Entertainment
Coke Studio Bangla season 1 ends with 'Hey Samalo'
After releasing nine fusion songs since its launching in February this year, season one of Coke Studio Bangla comes to its conclusion with the launch of the latest song, “Hey Samalo.”
The team of Coke Studio Bangla released this song at a gala event and exclusive screening for 500 fans at hotel Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden on Thursday night.
A tribute to the undying spirit and the rebelling nature that can be found among all Bangladeshi netizens, the song came as a majestic fusion of Salil Chowdhury's 1946–1948 Tebhaga movement–inspired original song of the same name and Abdul Latif's 1952 Language Movement–inspired the song "Ora Amar Mukher Bhasha."
The biggest artistic collaboration of the season, “Hey Samalo” is sung by 15 prominent Bangladeshi singers - Bappa Mazumder, Samina Chowdhury, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Sunidhi Nayak, Rituraj Baidya, Dilshad Nahar Kona, Warda Ashraf, Armeen Musa, Sanzida Mahmood Nandita, Masha Islam, Rubayat Rehman, Jannatul Firdous Akbar, Sinha Hasan, Ripon Kumar Sarkar (Boga Taleb), and Animes Roy.
The music video of the song also contains musicians belonging to the Mro community in Naikhongchari of Bandarban, who performed a mesmerizing flute performance and a Raibenshe folk martial dance.
Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Music Producer of Coke Studio Bangla said, “We tried to explore something different for the finale by using Gono Sangeet in an effort to bring musicians and artists from different genres and backgrounds in unison. Everyone synced together beautifully, and the bond we created through this song was the real magic.”
“This song brings out the undying spirit of the Bangladeshi people and I hope our audience will feel the same passion we felt when we sang together,” he added.
“Bengalis have always fought for their rights throughout their lifetimes, whether it was during the anti-British movement, the struggle for independence from Pakistan, the fight for the mother tongue, or the anti-dictatorship movement. We wanted to close the first season with the spiritual strength that our nation never lost,” Coke Studio Bangla Creative Producer Syed Gousul Alam Shaon said about the song.
The maiden season of Coke Studio Bangla featured a total of 10 songs from different genres including its rocking opener “Nasek Nasek,” followed by “Prarthona,” “Bulbuli,” “Bhober Pagol,” “Chiltey Roud,” “Bhinnotar Uthshob,” “Shob Lokey Koy,” “Lilabali.” “Dokhina Hawa” and lastly, “Hey Samalo.”
The season featured a star-studded lineup of Bangladeshi legendary musicians, such as Momtaz Begum, Bappa Majumdar, Pantha Kanai, Dilshad Nahar Kona, Samina Chowdhury, Mizan, Tahsan Khan and more, along with new promising singers from music industry such as Animesh Roy, Boga Taleb, Nandita, Makhon and others.
Also read: Coke Studio Bangla concert held at Army Stadium
10 Most-Hyped South Indian Films Releasing in September 2022
Over the past decades, South Indian cinemas have gone through changes in the plots and filming methods. Meanwhile, the popularity of such cinemas has increased tremendously among the viewers. Like other months, in September, a list of South Indian movies are waiting to be released. Now the cinema enthusiasts around the world wait for the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada movies. Stay with us, to decide which South Indian movies to include in your watchlist.
Top 10 South Indian Movies Set to Release in September 2022
Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga, Telugu Romantic-Comedy
In Theater on September 2, 2022
Gireeshaaya directed the movie featuring Vaishnav Tej and Ketika Sharma as the main characters. A young man and woman are constantly at loggerheads with each other in the prologue. From childhood, every one of them expects others to always apologize first. Along with fun entertainment, the movie will also have a drama of family sentiments.
Devi Sri Prasad took care of the music composition of the film. Shamdat Sainuddin was in charge of shooting and cinematography of the film. The entire production was made by BVSN Prasad under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Cine Pictures.
Read Badhon’s first glimpse in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya teaser
Gold, Malayalam Comedy
In Theater on September 2, 2022
Alphonse Puthren played a major role in the making of this entire drama film. Not just writing, editing, and directing; He also worked on stunt choreography, color grading, visual effects, and animation for the film.
