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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Renée Elise Goldsberry Is Ready to Share Her Debut Album — and Her Recurring ‘Hamilton' Nightmares
In 2013, Renée Elise Goldsberry had everything she wanted. She was finally a mother with two young children and a successful theater and television career. She was content. Then she got a call to audition for Lin-Manuel Miranda's new project. At first, she said no. The project, it turned out, was Hamilton. 'I'm not an idiot. I was a huge fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda from In the Heights. I knew the genius. I just didn't think that they would cast me for the show,' Goldsberry tells Rolling Stone. Eventually, after turning down the show several times, she capitulated and accepted the role of the fiery Angelica Schuyler. With her as one of its stars, Hamilton would go on to be the most sought-after theater ticket in town, launching the ultimate rap battle-history lesson straight into the cultural zeitgeist. More from Rolling Stone Original 'Hamilton' Cast Will Reunite for 10th Anniversary at 2025 Tony Awards Leslie Odom Jr. Returning to 'Hamilton' on Broadway for Show's 10-Year Anniversary Amy Winehouse, Elton John, and 'Hamilton' Added to Library of Congress' National Recording Registry '[Casting director] Bernie Telsey was really excited: 'Renée Goldsberry's coming in to audition!' It was this feeling of, 'We found her,' Miranda remembers. Goldsberry's co-star Leslie Odom Jr., who played Aaron Burr and will be returning to Hamilton this fall, adds, 'The truly great performers, their art is about how much they're willing to reveal. I just would trust her with anything. I feel that way about her on stage. It doesn't stop once we take our bows.' After portraying Angelica for three years (including a 13-month Broadway run and later a Disney+ adaptation), Goldsberry had been keeping busy performing solo concerts and landing roles on television shows like She-Hulk and Girls5Eva. Now, Goldsberry has embarked on a completely new adventure: She's releasing her first solo album, Who I Really Am on June 6, packing the project with 13 tracks that runs the gamut from love to heartbreak and everything in between. 'I've been writing music for a long time. I dreamt of being in Lilith Fair many decades ago,' she says. 'One of the greatest ways to be a storyteller is to be a singer-songwriter. ' 'She's such a chameleon, her voice can do a million things,' her longtime friend and Girls5Eva co-star Sara Bareilles explains. 'To this day, I can't listen to 'Satisfied' without it bringing tears to my eyes. There's so much truth. That's what makes Renée a great artist.'A version of 'Satisfied' actually makes its way onto the new project, with Goldsberry singing all the parts herself. 'Satisfied' is a famously tricky song,' Miranda says. 'Some people make a meal out of how fast they're rapping. Renée does the opposite. She thinks that fast. She's insane. It's a song at the speed of her brain, which is why she's Angelica.' In an interview with Rolling Stone, Goldsberry shares more of the stories behind Who I Really Am and explains why she waited until now to release the project now. She also looks back at Hamilton as it hits its 10th anniversary, describes how the musical haunts her to this day, and reveals whether she would ever return to the show. Why was this the right time for your debut album?I've had some wonderful success in the theater and in television, which crossed into the world of pop and R&B music, genre-defying, age-defying pop-rap. In Covid, everyone was home, Hamilton had a big movie premiere. I have this blessing of a platform. There are a group of people that care about what I sing. It was the right time to do what I love very much, for people that have shown me so much love. How did you come up with the title ?I was visiting my father in church in Michigan. The pastor got up to introduce a special guest they had there. I turned around like, 'Who? I wonder who it is,' as he was reading my entire biography. He said my name, I was shocked. How did I not recognize myself? I realized it's because it had excluded every challenge I'd been through. I had had a couple of really emotionally painful miscarriages that were quite public, and somehow, this introduction of me, just excluded that, because that's what you do. I thought, 'Wow, what a disservice we do to each other when we reduce our identity to shows and awards.' This song is two sides of the coin. If you flip the coin, that's where the loss is, where the mistakes are, where the pain is. And it became the name of the album. Do you remember when you first wrote your very first song?I was in high school, fell in love with a beautiful boy. He graduated, went to Dartmouth, and left me for my senior year. I walked around the campus of Cranbrook in Michigan so sad, so heartbroken, so abandoned, left with all of these 17-year-old emotions. The song is called, brace yourself, 'Left Alone.' I hope you do a 2026 remake of 'Left Alone.'There's a song called 'Love Returned,' about my most soap opera, dramatic, ridiculously kind of crazy running through the rain, heartbreak, night in college. Yes, I'm every cliché. Is there a special backstory to any of the songs?'Twinkle' is written for my daughter. I have songs that require the support of powerful women, the power of sisterhood. It's every nursery rhyme, but reclaimed specifically for my Black daughter. I wrote 'You Can Do Anything,' for my son, especially the line, 'If you