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It would have been a trio for the ages. According to a new interview with Barbra Streisand‘s A&R rep Jay Landers, when the singer was working on her 1993 Back to Broadway album, in the midst of recording some of the Great White Way’s most beloved tunes by Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein and Frank Loesser, someone came up with the brilliant idea to cover the Annie Get Your Gun classic “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” as a duet with Madonna and another very special guest.
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“David Foster created a demo and we said, ‘well, who could we do this with?’” Landers said. “And we chose Madonna and… Bette [Midler]. So it was going to be the three of them.” As envisioned at the time, the triple-headed vocal extravaganza would then end with all three women in the lady’s room, with Madonna and Bette kvetching, “‘God, she’s such a b–ch! She’s so controlling’ and this and that and the other thing and blah, blah, blah. And then we hear another stall open and, ‘Ladies! I’m in here!’ And that’s how the song was going to end,” he said.
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Landers noted that Foster had cooked up a “brilliant” arrangement for the trio that started off in a manner similar to the Irving Berlin-penned version we all know and love, in which Annie Oakley and Frank Butler engage in a playful musical game of one-upmanship; the original version appeared in the Ethel Merman/Ray Middleton 1946 cast recording for the show. But when it came to the Madonna section where she sings, “Anything you can sing, I can sing sweeter,” Landers said Foster dropped in a “Madonna disco beat.”
Similarly, when it came to Midler’s section, Foster slid in a “Wind Beneath My Wings”-style motif. “So it touched upon their sounds,” Landers explained. “Really clever.” Landers’ job was to wrangle all three women, who, amazingly, all agreed to do the session. That is, he lamented, until Madonna was unable to participate at the last minute for an undisclosed reason.
Watch Landers tell his musical fish-that-got-away story below.
Of course Joe and Kevin Jonas were in the house on Tuesday night (March 18) to support their brother Nick Jonas in his return to Broadway in The Last Five Years. The siblings were reunited on the stage with Nick’s co-star, Adrienne Warren in a family snap at the kick-off of preview performances at the […]
Sir Rod Stewart is not done with Las Vegas. The ageless pop wonder announced another six-pack of residency shows at the Colosseum for this fall, extending his Sin City run yet again. “Las Vegas! You wanted more, so here we go—I’ve added more shows! I’ll be back at @colosseumatcp this September and October, Can’t wait to see […]
Hollywood can be a very lonely place. Whether you’re at the bottom trying to crawl your way up to the middle, or at the top looking down on all the places you’ve been, it’s not alway easy to find people who can relate, and embrace, who you really are.
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Snow White star Rachel Zegler knows that journey all too well, and now that she’s earning high praise for her title role in the live action remake of the classic Disney tale, the West Side Story veteran has opened up to Allure in a cover story about all the fellow A-listers who have had her back over the years.
“She reached out to me — kind of apropos of nothing — and was like, ‘If you need anything, I am here,’” Zegler, 23, said of Ariana Grande’s generosity. “She is so deeply kind. She has gone through so much in the public eye, and I have always really, really admired her courage in the face of all of that.”
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Among the other women who have stepped up to offer support according to Zegler are actor and activist Jameela Jamil, who she considers to be a “big sister” at this point. “I love that she has no regrets about being outspoken, about being strong-willed and strong-minded,” Zegler said of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law star. She also gotten props from her Shazam! Fury of the Gods costars Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, who she called “my keepers in all of this, where I feel very held by them.”
While Hollywood is always a competitive place, Zegler said she doesn’t conform to the idea that it has to pit women against each other. “All I’m ever really looking for in this business is a sister and they’re not always easy to find. We’re often told that other women have to be your competition and I don’t subscribe to that,” she said, noting that she’s all for “championing your friends” and co-workers.
“So the second that there’s any intimidation or competition, just put on ‘Girl, so confusing’ by Charli XCX and talk it out,” she counseled. “I’ve come to know that in the last couple of years, in search of female friendship in the industry, there is room for all of us no matter what anybody else will have you think.”
The story also touches on Zegler, whose family is Colombian, stepping into the role that was described in the original Brothers Grimm story in 1812 as one inhabited by a woman “white as snow,” at a time when the Trump administration is rolling back DEI initiatives and scrubbing the government’s websites of any words tied to diversity or inclusion.
“The reality is, I was given a chance because I could sing,” she told the magazine about her bona fides to play the role that has traditionally been inhabited by white actresses in the film opening on Friday (March 21). “They saw something. Something they could invest in for the future,” she said of Snow White coproducer Marc Platt and director Marc Webb’s recognition that it was her talent, not her appearance, that mattered when casting her in the role.
“Snow White has an optimistic, youthful grace. Even in her darkest moments, she finds humanity and beauty in others,” Webb said. “I think Rachel has that in her spirit. And it doesn’t hurt that during her screen test, she made us weep with her rendition of ‘Waiting on a Wish.’”
