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New York Times
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Timothée Chalamet Dug Deep for Bob Dylan Songs on ‘S.N.L.'
Timothée Chalamet has been busily proving his Bob Dylan bona fides ever since he was cast as the great songwriter in 'A Complete Unknown.' He has studied guitar and singing, immersed himself in Dylan lore, worn carefully researched Dylan outfits and mastered a passable imitation of Dylan's speaking and singing voices. On Saturday, with his Oscar campaign for best actor revving up, he hosted 'Saturday Night Live' and sang Dylan songs, doubling as musical guest. He vouched for credibility like many another Dylan fan: picking songs from the deep catalog instead of obvious hits. 'You might not know the Bob Dylan songs I'm performing, but they're my personal favorites,' he said in his monologue. He chose folky, electric and spoken-word songs. 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time' was demoed in the early 1960s, but was recorded by others (Judy Collins, Odetta, Ian & Sylvia, the Kingston Trio, Elvis Presley) before Dylan's own 1963 version was released in 1971. 'Outlaw Blues' came from Dylan's 1965 electric breakthrough album, 'Bringing It All Back Home,' and 'Three Angels' was on Dylan's 1970 album, 'New Morning.' Although Dylan has sung 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time' on various tours, he has never performed 'Three Angels' in concert and has only sung 'Outlaw Blues' onstage once. Chalamet delivered the songs as earnest homages — not imitating Dylan's nasality as slavishly as he did in 'A Complete Unknown,' but still echoing Dylan's phrasing in his own voice. Visually, however, he brought a star's full prerogatives: costumes, lights and video, as well a band that included the English songwriter and producer James Blake on keyboards. Instead of keeping the focus on the musicians, as Dylan does in concert, Chalamet surrounded himself with visual aids — perhaps in the belief that young listeners need them. Strobes flashed as he sang three (out of the five) verses of 'Outlaw Blues,' while Chalamet wore the 'dark sunglasses' and video screens showed the 'mountain range' (presumably Australian) mentioned in the lyrics. Wearing a hooded parka — the lyrics mention 'nine below zero' — Chalamet grinned with undisguised glee as he delivered the song's best zinger: 'Don't ask me nothin' about nothin' / I just might tell you the truth.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Message Behind Timothée Chalamet's SNL Dylan Covers
When Saturday Night Live announced that Timothée Chalamet would be both the host and musical guest on this week's episode, the reaction was largely: huh? What would Chalamet, a skilled actor not usually known as a musical artist, perform? Would he revive his high-school rap alias Lil Timmy Tim? Reprise his role as Willy Wonka? Or would he just sing Bob Dylan songs, considering he has been on a long promotional tour for his turn as the folk artist in the biopic A Complete Unknown? Would he come out strumming hits such as 'Blowin' in the Wind'? He did sing Dylan songs last night—but notably, he did not feature the most popular stuff. Chalamet's musical numbers were inspired interpretations of Dylan deep cuts, including 'Three Angels' and 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time.' His performances were weird, smart, and entertaining, and a way to show people that his dedication to Dylan has been serious. Chalamet's hosting stint was clearly strategic. Oscar nominations came out on Thursday, and his name was called as expected, making him, at 29, the youngest two-time nominee for the Best Actor category since James Dean. Chalamet highlighted the achievement in his monologue, explaining that he was in his SNL dressing room when he heard the news. 'The entire creative team worked extremely hard bringing to life the brilliant artist Bob Dylan, a man whose music and career has become a guiding light to me,' he said, earnestly. No jokes could be found in that statement, which sounded like the kind of thing you'd say on the stage of the Dolby Theatre, holding a trophy. [Read: The Oscars have left the mainstream moviegoer behind] But as Chalamet would quickly remind viewers: Although his work has been praised quite a bit for someone who has yet to hit 30, he also hasn't won all that many awards. 'I just keep losing,' he said. 'And each time, it gets harder to pretend it doesn't sting.' That prompted a montage of Chalamet at various awards shows hearing the likes of Gary Oldman and Mahershala Ali get their name called instead of him, his angular face barely masking disappointment by the end. He told the SNL audience that he would use this hosting opportunity to give the acceptance speech he'd been carrying around and handed an envelope to a person seated in the audience to announce his name. However, that was a set up for another joke: The winner inside the envelope was not Chalamet but the cast member Kenan Thompson. Still the monologue had a sincere tone overall; Chalamet, rather than seeming like a sore loser, cannily presented himself as an underdog. In the episode's sketches, Chalamet was an enthusiastic participant (as he has been the past two times he's hosted), throwing himself into characters including an overly enthusiastic bungee-fitness instructor, a nurse who does CPR by farting on faces, and a dog at a park meeting other pups. Though these were proficient moments of comedy, the two musical sets were where he really showed off. He didn't play the famous songs that appear in A Complete Unknown, which tracks Dylan's emergence in the 1960s folk scene. Instead, Chalamet pulled out what he called his 'personal favorites'—and revealed choices that appeal to Dylan fanatics rather than casual listeners. He first sang a medley of 'Outlaw Blues,' off the 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home, and 'Three Angels,' from 1970's New Morning, each rendition receiving its own elaborate, deliberate production that proved this was no half-hearted effort. He wore big, bug-eyed sunglasses during the more upbeat 'Outlaw Blues,' rocking and dancing across the stage as lights flashed to the tune. For the latter song he sat down next to the electro-pop artist James Blake, who backed him up with vocals and keys, and slowed down, reciting the song as if it were a poem. During the second musical break, Chalamet, perched on a