knew that you would win, how would you play?' Without the idea that you might lose, you'll do it differently. Were there any other album titles you considered?'Friendly fire,' is in the song 'I Met Someone.' It's about breaking someone's heart. I had to tell the person I was seeing, 'I met someone.' I met my husband. Finding the strength to say those three words and being the villain in the story. Sometimes it's the best thing you can be in someone's life, because it frees them to have a person that actually loves them in the way they deserve. Is this album your villain origin story?Possible! After I wrote that song with Paul Duncan, Sara Bareilles, my very good friend slash 'Grammy Award-winning superstar.' She actually might be the best singer/songwriter ever. I told her, 'I'm doing my own album.' She said, 'Oh, I have a song, I think you'd sing it great,' and she just gave it to me. 'Don't Want to Love You,' is the perspective of the person who was hurt. I was a stalker fan first. I first met her backstage at Hamilton. When I got the offer to be in Tina Fey and Meredith Scardino's Girls5Eva, Sara was the only person attached. I thought, 'Ooh, if I do the show, I'll be friends with Sara Bareilles.' Who were some of your musical inspirations for this album?My favorite voice in the whole wide world: Sarah Vaughan. She never wanted to be called a jazz singer. She considered herself just a singer, which also fits very well for me. It's a challenge for me to find one genre that defines me. As a theater singer, we sing everything. I'm in love with the sound of Luther Vandross and James Taylor's voices. Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Eva Cassidy, and Joni Mitchell. Joni! Both Sides Now! 's about to hit 10 years. Let's go back in time. We had dinner after your audition and you said, 'I don't know, I think this could be big. The music is so good.' Turns out, you were right.I turned the audition down several times. It was for the workshop. I'm not an idiot. I was a huge fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda from In the Heights. I knew the genius. I just didn't think that they would cast me for the show. I didn't see myself as a Nicki Minaj type. I didn't recognize myself that way. And most importantly, I had just brought my daughter home. My son was here. My family was complete, and it was hard to get. Then, I got this email, 'Would you come audition for this Hamilton mixtape?' I thought, 'They're never gonna give me that job.' So, no. How many times did you turn it down?Two or three times. The producers said, 'We love her. We just need to know if she can rap. Can she just listen to the song?' I listened. I thought, 'Fuck.' I had only one night to learn it. I was going to be in a room with my heroes, Tommy Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, and Jeffrey Seller. And I can't even understand what he's saying on this demo I get. I'm like, 'What? What is he even saying?' I auditioned. They gave me the job. You played hard to get with .I mean I said, 'Yes,' right away! You do a remake of on this album. Did you get the Lin stamp of approval?Lin kicked off his series to showcase Hamilton cast members' work at his theater in Washington Heights, with my documentary, Satisfied. He asked me to sing. I said, 'Well, this is a perfect time for me to let you know that I have this song. Not to replace the irreplaceable! But I'm always singing it by myself!' He replied, 'You have never once asked me to sing with you!' I sent it. He listened and wrote back, 'I love it, let's do it together!' Phillipa Soo sang with us. I said, 'I want to release it as a single.' And he said, 'I'm honored.' Who came to see you in that excited you the most?The people that didn't come is the shorter list. I got to do the show for Prince, Beyoncé, Barack and Michelle Obama. One night, I saw a letter from James Taylor saying, 'Thank you. I had a wonderful time at the show.' I started hyperventilating, 'James Taylor was here?!' My best performances are always when I don't know that anyone is there. I didn't want to be thinking the whole time, 'Oh my God, Beyoncé!' It was scary every single night. What did you learn from working with Lin?Lin and I are opposites. We're both perfectionists. Most perfectionists think they're never good enough. Lin has this wonderful combination of being a perfectionist, but also, he's very 'Show and Tell.' He doesn't have to be done. He'll never stop working. The first time he performed Hamilton at the White House, he did Alexander Hamilton, a rap that no one's ever heard. He's a perfectionist that's never afraid to show his work. It's a genius combination. What was it like working with Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa, and Jonathan Groff?In my documentary and social media, you'll see me with every person you just mentioned, except Jonathan Groff. There's a reason why. It's all inappropriate. I can't put it anywhere. He's fine with it. He doesn't care. I can't release the Jonathan Groff footage. One of the greatest gifts, even 10 years later, is this whole family and watching the world discover them. If came out today, do you think it would be received differently?Absolutely, it would be. Not quite sure how. Would it have more potential to heal because the divide feels so great? What's beautiful about Hamilton because of the rap battles, both sides claimed Hamilton. Hopefully, it would be a bridge. That's definitely what we need. It was born in the Obama era. We thought that era was forever. Eight year olds come up to me all the