Known for crafting intricate musical arrangements (and for being discovered on YouTube by none other than Quincy Jones), British vocalist Jacob Collier has upped his game with a rendition of “Moon River.” And it’s nothing like your Breakfast at Tiffany’s fav.
After recording himself singing five thousand times, Collier asked some of his friends if they could send videos of themselves singing the word “moon” in b-flat. In the resulting music video, there are one hundred and forty-four moon-song voices total (plus the singers’ tiny heads, spaced out like a constellation). Featured vocalists include Chris Martin, Charlie Puth, David Crosby, Quincy Jones, Hans Zimmer, and many more. Collier filmed “Moon River” himself, and brought Light Sail VR’s Matt Celia on to help edit and co-direct. Collier’s image also appears in dozens of iterations (and in different outfits) on the screen, harmonizing his own voice to ultimately resemble an enormous choir.
“Moon River” is the latest single off Djesse, Collier’s ambitious four-volume project on which he performs, produces, engineers, and composes—plus collaborates with musicians from around the world, including fellow YouTuber dodie, Lianne La Havas, Oumou Sangaré, MARO, Sam Amidon, Kathryn Tickell, and Becca Stevens.
Djesse – Volume 2 will be released July 19th on Decca/Geffen. Volume 1 is out now. Watch the “Moon River” vid below.
