“Why Do You Let Me Stay Here”
Zooey Deschanel
Released: January, 2008
Zooey Deschanel has garnered massive fame in recent years with her leading role in the successful TV show New Girl. Not everyone knows that she also stars as front-woman in the indie duo She & Him next to accomplished producer M. Ward. The discography is compelling; Deschanel and Ward seem to capture an old-style Americana romance with a perfect mix of spookiness and charm. Deschanel’s warm, buttery vocals have a vintage feel and will endear you through every single one of the pair’s old-school love songs. The single, “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here,” is an intriguing portrait of self-aware feminine naiveté placed over a catchy bouncing melody.
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“I Wish I Was in New Orleans”
Scarlett Johansson
Released: May 16, 2008
Although she is a household name, not many people know that Scarlett Johansson has a music career to go along with her on-screen success. Her iconic, seductive, husky speaking voice transitions surprisingly well into a singing one. This Tom Waits cover from her 2008 studio album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, is hauntingly lovely. The music box track that runs in the background gives it a sort of nostalgic, lullaby feel. Johansson is able to bring deep emotion to this piece; her scratchy and sometimes imperfect vocals are not detrimental, but instead wistfully captivating.
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“Sonnetanz (Sun Don’t Shine)” ft. Will Heard
Cara Delevingne
Released: August 20, 2013
With her famous eyebrows and one-of-a-kind look, Cara Delevingne is one of today’s most talked about supermodels. She walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2013, serves as the face of both DKNY and Burberry, and has won British Fashion Awards’ “Model of the Year” in both 2012 and 2014. She has also made the transition to acting and will be starring in the 2015 film, Paper Towns. Rounding out her package of talents, she sings—and she’s pretty good. In this acoustic duet, “Sonnetanz (Sun Don’t Shine),” with British soul and jazz singer-songwriter, Will Heard, Delevingne showcases her sultry voice while weaving around Heard’s syncopated lines with some serious harmonies.
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“Ruth”
Michael Cera
Released: August 8, 2014
Who doesn’t love Michael Cera? From Arrested Development to Juno (2007) to Superbad (2007), he’s the guy who relieved our worries: Awkward is, in fact, cool. Last August, in Beyoncé fashion, he released a surprise album. Titled True That, this album serves as a much-appreciated insight into the diverse skill set and emotional depth of this Canadian actor. It is just the kind of music you would picture Michael Cera making in his bedroom—soft, lo-fi, indie-folk infused with pleasant, exploratory instrumentals and bits of profound sampling here and there. The track, “Ruth,” is both melancholic and uplifting; it successfully summarizes the perfect Michael Cera-ness of Michael Cera’s music.
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