Feeling good can definitely lead to sounding good. That’s the lesson Selena Gomez said she learned while working in secret on her first album with fiancé Benny Blanco, I Said I Love You First.
In an joint interview with Rolling Stone, the happy couple said that while they are super psyched to plan their wedding — “I think every day she’s planned a new wedding in her head” said Blanco — for now, they are focusing on promoting and talking about the LP due out this Friday (March 21).
On her first album since 2020’s Rare, Gomez said the sessions were the “most intimate” she’s ever had in a studio, helped by the fact that she was working with her beloved and their trusted group of friends and collaborators. “We did everything from home, and we created it with people that we love,” she said, citing a re-team with songwriters Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, who she worked with a decade ago on her Billboard Hot 100 No. 5 hit “Good For You.”
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And while the seating arrangements for their nuptials are not being worked out just yet, Blanco said the sessions were a love-filled supplement to their relationship. “I hadn’t seen her excited about music for a long time. And I remember she was like, ‘I have to pull over the car because I’m so happy,’” Blanco said. “And then I knew at that moment. I was like, ‘Well, if it’s making both of us happy, then hopefully it makes a few other people happy.’”
Gomez said she was “very frustrated and kind of confused” about where she wanted to go next musically, confiding in Blanco that she wasn’t sure what her sound is now. Luckily, 11-time Grammy nominee producer/songwriter Blanco was there, with a pad and pen, writing down whatever was on Sel’s mind as soon as she woke up, then jumping right into their home studio to make it a reality. “It was such a cathartic and therapeutic experience,” he said of the sessions they purposely kept “really close to the chest” so that they could write “exactly how we wanted it and to feel exactly now we wanted it to feel.”
After the success of her 2019 No. 1 hit “Lose You to Love Me” Gomez, 32, said she realized that storytelling was her strength and that her vocal sweet spot was in a lower register with a softer tone. Plus, given Blanco’s platinum status contact list, roping in current chart queens like Gracie Abrams (as well as Billie Eilish collaborator and older brother Finneas for two songs) was easy, and made perfect sense.
Blanco has known the “That’s So True” singer since she was 14 — she used to date one of his close friends — so when it came to inviting Abrams, 25, into their circle of trust to record “Call Me When You Break Up” he said it was not only a slam dunk, but seemingly meant to be. “One day, me and Selena were just talking about stuff, and Selena started following her, and they started commenting on each other’s things … She has so many unique characteristics about her, but she also has so many similar ones to Selena,” he said of Abrams. “When they hang out, they’re like, ‘Oh my god, we’re like, the same person.’ And they’re both little hermits that want to stay in and they’re both pretty shy, but somehow turn it on and become the biggest stars in the world.”
During the shoot for the song’s video, Blanco said the two women had what he described as “almost like telepathy” when they were talking to each other, with Gomez easily slipping into the big sister role. “And low-key, I got cool points from my little sister for having her on [the album],” Gomez added.
The ease of the sessions also helped produce one of Gomez’s cheekiest love songs to date, the lascivious “Sunset Blvd.” which is simply dripping with innuendo that Blanco said had them laughing during the sessions. “‘Can we really get away with it? Is this really something we’re gonna do?’” he remembered asking. “That’s when the best moments come out. A lot of artists won’t do stuff like that. And Selena has the perfect way of dipping her toe in the water of, like, almost too far, but not — but, like, is it? And it’s because she’s so multifaceted.”
Gomez said that toe-dipping came as a result of her being more comfortable playing around with lyrics that she used to be, crediting acts like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Abrams and Charli XCX for giving her “a little bit more freedom to play.”
Clearly at ease in each other’s company, Gomez said the title of the album perfectly describes their relationship and “embodies his stories combined with my stories,” while also leaving some things unsaid. “They have meanings that are really just personal to both of us,” he said. “So one song could actually mean two different things.”
At this point, Blanco said he’s just “happy to be along for the ride” thanks to his “put me in, coach” attitude about his professional and personal relationship with Gomez. “I’m doing whatever it takes,” he said.
Thanks to the “massive” marquise-cut diamond ring Blanco slipped on Gomez’s finger in December, it’s only natural that questions about their wedding plans keep coming up. Blanco said they’re just taking things one day at a time for now, even as Gomez can’t stop staring at the sparkler. “I genuinely feel like this is such a special time that we get to apply it to this album and really just pour our heart into it, and completely translate what we feel and bring it to the world,” she said. “That’s my main focus right now, at least.”
James Taylor‘s music is headed to the theater. Fire & Rain, a jukebox-style musical based on the music of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was announced on Monday (March 17), with the in-development project to feature a story by Tony-winning playwright/actor Tracy Letts (August: Osage County, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and direction by Tony-winner David Cromer (The Band’s Visit).
