LOS ANGELES — Acclaimed folk musician Joanna Newsom recently announced that the long-awaited follow-up to her most recent studio album was nearing completion, pending the addition of comedic rap verses from her husband, actor and Lonely Island member, Andy Samberg.
“I understand my near-decade-long hiatus from recording has been difficult for devotees of immersive, mystical Americana, rich with compositional wonder but grounded by a human longing for meaning and connection,” said Newsom. “And I thank them for their patience as my beloved husband completes and records his uproarious yet insightful rap verses about topics including, but not limited to, getting pink eye because his best friend farted on his pillow, the Times Square Olive Garden, and how guys who are 5’10” are the short guys of tall guys. I trust they too will recognize the beauty of our shared artistic journey.”
Corinne Vogt, a fan of Newsom’s since seeing her at Bonnaroo in 2005, expressed confusion but cautious optimism about this change in direction.
“I was rather bewildered at first. And to be honest, I still kind of am,” Vogt said. “But I didn’t get a back tattoo of the ‘Ys’ artwork or name my children Emily and Esme because I have any doubts about her genius. And at worst, it’ll surely be a tapestry of emotions that absorbs my soul with a precise but patient grace. Oh, and I hope one of them sounds like ‘I’m on a Boat.’ I still know every word of that one. If not, I’d settle for a ‘Threw It on the Ground’ reference.”
Samberg has also spoken about the project, comparing it to his songwriting experiences with his longtime Lonely Island collaborators, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer.
“Jorma, Akiva, and I, we definitely do our best to make comedy hip-hop ideal for slotting into your playlist for when you wanna feel like you’re in college in 2009,” Samberg said. “But as meticulous as I was in the creation of ferocious bangers like ‘Dick in a Box’ and ‘Spring Break Anthem,’ figuring out how to align the impish manchild charm of my musical persona with my amazing wife’s enchanting harp glissandos has been an incredible but rewarding challenge that has reminded me why I fell in love with this art – and her – all over again.”
At press time, Newsom announced the album would also include a 15-minute expansion of her “most enduring” composition, “The Muppet Show Theme.”