The film, produced by Listyn Stephen and Supriya Menon, stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Nayanthara in the main roles. This film is a love story of Jaya and MGR with a complex plot behind fun activities. Rajesh Murugesan worked as the music director in the film. The cinematography was handled by Biswajit Odukathil and Anind C Chandran.
Padavettu, Malayalam Action-Thriller
In Theater on September 2, 2022
Newcomer filmmaker Liju Krishna's writing and directing work can be witnessed through this movie. The story of the film revolves around the lives of a group of oppressed people in North Kerala. The movie stars Nivin Pauly, Aditi Balan, Manju Warrier, Shammi Thilakan, Shine Tom Chacko, Indrans, and Vijayaraghavan.
Read Top 10 Best South Indian Thriller Movies for Weekend Movie Mania
The cinematography of the film was done by Deepak D Menon. Shafiq Mohammad Ali made the edits, and Govinda Basant took care of the music composition. Sunny Wayne has done the overall production of the cinema.
Banaras, Kannada Romance
In Theater on September 2, 2022
Jayathirtha wrote and directed the film based on the beauty, rich heritage, and culture of Banaras, a city in Uttar Pradesh. In the mysterious love story, Siddharth and Dani fall in love with each other while exploring Banaras.
Produced by Tilakraj Ballal, the movie will release simultaneously in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and even Hindi languages. The film stars Sonal Montero and Zayed Khan in lead roles. B. Ajaneesh Loknath composed the songs for the film and Advaita Gurumurthy did the visual shoots.
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Aa Ammayi Gurinchi Meeku Cheppali, Telugu Romantic Drama
In Theater on September 16, 2022
Mohana Krishna Indraganti has written and directed the movie with a beautiful love tale. The story has Sudhir Babu and Kriti Shetty in the major roles. This is the third time Sudheer Babu and Mohana Krishna Indraganti worked together in a film.
The cinematography of the film was completed by P.G. Binda. Marthand K Venkatesh did the editing and Vivek Sagar made the music composition. The production houses of the cinema are Benchmark Studios and Mythri Movie Makers.
Badhon’s first glimpse in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya teaser
After much speculation about Azmeri Haque Badhon’s debut in Bollywood, fans got to see her first look for Vishal Bhardwaj’s spy thriller ‘Khufiya’ in a teaser released today.
The teaser was released by Netflix on Monday in the form of a blurred image where the mystery is maintained, even if Badhon's character can be made out to be in saree.
Besides Badhon, fans got similarly stealing glimpses of her Indian co-actors in the film, the extremely highly regarded Tabu and relative newcomer Ali Fazal, on the day without unveiling much about the story itself.
Also read: Azmeri Haque Badhon: Starring the Title Role of 'Rehana Maryam Noor' Film Premiered in 74th Cannes
The spy thriller’s screenplay is based on writer Amar Bhushan’s ‘Escape to Nowhere’ which was inspired by true events.
Badhon's acting was rarely talked about till her formidable turn as the title character in Rehana Maryam Noor, which was selected in the 'Un Certain Regard' section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
Also read: Cricketer Shakib, actor Badhon become ISHO brand ambassadors
Soon after that she was seen in an episode of the thriller web series, Rabindranath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Aashenni (English: Rabindranath never came here to eat), directed by Srijit Mukherji.
How a motion graphic designer from Cumilla is making it in Hollywood
In Hollywood, the world’s pre-eminent industry for commercial cinema, everything must meet a high bar in terms of quality and technical proficiency.
The same exacting standards and production values informing a film must also usually reflect in its trailer – a crucial element that acts as the centrepiece of all activities aimed at promoting a movie once it is made. The same would apply to more contemporary innovations or interpretations of the trailer, e.g. teasers, that are well-suited to the age of social media.
This is the story of a young man from Laksham in Cumilla, Bangladesh - Jisan Kamrul Hasan, and how his relentless pursuit of a dream has taken him all the way to Culver City, California - the most populous as well as economically advanced of the 50 constituent states that comprise the United States of America - and the home of Hollywood.