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According to Deadline, while no details have been announced so far about the storyline for the show, a release announcing it heaped praise on six-time Grammy winner Taylor, referring to his musical legacy as, “one of profound influence on American music, particularly in the genres of folk, pop, and singer-songwriter traditions. His career spans over five decades, and his impact can be felt in both the personal nature of his songs and his stylistic innovations. His deeply personal, introspective lyrics and soulful delivery helped define the era’s musical landscape.”
The statement noted that the title song — which was featured on the singer’s 1970 sophomore album, Sweet Baby James, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — “helped solidify James Taylor’s career and introduce him to a wider audience. The song’s vulnerability and honesty made it resonate with listeners and became one of the defining songs of his career.”
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At press time there was not timeline for when Fire & Rain will be staged or where it will debut.
Taylor is the latest in a long line of iconic pop, country and Latin artists who’ve brought their music to the stage in biographical musicals, including Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, The Go-Gos, Sting, Alanis Morissette, Carole King, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Alicia Keys and many more.
The 77-year-old singer is gearing up to launch his 2025 summer tour, which is slated to kick off on May 5 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix and keep him on the road through a July 1 gig at the BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, NH.
For Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco love is definitely on the menu. Literally. The couple announced on Sunday (March 16) that they have teamed up with the authentic Thai restaurant Jitlada in L.A. to help other couples enjoy the fried shrimp with curry the singers shared on their first date at the spot. Explore See […]
BTS‘ j-hope previewed his upcoming solo single on Friday, giving ARMY a nine-second taste of the thumping tune. With a buzzy, glitched-out beat and woozy bass line, the first taste of the tune lacked audible vocals, though there did appear to be some chopped-up voices buried in the mix. A first taste on X featured […]
Ed Sheeran gave fans in New Orleans an unexpected treat on March 15, debuting his unreleased song “Azizam” during a surprise street performance in the city’s historic French Quarter.
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The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, accompanied by The Soul Rebels brass band, drew an excited crowd as he performed the track live for the first time.
Sheeran stepped out of a black SUV just after 11 a.m. local time, carrying a portable amp and microphone. “We’re gonna do one song here – we’re filming a bit of content – and then we’re going to do a parade and walk down and play some songs, if you want to come with us,” he told the audience, per Nola.com.
The performance marked the live debut of “Azizam”, which Sheeran revealed would be released in the coming weeks.
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“I’ve got a new song coming in a couple weeks that no one’s heard. This will be the first time it’s ever been played live. We’ll play it once now and then we’ll walk down, play some songs that you know, and I’ll play this song again,” he continued.
Sheeran later shared a video of the performance on Instagram, showing himself rolling his amp through the streets as the crowd grew around him. “Playing some new music today on the streets of New Orleans with @thesoulrebels thanks to everyone who turned up!” he captioned the post.
The New Orleans pop-up was just the latest in a series of unannounced performances from Sheeran. Earlier in the week, he surprised fans in Nashville by performing an impromptu set at Tootsie’s bar, delivering a mix of his biggest hits along with a cover of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.”
His love for impromptu performances has been a recurring theme. Back in February, he attempted a street concert in Bengaluru, India, drawing a large crowd before local authorities intervened. Despite the show being pre-approved, officials shut it down due to security concerns. Sheeran later addressed the situation on Instagram, clarifying that the performance had been planned in advance and assuring fans it was all in good spirits.
With speculation surrounding his upcoming album, Play, Sheeran has been teasing new music in creative ways. “Azizam” is expected to be one of the project’s lead singles, and if his recent pop-ups are any indication, fans can likely expect more surprise performances in the lead-up to its release. His previous album, Autumn Variations, debuted in 2023, earning a spot on the Billboard 200.
Singer-songwriter YU-KA traveled to Sweden to work with local creators and co-write the songs on her newly released five-song EP, Wild Nights. With songs like “Feel Like This,” the ending theme to part 1 of the Netflix series Beastars‘ final season, the EP has a mellow electronic sound evocative of northern Europe, and YU-KA’s delicate singing voice and expressiveness are in full bloom. She talked with Billboard Japan at length about how her time in Sweden stimulated and inspired her, and how she put those feelings into her music.
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Your new EP, Wild Nights, came out six months after your previous EP, Sunshade. Were the songs on the albums written around the same time?
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I didn’t write the lyrics or put the finishing touches on the songs until after Sunshade‘s release, but I made the actual demos for all of the songs in Sweden last summer. I was there for a little under a week, and while there I wrote a lot of different songs with different writers. The songs on Wild Nights come from the songs I wrote there. The speed with which the Swedish writers worked, and their way of thinking, was a little different than Japanese artists. Even the way they chose sounds was totally different, so it was an extremely stimulating experience.
Actually having gone to Sweden, did you find that it had a unique atmosphere of its own?
