Kacey Musgraves Reveals She Covered ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ for ‘Elvis’ Film Soundtrack
On Monday, May 2, country singer Kacey Musgraves attended the Met Gala in New York City with Baz Lurhmann and cast members of the upcoming biopic Elvis. During a red carpet interview, Musgraves revealed she would sing a cover of the classic Elvis Presley song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for the film’s soundtrack. She is the second big name attached to the soundtrack.
What we know about the ‘Elvis’ Soundtrack
Acclaimed director Baz Lurhmann has been working on his Elvis biopic since 2014. The highly anticipated film starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks will premiere at Cannes Film Festival in June. The film will hit theaters on June 24 and stream on HBO Max 45 days later.
The soundtrack has been kept under wraps until recently. In April, it was announced that Doja Cat recorded a song for the soundtrack called ‘Vegas.’ The original song samples Presley’s “Hound Dog” and will be the first release from the Elvis soundtrack.
Although an official release date has not been confirmed, previous reports say “summer.” RCA, Presley’s label, will release the soundtrack. Variety reported the soundtrack “will include contributions from a number of name artists representing different genres.”
Lurhmann played it coy on the Met Gala red carpet when asked about Musgrave’s contribution to the soundtrack. “She has a song in the movie, something to do with love.”
‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ is a highly covered song
Elvis Presley recorded “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for the 1961 film Blue Hawaii. Musgraves will be in good company, as the classic tune has become a standard for other singers to cover and interpret. In the ‘60s, this meant acts like Dorris Day, Perry Como, and Andy Williams recorded ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love.’
Variety credits U2 with bringing the song to the rock generation of the 90s. The Irish band closed their Achtung Baby tour with “Can’t Help Falling in Love” at each stop. They recorded their version for the Nicholas Cage movie, Honeymoon in Vegas. For his 60th Birthday, Bono listed his 60 favorite songs in Rolling Stone Magazine.
The U2 frontman said the song “Heatrbreak Hotel” saved his life. “I choose this song because I have had my heart broken by distance,” he said. “And I have spent many nights in this hotel that Darden and Axton constructed for Elvis to occupy.”
Music plays a significant role in Baz Lurhmann’s films
The expectations for the Elvis soundtrack are high, with good reason. Besides the fact that Presley is a rock and roll legend, Lurhmann stands with directors like Scorsese when it comes to incorporating music into the fiber of his storytelling.
Lurhmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy produced three unforgettable soundtracks. Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge revolutionized film soundtracks. Moulin Rogue reimagined classics like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and produced powerful original songs made for the Broadway stage.
Romeo + Juliet’s soundtrack captured ‘90s teenage love with Garbage, The Cardigans, and Radiohead. “Kissing You” by Des’ree became a massive hit. The song is played when Claire Dane’s Juliet sees Leonardo Dicaprio’s Romeo for the first time. Lurhmann let the scene breathe with no dialogue, and the gorgeous music provides emotional resonance.
In 2013 Lurhmann used hip-hop, rock, and a sad Lana Del Ray original to soundtrack his version of The Great Gatsby. Clearly, he’s a music fan. Elvis fans are interested in seeing what he does with the biopic and the soundtrack of the upcoming film.
