The English actor, musician and film producer Robert Pattinson has recorded an album in French. You may know him from Twilight or the new James Bond movie. He has also written a number of songs for different artists.
The album titled “Cosmos” is an eclectic mix of styles, ranging from rock to blues. It was recorded in London with producers Chris “White” Chivers and Dan “Lebon” Lonneur. His wife, actress Kristen Stewart, also sang on a number of tracks.
Pattinson has said about the album, “It feels more cohesive and uniform as a whole than any previous album, and it was a lot of fun working on it.”
The Dark Knight Rises
The album’s lead single, “Madonna,” was written by Chris Stokes and produced by Steve Lillywhite and Mike Lindsay. It is a rocking track that evokes the era of The Dark Knight. The video, directed by Spike Jonze, features Madge and Robert Pattinson in the titular role. Madge plays multiple characters in the video, ranging from a circus strongwoman to a gangster’s moll. The song was reportedly inspired by Madonna’s daughter, Lourdes, who was portrayed by Madge in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. The song was released to iTunes on October 7, and it is now available for streaming on Spotify.
Other songwriters on the album are Chris Stokes, Warren G, Kacey Richey, and Robert Pattinson himself. He co-wrote the song, “Walking on the Moon,” with its producer, Dan “Lebon” Lonneur. It is an upbeat song that evokes the 1960s. The video, directed by James Brown, shows Robert Pattinson in his early twenties, looking like a young Marlon Brando. The singer and songwriter, John Legend, makes an appearance in the video, playing a guitar solo.
The track, “Sober,” was co-written by Legend. It is a mellow and anthemic track, loaded with organ and guitar. The video, directed by Hannah Luxmore, features John Legend and Robert Pattinson, and it highlights the former’s signature white turtleneck and black pants. Together, they form an idealized depiction of the American Dream. The video was released on October 7.
The album was preceded by the release of three singles, “Madonna,” “Walking on the Moon,” and “Sober.” A portion of the album’s revenues from the sale of downloads and streaming will be donated to the International Rescue Committee, a non-governmental organization that provides medical aid and assistance to people in the field, particularly victims of natural disasters.
New York, New York
In addition to acting and music, Robert Pattinson is also a published writer. He has co-written a number of books with his wife, including the children’s fantasy series, The Mad Dragonet, and the young adult novel, The Midnight Earrings. He was even rumored to have written a draft of the memoirs of English royalty, Prince William and Prince Albert. He and his wife currently live in London with their daughter, Daisy. And if that weren’t enough, he also produced and directed a short film, entitled, “Pattinson,” starring his wife and himself. It won the Short Film Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. He is also an accomplished photographer and has exhibited his work in France and the United Kingdom. Most notably, he has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions in London and other major cities across the world. In the video below, he shows how he works — from initial concept to final product.
Behind The Scenes Of “Cosmos”
When it comes to creating a mood board for an album, it’s difficult to keep the vision of a creator as fresh as the music they create. We spoke to Dan “Lebon” Lonneur, producer of Robert Pattinson’s “Cosmos” album, about how he brought the actor’s vision to life within the studio.
“The first thing I did when I got the call to work on the album was to reach out to Robert to see if he was still available to work with me,” he said. “I knew that he had a busy schedule and that it would be difficult to get everyone together, but I also knew that we could still make this work. I think the biggest challenge was getting the band together. We had to find people that could pull off this blend of blues, rock, and jazz that Robert had in mind. It was difficult to find a rhythm section that could keep up with him, but everyone pulled it off. It’s the blend of the band’s talent that made this song come to life. It’s an eclectic collection of styles that draws from many different artists and artists’ ranges. We wanted to do something that no one had ever done before in the history of music, and we succeeded.”
The Making Of The Album
Dan “Lebon” Lonneur directed the majority of the tracks on “Cosmos.” We spoke to him about how he put the album together and what makes it so special.
“The first four or five songs on the album were written fairly quickly, and then we started going back and adding more,” he said. “I remember finishing a song, sending it to Robert, and then a couple of weeks later, getting a call from him saying that he had changed something in the lyrics. I wasn’t sure if that was bad news or good news at first…It turns out that the change was for the better and that he had put some more of his own personal touches on the song.”
He continued, “We did two or three more songs after that and then started going into the studio. One of the biggest challenges was figuring out the right arrangement for all of the songs. We had to find a way to make all of the instruments fit together and blend well. Once we nailed down the arrangements, recording them was much easier. It was also at this point that we started adding more instruments and overdubs to the songs. The more we added, the better it sounded. One of the biggest challenges was mixing all of this together. It was difficult to find the right balance between all of the different instruments while keeping the song intact. Once we got that right, we were able to nail the final mixes and achieve the sound that we were all looking for.”
Recording The Album
The majority of the album was recorded digitally, with a few exceptions. The vocals on “Sober,” for example, were recorded separately and then brought in later. He also recorded the album at home, using a guitar, an old piano, and various other instruments that he could play. He even called in some favors from friends and family to help out on certain tracks. This was all done in the course of a year. It wasn’t easy and it required a lot of work, but it was all totally worth it.
Structure And Songwriting Process
One of the most interesting things about “Cosmos” is how it doesn’t fit into a typical songwriting structure. It’s not a collection of unrelated songs, like most albums, but instead, it flows seamlessly from one track to another. There are no breaks between songs, and this helps make it feel more like one long piece. It draws on a variety of artistic influences, which gives it a unique and cohesive feel.
“The first thing that I did when I got the call to work on the album was to reach out to Robert to see if he was still available to work with me,” he said. “I knew that he had a busy schedule and that it would be difficult to get everyone together, but I also knew that we could still make this work. I think the biggest challenge was getting the band together. We had to find people that could pull off this blend of blues, rock, and jazz that Robert had in mind. It was difficult to find a rhythm section that could keep up with him, but everyone pulled it off. It’s the blend of the band’s talent that made this song come to life. It’s an eclectic collection of styles that draws from many different artists and artists’ ranges. We wanted to do something that no one had ever done before in the history of music, and we succeeded.”