In Japan, everything gets lumped together as “Western music,” but the music in Sweden has a different feel than American or British music. Also, even though Sweden and Japan are very far away geographically, the character of the Swedish people is a good fit in many ways for that of the Japanese people. I felt a strange link between the countries. The artists I co-wrote with have also written songs for other Japanese artists, so they had connections with J-pop. I felt an unexpected affinity throughout the songwriting process.
What is the concept behind Wild Nights?
When writing the lyrics afterward, I wanted to make the theme for the EP “night.” Ever since my debut, I’ve been writing and releasing music, so I decided to stop for a second and think about my own artistry and my own strengths. I realized that, in the duality of light and dark, I tended toward the dark side. Other musicians and my vocal coaches often describe my voice as having a “shadowy” feel. Also, a lot of the songs I wrote a long time ago, on my own, were dark songs. So that’s why I decided to make the theme of the EP “night.” The title Wild Nights comes from a poem by Emily Dickinson. I found out about her in university, where I was majoring in English literature. When I was struggling with the decision of whether or not to become a singer, I was inspired by her poetry, and I decided to give music my all. “Wild nights” refers to stormy nights, and I thought that fit perfectly with the EP’s image, so I chose it as the title.
The image of your previous EP, Sunshade, was that of being out in the sun, so the new EP’s title stands in contrast.
The theme of Sunshade was “J-pop.” The songs I wrote in Sweden had a sound that was more like Western music, so before releasing them, I wanted to make an album that embodied my J-pop side. That was Sunshade. That’s also why the lyrics are relatively straightforward, while the lyrics on Wild Nights are a bit more aggressive and wild. In that sense, too, I think the two EPs present a contrast.
“Feel Like This” is the ending theme of part 1 of the Netflix series Beastars final season. Since it’s a tie-up, you’d expect it to go in a J-pop direction, but instead you took a bold approach, going with all-English lyrics.
The anime’s production team asked me to use English lyrics, and I thought it was a good idea. It’s evidence of the fact that anime is watched around the world. I was really happy that they picked me to write the ending theme. When I wrote the song, in Sweden, my vision was to pair it with English lyrics, so I think it was easier to write the lyrics in English than if I’d tried to write them in Japanese. I like lyrics that tie into the work the song is being used for, so I had fun writing them.
Beastars is set in a school, and it’s a love story, but it’s also enjoyable because of its takes on social issues like discrimination and its exploration of identity. What did you focus on when you wrote the lyrics?
The main character, a wolf, is in love with a rabbit, who’s a herbivore. In the natural world, their relationship would be predator and prey, but there’s a romance element, which is one of the key features of the anime. I think that contrast between reason and instinct is really important. The whole anime is a metaphorical depiction of problems in human society, and I think there are themes that apply to everyone. For example, think of what you want to do as being “instinct” and what you have to do as being “reason.” There are a lot of people who sacrifice what they want to do for what they have to do. It’s important not to let your instinct run rampant, but if you go overboard in ignoring your own desires, you’ll eventually come apart at the seams. I’ve felt that in my own life, so I based the lyrics on that idea. The lyrics use the contrast between certain expressions in English, and there’s a sense of playfulness that runs throughout.
I wrote the song “1-2-3” [also on the album] with David (Fremberg), who also worked on “Feel Like This.” Originally, we were just working on “Feel Like This,” but then we realized that if we kept focusing on this one song alone, we wouldn’t be able to come up with anything good. Instead, we figured we should play around with something else for a while and then come back to “Feel Like This.” And that’s how “1-2-3” came to be. We wrote “Feel Like This” and “1-2-3” in a single day.
The new EP has a good balance of English and Japanese lyrics. The last song, “Silent Parade,” is in Japanese, so the message and intent come through really strong.
There’s been a lot going on in the world recently, and perhaps because of that, the sight of people taking a position and asserting themselves has stuck with me. Asserting yourself is an impressive feat, you know. But if you think about it, being a singer-songwriter is similar, in a way. Singer-songwriters start out on their own, but they’re able to keep on making music thanks to the relationships they develop with all kinds of other people, like listeners or staff members. As they go on, that line of people becomes even longer. The question is whether, when you start out as in this silent parade, all by yourself, you can imagine all the people that will one day join in. Whether you can trust that to happen. That’s why it’s “Silent” and not “Alone.” I wanted to encourage people who step forward. They may feel like they’re alone, but when people have their sights set on the future and they keep pushing forward, they’re walking at the front of a long line of the people who will one day join them. When I started out, I thought I was all on my own, but now, as YU-KA, I’m surrounded by staff members and people who support me. Writing the song, I was struck once again by just how precious their presence is, and it made me want to make the YU-KA parade an even bigger one.
This interview by Hiroko Goto first appeared on Billboard Japan.