![]() In 1992, Whitney Houston’s role in The Bodyguard saw her turn in two iconic performances with “I Will Always Love You” and “I Have Nothing,” bringing her to triple-threat status. Soundtracks have been big business for a while, of course-and an important vehicle for established singers to make a mark in the world of film, as Gaga is now doing. “To have a voice like that in a song that you write is a dream come true,” says songwriter Natalie Hemby, who contributed to Ally’s two big emotional solos-both being put forward as Oscar contenders alongside “Shallow.” A Star Is Born reminded viewers of the powerhouse performer that she’s always been within the context of a new character. Yet Gaga’s last album, the folksy, back-to-basics Joanne, underperformed commercially for some, that persona proved too much of a departure. Her big-screen debut guaranteed a passionate built-in audience, and she sounds equally at home on the rootsy rock that Ally sings at the beginning of her career as she does on the sleek synth-pop that she performs as she progresses. Isbell ultimately wrote “Maybe It’s Time” for Cooper, a tender, acoustic lullaby that is, appropriately enough, about grappling with change.īut the soundtrack’s popularity still probably comes down to Gaga, who is one of the decade’s most chameleonic artists. “It led me to believe there would be a legitimacy to the music,” he says. “There was nothing that made me cringe.” Plus, he had faith in the other artists involved, from Nelson to Ronson to Lady Gaga herself. “There was something honest and human about the story,” he says. But he signed on after reading the script. Grammy-winning artist Isbell, a self-described “hard critic,” was initially wary of working on the movie. “It’s real, it’s authentic, and people gravitate towards that in life.” That spills over into the music, which Nelson thinks is resonating because of the “organic” sound-a departure from much of contemporary pop radio. “He liked the camaraderie,” Nelson says of Cooper’s preference for a band instead of actors. His band Promise of the Real even became Cooper’s backing group on screen. After watching Nelson perform onstage with Neil Young, Cooper tapped the artist for assistance Nelson ended up overseeing the movie’s sound and helping Cooper fine tune his character. At the 2019 Golden Globes, Gaga and her co-writers took home the Best Original Song trophy for “Shallow,” teeing her up nicely for an Academy Award nomination.Ī murderer’s row of musical talent-from rocker Lukas Nelson to English musician and DJ Mark Ronson to country singer-songwriter Jason Isbell-helped build that soundtrack. Meanwhile, the certified-platinum soundtrack topped the Billboard chart when it debuted in October, besting recent soundtrack records, knocking down releases from popular artists like Lil Wayne and even topping Gaga’s own previous chart successes as a solo artist. The film has handily beaten the domestic box-office numbers of live-action musicals like La La Land and Les Miserables, raking in nearly $400 million globally. Which is exactly what A Star Is Born has done. ![]()
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