stool, demonstrated his acoustic-guitar-strumming technique on 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time,' a Dylan song sometimes associated with its Elvis Presley cover. When an actor portrays a renowned musician in a movie, it's not a given that they have actual musical talent. Chalamet's promotional tour for A Complete Unknown emphasized the fact that he performed all its songs himself; even that, however, could be written off as pure mimicry. Simply imitating Dylan did not seem to be Chalamet's aim on SNL, however. The actor presented his own interpretations of Dylan's music, melding the Nobel Prize winner's artistry with Chalamet's own streetwear-influenced style and more contemporary musical tastes—as evidenced by the presence of Blake's signature wail. [Read: Bob Dylan's carnival act] For anyone who was questioning Chalamet's commitment to playing Dylan—including potential Oscar voters—the night was proof that the actor's engagement with the musician went beyond the pure confines of the cinematic role. And for those who thought that Chalamet doing double duty on SNL might be a joke, the thoughtful way in which he approached his job as musical guest may have quieted any doubt. Not only did he pay respect to Dylan; he made clear that he can put on a show that's all his own. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
The Message Behind Timothée Chalamet's
When Saturday Night Live announced that Timothée Chalamet would be both the host and musical guest on this week's episode, the reaction was largely: huh? What would Chalamet, a skilled actor not usually known as a musical artist, perform? Would he revive his high-school rap alias Lil Timmy Tim? Reprise his role as Willy Wonka? Or would he just sing Bob Dylan songs, considering he has been on a long promotional tour for his turn as the folk artist in the biopic A Complete Unknown? Would he come out strumming hits such as 'Blowin' in the Wind'? He did sing Dylan songs last night—but notably, he did not feature the most popular stuff. Chalamet's musical numbers were inspired interpretations of Dylan deep cuts, including 'Three Angels' and 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time.' His performances were weird, smart, and entertaining, and a way to show people that his dedication to Dylan has been serious. Chalamet's hosting stint was clearly strategic. Oscar nominations came out on Thursday, and his name was called as expected, making him, at 29, the youngest two-time nominee for the Best Actor category since James Dean. Chalamet highlighted the achievement in his monologue, explaining that he was in his SNL dressing room when he heard the news. 'The entire creative team worked extremely hard bringing to life the brilliant artist Bob Dylan, a man whose music and career has become a guiding light to me,' he said, earnestly. No jokes could be found in that statement, which sounded like the kind of thing you'd say on the stage of the Dolby Theatre, holding a trophy. But as Chalamet would quickly remind viewers: Although his work has been praised quite a bit for someone who has yet to hit 30, he also hasn't won all that many awards. 'I just keep losing,' he said. 'And each time, it gets harder to pretend it doesn't sting.' That prompted a montage of Chalamet at various awards shows hearing the likes of Gary Oldman and Mahershala Ali get their name called instead of him, his angular face barely masking disappointment by the end. He told the SNL audience that he would use this hosting opportunity to give the acceptance speech he'd been carrying around and handed an envelope to a person seated in the audience to announce his name. However, that was a set up for another joke: The winner inside the envelope was not Chalamet but the cast member Kenan Thompson. Still the monologue had a sincere tone overall; Chalamet, rather than seeming like a sore loser, cannily presented himself as an underdog. In the episode's sketches, Chalamet was an enthusiastic participant (as he has been the past two times he's hosted), throwing himself into characters including an overly enthusiastic bungee-fitness instructor, a nurse who does CPR by farting on faces, and a dog at a park meeting other pups. Though these were proficient moments of comedy, the two musical sets were where he really showed off. He didn't play the famous songs that appear in A Complete Unknown, which tracks Dylan's emergence in the 1960s folk scene. Instead, Chalamet pulled out what he called his 'personal favorites'—and revealed choices that appeal to Dylan fanatics rather than casual listeners. He first sang a medley of 'Outlaw Blues,' off the 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home, and 'Three Angels,' from 1970's New Morning, each rendition receiving its own elaborate, deliberate production that proved this was no half-hearted effort. He wore big, bug-eyed sunglasses during the more upbeat 'Outlaw Blues,' rocking and dancing across the stage as lights flashed to the tune. For the latter song he sat down next to the electro-pop artist James Blake, who backed him up with vocals and keys, and slowed down, reciting the song as if it were a poem. During the second musical break, Chalamet, perched on a stool, demonstrated his acoustic-guitar-strumming technique on 'Tomorrow Is a Long Time,' a Dylan song sometimes associated with its Elvis Presley cover. When an actor portrays a renowned musician in a movie, it's not a given that they have actual musical talent. Chalamet's promotional tour for A Complete Unknown emphasized the fact that he performed all its songs himself; even that, however, could be written off as pure mimicry. Simply imitating Dylan did not seem to be Chalamet's aim on SNL, however. The actor presented his own interpretations of Dylan's music, melding the Nobel Prize winner's artistry with Chalamet's own streetwear-influenced style and more contemporary musical tastes—as evidenced by the presence of Blake's signature wail. For anyone who was questioning Chalamet's commitment to playing Dylan—including potential Oscar voters—the night was proof that the actor's engagement with the musician went beyond the pure confines of the cinematic role. And for those who thought that Chalamet doing double duty on SNL might be a joke, the thoughtful way in which he approached his job as musical guest may have quieted any doubt. Not only did he pay respect to Dylan; he made clear that he can put on a show that's all his own.
