It’s easy to imagine him singing on the radio in the 1940s his music, which nods to Broadway, opera and European pop, typically finds its truest expression in the kind of swelling, inspirational ballads that accompany first dances at weddings. With a voice ranging between tenor and baritone, Groban draws more comparisons to Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli than Eddie Vedder or James Hetfield. The new partners are especially head-scratching given that Groban’s music is possibly the most un-rock stuff out there. On his new record, “Illuminations,” due November 15 on Reprise, Groban co-wrote more of the material than he ever had on previous albums, and also recorded a song by an unlikely favorite: goth-rock cult star Nick Cave. He also parted with longtime producer David Foster and teamed with Rick Rubin, the bearded Zen master behind the Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash and Danzig. He split from his former manager, Brian Avnet, and signed to Q Prime, known for managing guitar extremists Metallica and Muse. Instead, Groban, 29, decided to make some drastic changes.
No one would have batted an eye had he released another collection of holiday tracks every couple of years, toured theaters and arenas, dropped in again on Oprah and “Today” and “Glee,” headlined public-TV pledge drives and generally reaped the quiet but lucrative rewards of mainstream, middle-of-the-road success. All told, he has sold almost 20 million albums in the United States.īecause his material appeals to adults whose taste and preferences are stable, Groban can depend on their loyalty. His most recent album, the 2007 Christmas record “Noel,” sold 5 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and topped the Billboard 200. REUTERS/Sarah ConardĬlassically trained, celestially voiced, the kind of sweet-faced, well-mannered, personable young man who probably gets hand-knit sweaters as gifts from fans in lieu of panties, Groban is virtually immune to the vagaries of pop-music trends. Josh Groban entertains shareholders at the Walmart Shareholders' Meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas June 4, 2010.
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