time, knowing the material better than I do, and they were not alive when it came out. Would you ever go back to ? I've never thought of it ever as an option. It's also my recurring nightmare. I have dreams I'm in costume. It's almost time for me to go, 'Angelica!' I can't remember any of it. They start calling old Nalas for The Lion King. I'm on stage. There's no rehearsal, they assume I know it. I do not. When I heard Leslie was going back to the show, I was shocked. But what a gift to all of us. If there was a reason that it would be a win for everybody again, sure I'd do it. The hardest thing about doing the show is singing, 'Satisfied.' I used to say, kind of metaphorically [pretends to smoke a cigarette] after the show, 'I'm going to write an autobiography, and it's going to be called After Satisfied,' because I was so stressed out until after that song. So, I could do it, I would do it, but they don't need me! You've created a soundtrack to people's lives from joy to heartbreak to to love and all the messy, beautiful stuff in between. Your album's called, 'Who I Really Am?' So, who are you, really?Oof, that's hard. I'm an actor, I'm a singer, I'm a storyteller, I'm a mother, I'm a wife, I'm a friend, I'm a sister, I'm a daughter — A villain…I'm a villain. Who am I? Me. I wrote a whole ass song about it, it's track one. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'90s Pop Icon, 56, Stuns Fans With Shocking Appearance
'90s Pop Icon, 56, Stuns Fans With Shocking Appearance originally appeared on Parade. Sarah McLachlan, 56, has clearly found the fountain of youth. The '90s pop icon and Lilith Fair regular shared a social media video over the weekend that had fans doing a double take at the Canadian songstress's ageless Fumbling Towards Ecstasy singer posted a video in which she answers random questions to help fans get to know her better. Wearing an adorable white jumpsuit, her hair swept up in a messy bun, and sporting little to no makeup, McLachlan put her natural beauty on full display. She effortlessly shared her answers, even revealing a personal pre-show ritual. 'Melissa and I, um… we smack each other really hard on the bum — just wakes us up!' McLachlan revealed, before laughing and admitting she may have overshared. Fans were quick to notice her toned arms, with one commenting, 'Those arms — whoa 🤯 ❤️,' and another adding, 'You are so cool and timeless. Also, your arms!!! They are so strong. 💪🏻💪🏻❤️❤️❤️'McLachlan shares two daughters with her ex-husband, Ashwin Sood. She recently celebrated 30 years since the release of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 '90s Pop Icon, 56, Stuns Fans With Shocking Appearance first appeared on Parade on Jun 1, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Q&A: Suzanne Vega On Her New Album And First Album Four Decades Later
US singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega performs during a concert at the Nimes Festival, in Nimes ... More Arena, southern France, on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP) (Photo by SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP via Getty Images) Forty years ago, New York-based singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega released her brilliant eponymous debut. A critically acclaimed folk collection, the superb debut pre-dated Tracy Chapman's landmark debut by three years and Lilith Fair by 12 years. When Sarah McLachlan kicked off the Lilith Fair at the Gorge in Washington in 1997, Vega was the very first main stage performer. Yeah, Suzanne Vega deserves a lot of credit for the trailblazing role she played in the Eighties and Nineties. Four decades later Vega is back with the excellent Flying With Angels, her first album of all-new material in over a decade. I spoke with her about the two albums, political songwriting, Joey Ramone and more. Steve Baltin: You have always been a very distinctly New York artist and 'Rats' is a song that could only written by someone who lives in New York. Suzanne Vega: Thank you. I take that as a compliment. Baltin: It is a compliment. It feels like it was written for a Broadway show. Vega: I was thinking of the Ramones, honestly. I was thinking of The Ramones and there's a band called Fontaines D.C., which is sort of a new punk band out of Ireland. So, I could see how it has a Broadway feel. It's just a lot to sing on stage. Baltin: Oh, so you've done it live already. Have you done a lot of this material live? Vega: Oh, we've done about half the songs live. Baltin: I'm going to come back to this in one second. I must ask as a big fan. What do you think The Ramones would do with it as a cover? Vega: Oh my God. Well, first of all, it's a little more complicated than The Ramones songs tended to be, it's a little longer than they might have. So, they probably would simplify it. I don't know. I'm in awe just thinking of those words coming out of Joey Ramones mouth. That would be amazing. I met Joey once or twice; our paths would cross from time to time. But I don't think he thought of me as the kind of artist that he would cover. Although there was a really good thrash metal version of 'Luka' by the Lemonheads. I thought that worked pretty well. So, I think if people are inclined to do punk rock covers of my songs that it works pretty well. Baltin: What would be the one song of yours you would love to hear someone do a punk rock cover of? Vega: Well, the other song that did get a punk rock treatment was 'Blood Makes Noise' by a band called Acid Rain. I thought they did a good job of that as well. Are