Artist Pairings That Paid Off
Credit: Tim Swallow
The last year has seen some intriguing collaborations between artists, ranging from predictable to surprising. Today, we're looking back on some of the artists pairings that paid off.
Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba
When Aussie brothers Lime Cordiale announced that they’d be collaborating with UK actor, director, producer and musician Idris Elba, it came as a bit of a surprise. You’d typically find Elba lending his musical talents to R’n’B, rap and hip hop music. So, he wasn’t the first person we’d expect the indie band to collaborate with. But that’s what the duo wanted - something unexpected. Brought together by a mutual friend, Idris’ guest spot on Lime Cordiale’s track ‘Unnecessary Things’ eventuated into a mini-album, ‘Cordi Elba’ released on January 14th.
The UK star was named one of Time’s Most Influential People in 2016, he is a multi-award winning actor and has credits on some of the world’s biggest film franchises. This collaboration isn’t just an example of alternative influences coming into play for a new sonic adventure - it’s a great move for Lime Cordiale’s worldwide exposure. Elba made headlines when he hopped on stage at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre for a surprise performance with Lime Cordiale and the unexpected collaboration has been a talking point in itself since it was announced late last year.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett
Pop star and actress Lady Gaga first teamed up with jazz icon Tony Bennett in 2011. Joining forces for a duet on ‘The Lady Is A Tramp’ on the ‘Duets II’ album, Gaga and Bennett paved the way for two collaborative albums later down the track. ‘Cheek To Cheek’ was released in 2014 and ‘Love For Sale’ was released in 2021. The pairing was described by Rolling Stone as "a superhero team-up”, and the records were praised as a showcase of the pair’s chemistry and respective talents. Sadly, Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. While some critics criticised the project for pushing an unwell Bennett to perform; others were touched by the collaboration. The project saw Tony Bennett give the last live performances of his career during the emotionally charged ‘One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.’ The ‘Cheek To Cheek’ and ‘Love For Sale’ releases provided something for respective fans of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga to share - despite the two artists coming from different times and genres.
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber
‘Stay’ by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber was one of 2021’s biggest releases. The track saw The Kid Laroi top the charts for the very first time, while it was Bieber’s eighth number one. It also landed at number one in a whopping 22 countries. Bieber and Laroi shared the stage at events like Made In America festival and MTV’s VMA Awards. Additionally, Laroi performed solo on Jimmy Kimmel Live and at the ARIA Awards, where he earned awards for ‘Best Pop Release’ and ‘Best Artist’, thanks to the single. ‘Stay’ wasn’t the first time we saw The Kid Laroi collaborate with a US superstar. He joined forces with the late rapper Juice WRLD in 2020 on ‘Go’ and in April of 2021, a remix of his track ‘Without You’ - including additional vocals from Miley Cyrus - premiered on TikTok and was released later that week. So far, a collaborative approach has worked well for the young Australian star.
Whether it’s an obvious or surprising team up - there’s a lot to be said about the power of a strong collaboration between artists. Whether it helps increase exposure or sees a new sonic influence come into play, sharing the limelight can be a key way to accelerate the trajectory of artists’ careers.
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