USA
Cynthia Erivo is an Oscar away from EGOT status, but even Google placing a song on its homepage that she's featured on was enough to impress her.
"I take things in like bite size, I don't think I realized what a big deal it was until it was turning into a big deal, until it started turning into a big deal. And someone's going, 'By the way, the video's been viewed 50 million times' and you're like, 'I'm on that. That's my voice on that," said Erivo of her song "Together". "It's really wild. And I think it's such a wonderful thing to give to everyone."
Google has never featured a song on its homepage before. Generally known for its Doodles and interactive layouts, "Together" by producer Peter CottonTale featuring Chance the Rapper and Cynthia Erivo will have prime placement on the world's biggest search engine. "Together' is also featured in Google's "Year in Search 2020" video.
"There's nothing I want to sing about more than us working together as human beings and just caring a little bit more about each other. So, yeah, that's why I was like, 'Yeah, absolutely. I'm happy to be a part of that. Definitely.' And it took me all of ten minutes to write the chorus—write the verse because I was like I just knew what I wanted to say."
Google commissioned Grammy winner CottonTale specifically for their campaign.
"I don't know if you've seen any 'Year in Searches,' but they've been good and…there's been some heavy subjects, too, but this one was a culmination of a whole year that kind of like affected everybody, man," said CottonTale. "And it was a big thing to kind of like try to curate creatively because this is a year that a lot of people can relate to."
According to a press release, it was CottonTale's mission to highlight and put Black creators and artists at the forefront of this project with the song employing "over 80 Black artists, engineers, producers, side musicians, and music executives." Google also donated $50,000 directly to the Chicago Children's Choir and Merit School of Music."
CottonTale, a frequent collaborator with Chance the Rapper, says while its an honor to be part of a "first" with Google, there's bigger picture for him
"It's an honor being on the front page, but I'm so happy that this message can be delivered like across the board and have Black-led faces as well, and that Google is amazingly supportive in putting us on the forefront of that. That's what I think it became about," said CottonTale. "Of course, it feels good—I'm not going to knock that. But…it became a less personal became more of just like thematic and about what we were really trying to do and push musically and contextually."
"Together" will land on Google's homepage Dec. 23.
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