there other songs? Yeah, probably. It's not up to me to think of them, though. Like, I never would have thought of a thrash metal version of 'Luka,' because my brain doesn't work that way. But people kind of know when something is right for them. Baltin: I love the wonderful new record, but obviously it's been a while since there's been all-new material. Were these songs written in a concentrated period or over time, because it feels like 'Rats' and 'Galway' were like 100 years apart? Vega: They were a year apart, but not 100 years. But I know what you mean, because stylistically, they're at the opposite ends of the spectrum. That's just how I work, though. I have different moods. So, it's not like I have periods where I'm like, 'Oh, in a folky period,' and then I slowly transition. No, it's more like a mood. Okay, today, working with Jerry, say, we'd be in a punk rock mood. Then the next time it might be time, so it changes pretty quickly. Baltin: I talk with artists about writing being subconscious. So, were there songs on this record that really surprised you? Vega: Oh yeah. The trick was following them down the rabbit hole in spite of the fact that they were a surprise. I'd say half the album was like, "Whoa, where are we going with this?" When I first conceived of the idea of 'Love Thief,' "I am the love thief" I was like, "Okay, this is a totally different sound for me." And I just sang it into my phone the way I just did to you and sent it to Jerry going "Here, have fun." Then he sent it back to me with a really good musical bed for it. So that that was a surprise. The other surprise was 'Witch,' I didn't know what was going to happen with that song. That's sort of a prog rock song, which again, I couldn't have foreseen how we were going to go with that. It has a folky beginning and then what I think of as prog rock. It's sort of like my Pink Floyd moment. Baltin: One of the other ones I love on the record is 'Chambermaid.' You're one of the few people I know who can write a really good story song. Tom Waits does it as well, Dylan, of course can write story songs. But 'Chambermaid' almost reminded me a little bit of 'Queen and the Soldier' 40 years later. Not in terms of theme, but stylistically, because it's writing a true narrative from the perspective of someone else. Vega: Yeah, I really had fun with that. I really was able to step into her shoes and see the room she was cleaning and imagine the details; maybe he's got cuff links he leaves out on the table but she knows that he wouldn't leave anything genuinely valuable on the table. It's this way of creating all the details of this imaginary world. I really had fun with that and that took about an hour and a half. Baltin: Do you find that the current political climate has affected you artistically? Vega: Yeah, I feel it has affected me artistically, but I kind of also want to say that whenever I write a song and I feel the politics creeping into it, I want people to know that I'm writing as a citizen. I vote, I read the newspaper, I'm affected by the political atmosphere just like everybody else is. I'm not writing anything as a celebrity. I'm not trying to tell anybody to do anything in particular. I am expressing a feeling through my art, which is my prerogative. Baltin: For you, who does that well? Who are the best political songwriters? For me it always starts and ends with John Lennon because for me he did such a phenomenal job of mixing the personal and political, so he made the political feel very human. Vega: I see your point. That had not occurred to me but I think I think you've got a point. There are two people that come to my mind immediately; the main one of course is Bob Dylan, who was able to write a song like 'Masters of War,' which is really personal but really political at the same time at such a young age. And he was also able to write a song like Medgar Evans ('Only A Pawn In Their Gane'), which is almost journalistic in its approach. It was iso factual. There was not a single metaphor in that song. I don't think. I think he's the epitome of great political songwriting. The other song I've always loved is 'Biko' by Peter Gabriel. He wrote about his political situation in a soulful and meaningful way that didn't have the dead language of jargon and slogans. I don't consider myself a political writer, but I feel that I have the right to voice my feelings from time to time if I'm moved to. Baltin: It's crazy to think that we're weeks away from the 40-year anniversary of your first album. Are you able to look at those songs now almost like a fan because the songs are almost like from someone else, they are so long ago? Vega: It's a different life yes, but my life is not like a lot of people's life, and I'll give you an example. There's a song on the first album called 'Freeze Tag.' I wrote that for my boyfriend at the time whose name was Paul Mills, and he had also influenced some of 'Marlena on the Wall' because he was a film fanatic and he had taught me all this stuff about film. So, jump ahead to now, Paul Mills and I got back together again in 2006 and got married. I am actually married to that guy from the first album. So, the songs still have a relevance to me and still are alive in a certain way that I don't think happens in a lot of people's lives. A lot of people live episodically. Mine is really truly more of a circle
Hamilton Spectator
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Métis musician brings her tunes to Sault for free concert
