NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Appearing on ? That's the best idea.
The 55th season of the acclaimed family program features a star-studded lineup of musicians that would be the envy of any summer festival: Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, and
The upcoming season will focus on lessons in emotional well-being. It debuts Jan. 16 on MAX with new episodes releasing every Thursday. 鈥淪esame Street鈥� will also be available on PBS stations and to stream on PBS Kids in the fall.
No one is more excited than Elmo himself.
鈥淭here's a lot to learn from music 鈥� yeah, timing and harmonies and melody and different styles and different cultures,鈥� the 3 1/2-year-old monster told The Associated Press. 鈥淚t's really cool! We've got a lot of wonderful people come and do some music with us on 鈥楽esame Street,' like and SZA! Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Samara Joy 鈥� lots of great people!鈥�
Songs double as life lessons on 鈥淪esame Street,鈥� from an alt-R&B-pop track about gratitude with SZA to an acoustic number about feelings with Rapp.
"SZA is really cool 鈥� really talented. And 鈥榞ratitude鈥� was a new word for Elmo, too. So, Elmo learned all about gratitude with SZA,鈥� he said.
"Elmo was feeling really, really happy after his playdate with Miss Rene茅. It was a really beautiful song. She's got a great voice and Elmo hopes she comes back soon.鈥�
As for the secret to a great 鈥淪esame Street鈥� song? According to - and composer, producer and 鈥淪esame Street鈥� music director Bill Sherman, its 鈥渆arworms on earworms.鈥�
鈥淚f the verse is an earworm, so is the chorus. Mostly in pop music, the chorus is the earworm, and the verses are just a bunch of jumble.鈥� The difference, he explains, is that pop songs are about three and a half minutes long. Children's music is about a minute and a half. 鈥淵ou only have a very finite amount of time to do what you got to do.鈥�
Usually, writers on the show provide Sherman and his team of songwriters with a script and lyrics detailing the lesson of each episode, as well as the name of the musical guest. Then they get to work, composing music true to the genre and spirit of each artist.
Those musical guests take different levels of involvement, but the result is always awe-inspiring.
Other highlights from this season include performing a foot-stomping folk song about music and feelings, Joy using jazz improvisation to teach a lesson in taking turns and a country ode to music and friends courtesy of Stapleton.
really wanted to write his own song,鈥� says Sherman, and so the pair hopped on a Zoom and wrote a song together, Stapleton with his guitar in tow, ideas flowing. 鈥淚t was really one of the most surreal two-hour Zooms that I really ever had in my life.鈥�
Joy took a different approach. 鈥淪amara Joy insisted on singing live," says Sherman. 鈥淚t very rarely happens on 鈥楽esame Street.鈥� I can only count, like, a few times. So, there was like back in the day, which is a classic. And there鈥檚 like Billy Joel, there鈥檚 John Legend, there鈥檚 a couple people that actually sing live. But Samara insisted on it.鈥�
Her reasoning was simple. "She said, 鈥榃ell, this whole episode is about improvisation and thinking on your toes. And so, if it鈥檚 prerecorded, that鈥檚 the opposite of what we鈥檙e trying to teach.鈥�"
If there is a theme that connects all these performances to one another, it's a spirit of connection. At least, that's Elmo's theory: 鈥淓lmo thinks that music brings people together, you know? And some people who like some things and some people who like other things can kind of come together because they like the same kind of music. And that's kind of cool!鈥�
鈥淪esame Street,鈥� designed by education professionals and child psychologists, is shown in more than 150 countries, has won over 200 Emmys, 11 Grammys, two Peabody Awards and received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime artistic achievement, the first time a television program got the award.
There've been no shortage of great musical guests across the show's five decade run. So, who would they like to see pay a visit in the future? 鈥淢iss Maybe she could revisit chimes in Elmo. That's his favorite of her albums.
鈥淏ut also, Elmo would love to sing with Destiny's Child was on 鈥楽esame Street,鈥� so Elmo would love to have her back.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
