| GRAMMY AND ACADEMY AWARD WINNER H.E.R. RELEASES DANCE-INDUCING COVER OFSLY AND THE FAMILY STONE’S 1967 CLASSIC DANCE TO THE MUSIC  LISTEN HERE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM: ILLUMINATION’S MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) PRODUCED AND CURATED BY JACK ANTONOFF, 2022 GRAMMY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR FEATURING ORIGINAL MUSIC FROM DIANA ROSS FT. TAME IMPALA & COVERS FROM ST. VINCENT, THUNDERCAT, PHOEBE BRIDGERS, H.E.R., BLEACHERS, WEYES BLOOD, CAROLINE POLACHEK, BROCKHAMPTON, & MANY MORE Today, 24th June, lauded singer, songwriter, and musician H.E.R. releases a joyous new take on Sly and The Family Stone‘s 1967 anthem ‘Dance To The Music’, produced by 2022 Grammy Producer of the Year Jack Antonoff. Featuring H.E.R.’s unmistakable R&B vocals paired with funky basslines, wailing saxophones and psychedelic synths, this cover is thelatest trackfromthe original motion picture soundtrack for Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, the new action-comedy from the biggest animated franchise in history, set for release on Friday 1st July to coincide with the film’s global theatrical release. Listen to ‘Dance To The Music’ by H.E.R. and pre-order the soundtrack here. Over the course of five years – with 21 Grammy nominations and 5 wins to date -singer/songwriter/multi instrumentalist H.E.R. has had an incredible journey, punctuated with inspiring projects and accolades that have quickly ascended her to superstar status. In 2021, she released her full-length album ‘Back of My Mind’ and was awarded the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for ‘I Can’t Breathe’ and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for ‘Fight for You’ from the film Judas and the Black Messiah. This song also won Best Traditional R&B Performance at the recent 2022 Grammy Awards. Set in the 1970s, Minions: The Rise of Gru tells the origin story of how Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell), the world’s greatest supervillain, first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema’s most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled. The funk-fuelled soundtrack features a star-studded line-up, celebrating a range of dazzling funk, disco and soul classics with brand-new versions of some of the biggest hits of the 1970s from some of today’s hottest talent. From St. Vincent‘s new take on Lipps Inc’s 1979 hit Funkytown and H.E.R.‘s rendition of Sly and The Family Stone’s 1967 smash Dance to the Music, to Bleachers version of John Lennon’s 1970 track Instant Karma! and Phoebe Bridgers’ interpretation of The Carpenters’ 1972 single Goodbye To Love, every track has been reimagined by each artist with ingenious results. And of course, Illumination’s Minions themselves star on the album, with their distinctive performance of the classic Simon & Garfunkel 1970s favourite, Cecilia. The soundtrack’s executive producer, Jack Antonoff, is a globally celebrated singer, songwriter and record producer as well as the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. As a songwriter and producer, Antonoff, who, in 2021, was credited by the BBC for having “redefined pop music,” has collaborated with the likes of Diana Ross, Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Kevin Abstract and many more.This work has seen Antonoff collect numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards, most recently winning the 2022 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year. Both in and out of the cinema, this sun-soaked 70’s inspired soundtrack is guaranteed to have you Gru-ving all summer long. Listen to ‘Dance To The Music’ by H.E.R. and pre-order the soundtrack here. Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) will be released digitally, on 3-panel CD digipack, standard black double LP, yellow & blue splattered double LP, yellow cassette and a limited-edition picture disc via Decca Records on 1st July 2022. Minions: The Rise of Gru – Tracklisting: 1. Turn Up The Sunshine – Diana Ross ft. Tame Impala 2. Shining Star – Brittany Howard ft. Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire 1975) 3. Funkytown – St. Vincent (Lipps Inc in 1979) 4. Hollywood Swinging – BROCKHAMPTON (Kool & The Gang 1974) 5. Desafinado – Kali Uchis (Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto 1959) 6. Bang Bang – Caroline Polachek (Nancy Sinatra 1966) 7. Fly Like an Eagle – Thundercat (Steve Miller Band 1976) 8. Goodbye To Love – Phoebe Bridgers (The Carpenters 1972) 9. Instant Karma! – Bleachers (John Lennon 1970) 10. You’re No Good – Weyes Blood (Linda Ronstadt 1975) 11. Vehicle – Gary Clark Jr. (The Ides of March 1970) 12. Dance to the Music – H.E.R. (Sly and The Family Stone 1967) 13. Black Magic Woman – Tierra Whack (Santana 1970) 14. Cool – Verdine White 15. Born To Be Alive – Jackson Wang (Patrick Hernandez 1979) 16. Cecilia – The Minions (Simon & Garfunkel 1970) 17. Bang Bang – G.E.M. (Nancy Sinatra 1966) 18. Kung Fu Suite – RZA 19. Minions: The Rise of Gru Score Suite – Heitor Pereira About Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru: This summer, from the biggest global animated franchise in history, comes the origin story of how the world’s greatest supervillain first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema’s most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled in Minions: The Rise of Gru. Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It’s not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions. When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader—legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar® winner Alan Arkin)— Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends. Featuring more spectacular action than any film in Illumination history and packed with the franchise’s signature subversive humor, Minions: The Rise of Gru stars a thrilling new cast, including, the Vicious 6: Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, whose chain belt doubles as a lethal disco-ball mace; Jean-Claude Van Damme as the nihilistic Jean Clawed, who’s armed (literally) with a giant robotic claw; Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, whose traditional nun’s habit hides her deadly nun-chucks; Dolph Lundgren as Swedish roller-skate champion Svengeance, who dispenses his enemies with spin kicks from his spiked skates; and Danny Trejo as Stronghold, whose giant iron hands are both a menace to others and a burden to him. The film also stars Russell Brand as Young Dr. Nefario, an aspiring mad scientist, Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, an acupuncturist with mad kung fu skills, and Oscar® winner Julie Andrews as Gru’s maddeningly self-absorbed mom. Steered by the franchise’s original creators, Minions: The Rise of Gru is produced by visionary Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborators Janet Healy and Chris Renaud. The film is directed by returning franchise filmmaker Kyle Balda (Despicable Me 3, Minions), co-directed by Brad Ableson (The Simpsons) and Jonathan del Val (The Secret Life of Pets films), and features the iconic voice of Pierre Coffin as the Minions and a killer ’70s soundtrack courtesy of legendary Grammy-winning music producer Jack Antonoff. About Decca Records: The logo has been associated with some of recorded music’s defining acts: The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Luciano Pavarotti and Ella Fitzgerald to name a few. Decca Records has been the number one classical record label in the UK for well over a decade, operating alongside its international sister label Decca Classics. In recent years Decca Records has been selected as the official label partner of high-profile events such as the 2011 Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the London 2012 Olympics and the 2016 Paralympics. Decca is also home to such diverse and distinctive artists as Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Gregory Porter, Melody Gardot, Aurora, Ludovico Einaudi, Imelda May, Alfie Boe, The Lumineers and Sheku Kanneh-Mason. About Illumination Illumination, founded by Academy Award® nominee Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event-animated films, including Despicable Me, the most successful animated franchise in cinematic history. The company’s releases include two of the top 10 animated films of all time, and its iconic, beloved franchises—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have grossed more than $6.4 billion worldwide. Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the world of Despicable Me. The franchise includes Minions, the fourth-highest-grossing animated film of all time and the most profitable film in Universal’s history, as well as the Academy Award®– nominated Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me 3, which made more than $1 billion at the global box office. Illumination has launched two additional original franchises that have captivated audiences worldwide. The first Secret Life of Pets film achieved the best opening for an original movie, animated or otherwise, in U.S. history, and the studio followed that success in 2019 with The Secret Life of Pets 2. Illumination’s smash hit, Sing, has now became the studio’s latest global franchise with Sing 2 in December 2021. In addition, Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch continues to hold the record for the biggest opening weekend of any Christmas-themed movie in history. Illumination’s upcoming films include Minions: The Rise of Gru on July 1st, 2022 and a new Super Mario Bros. film in April 2023. |