Amanda Rheaume was just 16 years old when she stepped onto a Toronto stage at Lilith Fair and sang alongside music icons Sarah McLachlan and the Indigo Girls. That moment solidified her singer-songwriter aspirations. 'It kind of gave me the bug to do it as a job,' said Rheaume. 'Ever since then, I started writing songs and then, you know, just went from there.' The Métis singer-songwriter, born and raised in Ottawa, has since built a career rooted in storytelling — blending rootsy twang with traditional folk elements to shine a light on the hidden histories and enduring spirit of Métis people in Canada. On May 24, Rheaume returns to Sault Ste. Marie for a free outdoor performance at the Downtown Plaza. She'll be joined by five musicians and local community members in what she describes as an evening of connection. 'It's just going to be really fun and meant to be kind of a connected time, to just be together,' she said. 'It's not just for Métis people — it's for everybody.' The performance features songs from her latest album, many of which are inspired by local Métis communities. Singing them on the land that shaped them has made this tour especially meaningful, she said. 'The songs on this new album are so deeply connected to particular communities,' said Rheaume. 'The feeling of singing the songs on the lands that they're about has been really moving and remarkable — a new experience for me as an artist.' Two songs in particular — I Won't Hide and One of These Days — explore significant moments in Métis history. I Won't Hide recounts the decade-long legal battle led by Steve Powley of Sault Ste. Marie, who fought to secure his constitutionally protected right to hunt under Section 35. The case became a defining moment for Métis recognition in Canada. 'It's a really important event that put Métis people on the map, politically,' said Rheaume. One of These Days reflects on the story of the Bussineau family and others who were forced to leave their homes in Agawa Bay in the 1960s. 'This song talks about how the government came in and, even though these families had deeds to the land, forced them to leave — and then brought down all of their homes,' she said. Through music, Rheaume hopes to teach people stories of Métis culture and injustices. At a performance on Thursday night at the National Arts Centre, she did just that. 'So many people came up at the end of the show and just said, 'I had no idea any of those things happened,' so it means a lot.' Music has always been part of Rheaume's life. She started piano at nine, picked up guitar at 13, and began considering herself a singer later on during high school. Rheaume said artists such as Alanis Morissette, Ani DiFranco and Sheryl Crow are her main influences. She has forged her musical path, 'one step at a time,' she said. 'I just kept trying to open new doors and get new opportunities.' Rheaume has since done several tours across Canada and Europe. She has performed in Sault Ste. Marie before, including at Métis events and years ago at Loplops Lounge. On a recent visit, she toured the new Métis Heritage Centre and encourages others to do the same. 'It's so special,' she said. 'The work that the community is doing to lift up stories and songs and history and tradition is so incredible.' This time, she looks forward to performing by the water and reconnecting with the community. 'I'm just excited to sing and play these songs outside,' she said. 'It's going to be really fun to be together.' If you go: What: Amanda Rheaume with local guests When: Saturday, May 24, 5 p.m. Where: Downtown Plaza Admission: Free
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Book Review: 'Lollapalooza' is an entertaining history of festival's role in alternative rock rise
The least enjoyable part of 'Lollapalooza: The Unscripted Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival' for readers might be seeing the $27.50 ticket price for the inaugural festival in 1991. The cheapest tickets for the reconfigured version of Lollapalooza this year start at about $189. With hundreds of interviews from the musicians, promoters and others, Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour compiled a comprehensive and entertaining oral history of the festival that was crucial in the rise of alternative rock in the 1990s. When Lollapalooza was introduced in 1991 as a traveling music festival, 'it was if a switch had been flipped,' the pair write. Conceived of as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction, the festival introduced audiences to acts such as Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden. The book provides plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, including its fair share of fights, and tidbits including how close Nirvana came to headlining the tour in 1994 before Kurt Cobain's death. It also details the work that went into what was then an unusual concept of a traveling festival and its use of a second stage for additional acts to play, and the village that was set up to introduce festival goers to political and cultural advocacy. The criticism Lollapalooza faced for its decision to ask thrash superstars Metallica to headline a tour that was originally intended to focus on alternative rock is explored. It also chronicles how it faded away, as it faced competition from other festivals such as Lilith Fair and Ozzfest. The festival has been revived in a different form, but Bienstock and Beaujour's work show just how much Lollapalooza and the music industry has changed. ___ AP book reviews: Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press