Culver City itself is a hub of film and television production, best known as the home of the renowned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or MGM Studios. But how did Jisan end up there?
Read: 'Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence' begins at Drik Gallery
More importantly, what was this young Bangladeshi motion graphic designer’s journey like, on the road to getting to work on the teasers and trailers for some of the most popularmovies and series in recent times, from the critically acclaimed “Last Night in Soho” to the graphic-intensive hit "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” from Marvel Studios.
Following a recent interview with a leading national daily, Jisan became known to the nation, and naturally many in the entertainment industry as well as netizens are waiting for an opportunity to give vent to their curiosity to learn more about Jisan and his journey.
“My journey actually started at a very early age back in 2002, when I was stunned by the majestic visuals in “The Lord of the Rings.” I wondered about the motion graphics, and I decided that I would learn this,” Jisan said in a telephone interview with UNB from his Hollywood home, engaging at length on different topics.
It wasn't until 2007 though, that Jisan would even get his first personal computer.
“At this stage though, things started moving very fast in my lane in life. Soon, sometime in 2008, I moved to Dhaka and began practising Photoshop on my own, thanks to YouTube.
Taylor Swift wins top prize, announces new album at MTV VMAs
Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday before she closed out the show with a surprisingly big announcement: Her new album.
“I thought it would be a fun moment to tell you that my new album comes out Oct. 21,” said Swift after she won video of the year for her project “All Too Well: The Short Film" (10 minute version), which claimed best long form video. “I will tell you more at midnight.”
Swift said on social media that her upcoming 10th studio album would be called “Midnights,” which she says will involve “stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life.” Her upcoming release comes after she released “Folklore” and “Evermore.” Both projects came out five months apart two years ago. “Folklore” won album of the year at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
The pop star's reveal came at the end of her acceptance speech where she praised the other women in the category - which included Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo.
“I know with every second of this moment that we wouldn’t be able to make this short film if it weren’t for you - the fans," she said. "I wouldn’t be able to re-record my albums if it wasn’t for you. You emboldened me to do that.”
She spoke about creating her first short film, giving thanks to several including actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien who starred in the project.
“We put our entire hearts into this,” Swift said.
Rapper Jack Harlow made his mark throughout the entire show. He kicked off his performance inside a mock airplane walking down aisle while performing his hit song “First Class,” which was sampled by Fergie’s “Glamorous.” The rapper joined Fergie onstage - who wore a sparkling silver dress with the red words “First Class” - while she sang her 2006 jam.
“Thank you to Fergie for coming out with me tonight and clearing this song,” said Harlow after “First Class” won the award for song of the summer later in the show. “The beauty of this song is that people don’t realize it’s so hip-hop because of the sampling. To bring Fergie into the mix in this way means the world to me. It’s truly full circle. ‘Glamorous’ was one of the most important songs of my childhood.”
During the show, Depp made a surprise appearance as the Moon Man nearly three months after the verdict in his defamation trial with his former wife Amber Heard. The 59-year-old actor floated from the ceiling while wearing the iconic astronaut outfit with his face digitally inserted into custom’s helmet.
“And you know what? I needed the work,” Depp told the audience at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Lizzo had Taylor Swift dancing out of her seat while she performed her new single “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready).” She won an award for video for good for “About Damn Time.”
Harlow’s name was called to come right back onstage to collect the show’s first award for his guest appearance on Lil Nas X’s song “Industry Baby,” which won for best collaboration. Both Harlow and Lil Nas X are tied for leading nominees with seven apiece.
Read: MTV VMAs ready to host, honor some of music's biggest acts
“This one is for the champions,” said Lil Nas X before Harlow thanked him for the collaboration on the chart-topping single. The song propelled their nominations, landing them in competition for artist of the year along with Drake, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lizzo.
Harlow, in addition to performing and winning awards, joined LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj as the show’s hosts.
