Normani
Bryan Adams/PirelliThe annual Pirelli calendar for 2022 arrived Monday, backed by a star-studded cast of 10 stars shot by Canadian musician, singer-songwriter and record producer Bryan Adams.
For this year’s photo shoot — which follows an “On the Road” theme pitched by Adams himself — features Cher, Iggy Pop, Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Normani, Grimes, St. Vincent, Kali Uchis, Bohan Phoenix and Saweetie posing for portraits at Los Angeles’ iconic Palace Theatre and the Chateau Marmont, as well as Italy’s Capri at the La Scalinatella Hotel.
Continuing the trade magazine’s more subtle image (the calendar was once known for its racy imagery prior to the 2010s), this year’s stars went for glamour, each in their own unique way. Normani posed from the comfort of white bedsheets, Saweetie pushed stacked designer luggage on a bellhop’s cart at the La Scalinatella Hotel, and Grimes stayed true to herself with a technology theme. Iggy Pop, meanwhile, posed in silver body paint, and St. Vincent kept things simple with a close-up shot of her face, her tongue out and holding a Pirelli guitar pick.
Speaking about the inspiration for this year’s theme, Adams told Pirelli, “It wasn’t too difficult, if I’m honest, because on the road is what I’ve been doing for the last 45 years. When I proposed it, I almost thought maybe this had been done before because it’s such an obvious thing, and I thought the symbiotic relationship would be good, the idea of musicians who travel and a company that makes tyres. It makes sense to me. I thought they might have thought it was a bit too much on the nose, but in the end they loved it.”
See photos from the Pirelli calendar below.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
