their creativity.”

Laura Mvula, “Got Me“
“I just absolutely love the production and overall vibe of this song. It just feels GOOD.”