Minaj performed a medley of her career’s biggest hits from “Roman’s Revenge,” “Chun-Li,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Beez in the Trap,” “Anaconda” and “Super Bass.” After her set, the rapper accepted the show’s Video Vanguard award, which MTV has said she’s receiving for her artistry, barrier-breaking hip-hop and status as a global superstar. The honor is named after Michael Jackson.
During her acceptance speech, Minaj paid tribute to other music icons such as Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. She spoke about the importance of mental health.
“I wish people took mental health seriously, even when you think they have the perfect lives,” said Minaj, who later won best hip-hop for her song “Do We Have a Problem?” featuring Lil Baby.
Harry Styles won album of the year for “Harry's House.” He was unable to attend the awards due to his show at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Bad Bunny performed his hit “Titi Me Pregunto” from Yankee Stadium after he won artist of the year.
“I have been saying it and I always believed from the beginning that I could become great," he said. "That I could become one of the biggest stars in the world without having to change my culture, my language, my jargon. I am Benito Antonio Martínez from Puerto Rico to the whole world, thank you!”
Eminem and Snoop Dogg brought the metaverse to the VMAs as the duo performed “From the D 2 The LBC,” which was featured on Eminem's greatest hits album “Curtain Call 2.”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage as the recipients of the Global Icon award after being introduced by Cheech & Chong as their “favorite band of all time.” The band - which consists of Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith and John Frusciante - performed several songs including their hit “Can't Stop” from the the group's 2002 album “By the Way” and their recent hit “Black Summer,” which won best rock.
Flea made a speech about his love for human beings along with cockroaches, trees and dirt. Smith, the band's drummer, dedicated the award to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer who died early this year.
“I dedicate this to Taylor and his family,” he said. “I love them and I miss him every day.”
Madonna, who is the most awarded artist in MTV history with 20 wins, became the only artist to receive a nomination in each of the VMAs five decades. She earned her 69th nomination for her 14th studio album “Madame X.”
'The Invitation' tops tepid weekend at box office
The horror film “The Invitation” needed just $7 million to finish at the top of the weakest weekend of the summer at the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Directed and co-written by Jessica M. Thompson and starring “Game of Thrones” actor Nathalie Emmanuel, “The Invitation” tells the story of a young woman who after her mother's death discovers dark secrets at her family home in the English countryside.
It debuted on 3,141 screens for Sony and cost just $10 million to make.
Sony also had the No. 2 movie with the Brad Pitt vehicle “Bullet Train,” which brought in an estimated $5.6 million from 3,513 screens in its fourth week, bringing its domestic total to $78.2 million.
Universal’s “Beast,” starring Idris Elba, finished third with $4.9 million in its second week, after making $11.6 million and ranking second in its first.
Elba was also the star of the week’s other major debut, “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” the fantasy epic from “Mad Max” director George Miller, which brought in just $2.9 million on 2,436 screens and finished a distant and disappointing seventh.
The lagging results were no great surprise for this time of year.
“We’re in that what is often the typical August slowdown heading into Labor Day weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “This was to be expected given the lineup of films this weekend.”
Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” remained in fourth in its 14th weekend in theaters with an additional $4.8 million. It has made over $691 million in North America to date, making it the sixth-highest grossing domestic release of all time.
Last week's No. 1, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” plunged to fifth in its second weekend with $4.6 million after bringing in $20.1 million in its debut.
Read: MTV VMAs ready to host, honor some of music's biggest acts
The weekend overall saw about $52.7 million in North American ticket sales — the slowest in months. A strong summer has meant that the year-to-date box office is still up significantly from a tepid 2021, but a long drought lies ahead until another surge of expected big earners such as “Halloween Ends” and “Black Adam," which will both be released in October.
Amid the quiet spell at the box office, movie tickets will be just $3 in the vast majority of American theaters as part of a newly launched “ National Cinema Day ” on Saturday. Major chains, including AMC and Regal Cinemas, are participating, as are all major film studios.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “The Invitation," $7 million.
2. “Bullet Train,” $5.6 million.
3. “Beast,” $4.9 million.
4. “Top Gun: Maverick,” $4.8 million.
5. “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero,” $4.6 million.
6. “DC League of Super-Pets,” $4.2 million.
