Collaborating Couples

posted in: Music News • Urban

It’s good to be Wiz Khalifa. After Warner Bros. kept delaying his major label debut, he decided to part ways with the label and instead began releasing a series of free mixtapes, including the acclaimed Kush & Orange Juice. After building up a strong underground following, he signed to Atlantic Records and released his chart topping single “Black and Yellow” late last year. In March, he finally released his major label debut, Rolling Papers, which sold almost 200,000 copies in the first week alone. Now to top it off, he’s dating a model!

And apparently, his girlfriend Amber Rose is more than just a pretty face. During an interview during the VMAs, Khalifa and Rose stated that they were working on new music together. Describing the music as “mysterious,” Rose said that they might release the music for free online, and they may not even attach their names to it. Rose said that “you may not even know it’s me. We might just throw it out there, might give it out and see what’s up.”

This unexpected announcement got us thinking about the other talented couples in music today. Undoubtedly, one of the most famous is Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Both hugely successful solo artists in their own right, they have appeared on each others songs for a number of years, including classic tracks like “’03 Bonnie and Clyde” and most recently “Lift Off” from Watch The Throne. Country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been married for fourteen years, but that hasn’t slowed down their musical endeavors. In addition to tours together, the power couple have collaborated on a number of songs including “I Need You” and “It’s Your Love.” And if hip hop and country aren’t really your thing, you can’t go wrong with the cat-loving stoners Nathan Williams and Bethany Cosentino of indie rock bands Wavves and Best Coast respectively. After touring the US together earlier this year, the two are collaborating on a new EP set to be released on September 20th.

However, musician couples are not a new phenomenon. Throughout the history music there have been many famous couples who have made music together. Johnny Cash and June Carter began their relationship as collaborators before eventually getting married, as famously depicted in the movie Walk The Line. John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s relationship is famous for allegedly causing The Beatles to break up, but they also collaborated on a number of songs and albums together. Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon have been sharing songwriting and vocal duties in Sonic Youth for the last thirty years in addition to being married. But sometimes it’s the failed relationships that inspire the best music from artists. Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks’ failed relationship during the recording of Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumours shaped the lyrical themes of the record and helped make it one of the most successful albums ever. When The White Stripes burst on to the scene in the early 2000s, Jack and Meg White claimed to be brother and sister. However it was soon uncovered that they were in fact ex husband and wife, but kept this covered up to avoid distractions and keep the public’s focus on their music.

Just like national music landscape, OurStage has its share of couples making great music! Bella Ruse is comprised of couple Kay Gillette (singer) and Joseph Barker (guitarist). Utilizing a combination of folk and indie pop, the pair has created some great songs like “Complicated Rhythm” and “Heart of Everyone” that are sure to get stuck in your head for days. If you’re looking for another great tag team, then look no further than McClain, the husband and wife duo of Travis and Lindsay McClain. Their delicate blend of folk, country and Americana is sure to melt hearts everywhere. Songs like “Central Park” and “Nobody Town” show their earnest songwriting and the passion they put into their music.

Whether a musician couple lasts a lifetime or goes through a messy breakup, one thing we do know is that it usually leads to great music.