Who is going to be the next celebrity to cross over into the music world by releasing an album? Turns out it’s the Pope. Bet you didn’t see that one coming.
The one and only Pope will release an album entitled Wake Up! on November 27th (just in time for Christmas, by the way), and it’s probably not what you’re expecting. The music is apparently pretty varied, running the gamut from typical Gregorian chants to prog-rock and there are even some tracks on the poppier side. Remember when rock and roll was considered “the devil”? Well, now even the Pope has gotten on board with it.
Earlier today, Rolling Stone premiered the first song, “Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward!”, which is unexpectedly cool, for a Pope’s single at least. The song is available for download now for anybody who pre-orders the album on iTunes.
The songs all feature segments of speeches that the Pope has given over the years in various venues around the world, so don’t expect any new words or love songs on this album. Instead, the recordings—which are in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian—have been set to music. The album features the work of many talented producers, including artistic director Don Giulio Neroni and composer Tony Pagliuca, so don’t expect to hear the Pope’s guitar-playing or harping on this record.
While it may sound pretty crazy that the Pope is releasing a record that’s even part rock and roll, it’s actually a great idea. Music is a perfect way to grab the interest of younger generations, who may not be listening to what scripture has to say. It’s also unclear right now how the royalties and sales will be split (between record label Believe Digital and the Vatican, perhaps?), but this might help raise some much-needed funds for the church.
It will be interesting to see how well the Pope’s album performers commercially come late November. He has been receiving a very warm welcome in his trip to the US, so it’s likely it will see some solid numbers. Wake Up! might not end up being a blockbuster album (it would be hard to imagine it having a radio-friendly hit), but it could move quite a few copies and chart fairly well if all the believers come out for it.