7. “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” $2.9 million
8. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $2.74 million.
9. “Thor: Love and Thunder,” $2.7 million.
10. “Where the Crawdads Sing,” $2.3 million
Environment Ministry to withdraw case against Hawa upon 'agreement'
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will take the initiative to withdraw a case filed against the movie 'Hawa’ for allegedly violating Wildlife Conservation and Security Act of 2012.
Steps will be taken to withdraw the case filed by the Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit under the ministry, upon the appeal made by the Hawa team confessing they were unaware of the provisions of the act, it said in a press release on Sunday.
The Director of Hawa Mejbaur Rahman Sumon applied to the Wildlife Crime Control Unit. The wildlife crime control unit submitted it to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court to withdraw the case on Sunday.
Also read: Legal notice seeks complete ban on screening Hawa
As the case is compoundable according to section 43 of Wildlife Conservation and Security Act, 2012, and section 248 of CrpC, the appeal was submitted.
The court has heard the appeal and fixed the next hearing to pronounce a verdict in this regard.
On August 17, four officers of the Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit filed a case after seeing the movie released on July 29.
Also read: Wind of 'Hawa' blows full
On August 22, a legal notice was served to ban screenings of the film Hawa, for violating the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act.
The notice demanded the license of the film be revoked, and to ban its screening worldwide, not just locally.
Besides, it said the Censor Board should be reconstituted to include members of the Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit, lawyers and environmentalists.
Read Iranian director reveals everything Ananta Jalil has been saying about their film
In addition, before giving the Censor Board's clearance to any movie in the future, it must be ensured that a film does not violate any section of the Wildlife Conservation and Safety Act-2012.
According to the notice, in the movie, a bird named Shalik is seen kept captive inside a cage on a trawler. At one point the bird is killed and eaten.
Besides, there are several scenes in the movie which are clear violations of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, 2012.
Read Ananta Jalil responses to 'Din: The Day' director's allegations
As a result, people will be encouraged to hunt, cage and kill birds.
No permission was taken from the Forest Department to promote this scene, added the notice.
The entire episode however drew ridicule from some quarters, and artists in particular.
Read 'Golpo Bolar Swadhinata Chai': Artists place five-point demands
MTV VMAs ready to host, honor some of music's biggest acts
The MTV Video Music Awards are back Sunday with some of the biggest names in music vying for the network's fabled Moon Person statue.
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow and Kendrick Lamar are tied for leading nominees with seven apiece. Harlow and Lil Nas X's collaboration “Industry Baby” propelled their nominations, landing them in competition for artist of the year along with Drake, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lizzo.
Closely behind are Harry Styles and Doja Cat, who received six nominations apiece, while Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Tayler Swift and The Weeknd each have five.
Harlow is pulling double duty, joining LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj as the show's emcees. The VMAs are being being held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and will air beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Also read: Elton John and Britney Spears unite on a new dance single
Minaj will perform hits from throughout her career and accept the show’s video vanguard award, which MTV has said she’s receiving for her artistry, barrier-breaking hip-hop and status as a global superstar. The honor is named after Michael Jackson.
Eminem, Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bad Bunny are also set to perform
Madonna, who is the most awarded artist in MTV history with 20 wins, becomes the only artist to receive a nomination in each of the VMAs five decades. She earned her 69th nomination for her 14th studio album “Madame X.”
Also read: Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick's right-hand man, dies at 74
Lamar returns to the VMAs as a nominee for the first time since 2018, with nods for best hip-hop, direction, visual effects, editing, and a category known as video for good, while his songs “family ties” and “N95” are competing for best cinematography.
Ananta Jalil responses to 'Din: The Day' director's allegations
Actor-producer-businessman Ananta Jalil has refuted the complaints of Iranian filmmaker Morteza Atashzamzam about the film "Din: The Day" regarding its actual budget.
He made the response in a video message posted on his verified Facebook page on Saturday.
According to the film contract, Ananta was supposed to pay all the expenses for shooting of the film in Bangladesh.
Claiming to have paid all the expenses according to the contract, Ananta said, “It is not a matter of Morteza whether it cost Tk one crore or four crore for shooting here.”
