Sara Bareilleshas had an impressive career spanning pop hits, Broadway success, and television stardom, but even for someone with her résumé, there are moments that feel straight out of a dream. In a recent interview with Collider’sJoe Schmidt, Bareilles opened up about her work onWaitress,Girls5eva, and the surreal, pinch-me moment of writing a song for none other thanMeryl StreepinHulu’sOnly Murders in the Building. When asked about the experience of hearingMeryl Streepsing a song she helped write, Bareilles didn’t hold back on just how incredible it was.
Bareilles collaborated with the Oscar-winning songwriting duoBenj PasekandJustin Paul(La La Land,The Greatest Showman) on the song “Look for the Light,” featured in Season 3 ofOnly Murders in the Building,and she loved the process:
“It was really fun.It was a ‘pinch me’ moment.Benj [Pasek] and Justin [Paul], who were the on-board composers for the whole season, had asked if I wanted to collaborate and they were like,‘It’s for Meryl.’ And I was like, ‘Did I go to the Good Place?What is happening here?’We spent two afternoons together, and this song really felt like it wrote itself. It was really fun and easy.”
Sara Bareilles Witnessed Meryl Magic
But the real magic happened in the studio, where Bareilles got to witness Streep not just as the iconic actress the world knows, but as anartist who was showing vulnerabilityin a place where she wasn’t 100% comfortable.
“Then going into the studio with Meryl and watching her sing and watching her work,I was so moved, partially because she also was just so transparent about her vulnerabilitytoo. She’s a beautiful singer, but singing is not the thing she does the most. So she was in a vulnerable space and felt capable to share that, and I found that to be really moving because, well, vulnerability is my favorite quality in people.”[Laughs]
Despite Streep’s legendary status, Bareilles was struck by how open and genuine she was during the recording session, adding, “I just was really impressed with how she moved through that, and I just love the finished product too. I’m such a huge fan of that show. So it just felt like a ‘pinch me’ moment.”
Stay tuned with Collider for more on Sara Bareilles’ upcoming projects.Only Murders in the Buildingstreams on Hulu.
Only Murders in the Building
Three strangers in a New York City apartment building bond over their shared interest in true crime and form an unlikely team to investigate a suspicious death in their complex. Their amateur sleuthing quickly evolves into a thrilling quest as they navigate secrets, lies, and unexpected twists.
