At 83, she could be forgiven for spending her days in Malibu, gardening or reading presidential biographies, but that’s not Babs. She’s still got plenty to say — and sing. Politically outspoken, famously private, a fierce defender of democracy and decency, Streisand remains a cultural lightning rod: revered, criticised, unstoppable. She’s been happily married to James Brolin since 1998, recently published a blockbuster memoir that landed on every bestseller list, and is still the only artist with No.1 albums in six consecutive decades.
And now, she’s back with a new release — The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two — out on 27 June, and if you haven’t got your copy yet, now’s the time to order it.
This latest offering is another starry collection of duets with the great and the good. And because Babs is Babs, she can call on literally anyone… and she has. The line-up includes Paul McCartney, Sting, Mariah Carey who came as a two with Ariana Grande, then James Taylor and notably, Seal, with whom she performs Love Will Survive, the haunting theme from The Tattooist of Auschwitz TV series.
Pitching the grandchildren of her diehard fans is a smart move, so Barbra joins the woke they — Sam Smith on To Lose You Again — and there’s a collab with Icelandic jazz-style newcomer Laufey. More controversially – at least for some – anti-Israel Irish singer Hozier is her partner on The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. He said, “Barbra Streisand is one of the most enduring and iconic vocalists of our time… To be asked to join her on was a huge honour and came as a…”
Their duet was the first single released; the second was her croon with Sir Paul on My Valentine, a reimagined version of the 2011 love song he originally wrote for his Jewish wife, Nancy Shevell.
Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand
Reflecting on the collaborations, Streisand shared, “I’ve always loved singing duets with gifted artists. They inspire me in unique and different ways and make our time in the studio a joy!”
But wait! These “partners” are all, let’s face it, singers — as in people known for being vocally gifted. So what on earth is Streisand doing duetting with none other than the gravel-throated enigma that is Bob Dylan, aka Robert Zimmerman?
The pair team up for a version of the Nat King Cole classic The Very Thought of You, and yes, it’s as unexpected as it sounds. Though, in a way, not totally out of the blue.
Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand
Bob Dylan originally wrote Lay Lady Lay for the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. However, he didn’t finish it in time, so Harry Nilsson’s Everybody’s Talkin’ was chosen instead. There’s been speculation about who Dylan wrote the song for, but Barbra claimed in a 1971 interview that Dylan once told her he’d written it for her. Wild, right? Dylan never publicly confirmed that — but Babs must know now. That backstory makes their new collaboration all the more delicious. Dylan even approached her in the ’70s about doing a duet album. It never happened — until now, in a way. And if Dylan doesn’t exactly croon like Nat King Cole, maybe that’s the point.
It’s not even his first time harmonising with a legendary Jewish woman. In 1976, Dylan recorded Buckets of Rain with Bette Midler — aka The Divine Miss M — which included the unforgettable line: “Little red wagon, little red bike, I ain’t no monkey but I know what I like.” He had more of a voice back then. But not much more. Maybe Barbra figured it was time to catch him while she still could. Honestly, their voices entwine tenderly on The Very Thought of You.
Bob Dylan at the Halcyon Gallery
Meanwhile, Dylan is in something of a late-life renaissance. Famously private — often mythmaking about his past — he’s been emerging more and more into the public eye. In the biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as young Dylan, the man himself popped up on social media to say: “There’s a movie about me opening soon — A Complete Unknown (what a title!). Timothée Chalamet is starring and he’s brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me.”
If your Dylan fandom isn’t quite sated by the film or burst on Bab’s album, you can still catch Point Blank, a major exhibition of his paintings at the Halcyon Gallery in London’s New Bond Street until July 6. There are 97 works on display, part of what Dylan calls “a more deeply personal” evolution of his art. The Times critic was impressed, calling the paintings “understatedly remarkable.”
So no, Dylan’s not heading for the porch just yet — and neither is Barbra. All we need now is to hear that she and Paul Simon,83 have quietly launched a fashion line on the side. There’s something to be learned from Barbra’s new album —The Secret of Life —and that’s to keep going.