He said the shooting of the film started in 2019 and completed by 2020.
“You can watch my interviews in television, newspapers and social media before and after the release of the film. Did I say that I am the only investor of this movie? I have always said that I am the only investor for shooting in Bangladesh.”
On February 27 last year, Morteza attended a programme of the film 'Din: The Day' and 'Netri The Leader' at a city hotel where he told Ananta he had spent much more money on shooting than the budget he fixed.
“I announced the budget amount as Morteza said in all my interviews.”
Ananta said, "I am not supposed to pay any shooting expenses abroad except shooting expenses in Bangladesh, our traveling cost and the air ticket.”
Read: Iranian director reveals everything Ananta Jalil has been saying about their film
“So how can he say in his post that I did not pay him as per the contract?”
“Then Morteza did not spend any money on shooting in so many countries as he said that is what I am supposed to pay.”
Anata also said the Dolby certificate is not required for film release in Iran as their post-production is already quite advanced.
“Till the release of the movie, Morteza and I never had a bad relationship. I hope not in the future. I believe that one day Murtaza will unmask those on whose interests he has done it.”
Morteza recently accused Ananta Jalil of violating the conditions of the film's agreement through a post on his Instagram profile; and as promised during his initial criticism of Ananta Jalil, the filmmaker has now come forward with a post on his Instagram account to "reveal" the budget of "Din - The Day," which is USD $500,000.
This comes to about BDT 4 crore when converted in taka, which is nowhere near the more than Tk 100 crore budget earlier claimed by Ananta Jalil throughout the promotional activities of the film.
According to the claim of the Iranian filmmaker, Ananta was required to invest the entire amount for the movie in accordance with the previously signed contract between the parties. As a result, Ananta would receive 85 per cent of the movie's earnings as an investor while Morteza would gain 15 per cent as the producer.
Following that, Ananta only compensated him with USD 24,000 instead of the promised USD 200,000. According to the Iranian director, Ananta would always cite COVID and "business loss" as his excuses whenever Morteza requested further payments.
The filmmaker, showcasing all the documents, asked in the post, "How can Ananta make the claim that the budget of the film is around USD 10 million when he didn't even pay the contractually obligated amount of USD 500,000, as per our 2018 contract, to our Iranian team?"
Elton John and Britney Spears unite on a new dance single
Elton John and Britney Spears have collaborated for the first time, creating the slinky, club-ready single “Hold Me Closer” that sees the pop icons take old sounds and fashion something new.
The funky, piano-driven single uses John’s 1971 hit “Tiny Dancer” as the skeleton and adds elements from his songs “The One” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” all with Spears voice soaring and fluttering.
While John has been releasing new music in the past few years — including the 16-track 2021 album “The Lockdown Sessions” — the song represents Spear’s first new music since her 2016 album “Glory” and her first offering since the ending of her contentious conservatorship.
“She truly is an icon, one of the all-time great pop stars and she sounds amazing on this record. I love her dearly and am delighted with what we’ve created together,” John said in a statement. Spears, in her statement, told John it was an honor to be asked: ”I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to work with you and your legendary mind.”
Read: Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick's right-hand man, dies at 74
The track is produced by Andrew Watt, who has worked with such acts as Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder, Ozzy Osbourne, Justin Bieber, Post Malone and Miley Cyrus.
The song begins with both stars singing the opening lyrics of “The One” — “I saw you dancing out the ocean/Running fast along the sand/A spirit born of earth and water/Fire flying from your hands.” It then seamlessly moves to ”Tiny Dancer”: “Hold me closer, tiny dancer/Count the headlights on the highway/Lay me down in sheets of linen/You had a busy day today.”
The track calls to mind last year’s hit “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” which melded John’s songs “Kiss the Bride,” “Rocket Man,” “Where’s the Shoorah?” and “Sacrifice” into a dance bop featuring vocals by Dua Lipa.
John and Spears first met in 2014 at an Oscar viewing party and she later tweeted her love of “Tiny Dancer,” sowing the seeds for the latest collaboration. John is in the midst of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.