Meghan Trainor Is Rerecording the Friends Theme Song for the Show’s 25th Anniversary
Friends is turning 25 on September 22, and Meghan Trainor is celebrating in an epic way: She's rerecording the iconic theme song.
According to Rolling Stone, Warner Bros. asked Meghan to do the honors of recording her take on the Rembrandts hit “I'll Be There for You” because she's a massive Friends fan. Meghan's version of the tune will drop on September 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET on iHeart Radio’s Z100, which is apparently the same time the pilot episode of Friends debuted on NBC...and the rest is history.
“I’ve seen every episode multiple times now,” Meghan told Rolling Stone. “I can’t believe they even thought of me to sing this cover. It was a dream come true.” Even better? The Empire State Building is going to light up in blue, red, and yellow, just like the show's logo, at the same time. What a birthday party for Ross, Rachel, Joey, Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe.
Remaking such a classic song required a little help from her friends...and family. Meghan told the magazine that her cover will sound almost exactly like the original version, and that she pulled in her family to sing backing vocals. “I actually cut the vocals in my backyard in my studio, with my little brother, my older brother, my husband, and my best friend,” she said. “And we were just all laughing and in disbelief. Like, ‘How is this really happening?’ It was a big party, the best night.”
The original theme song was recorded in 1994 by the Rembrandts and eventually hit number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts due to the popularity of the TV show — and the catchiness of those hand claps. (The cast of the show is also in the video, and if you haven't seen it, it's worth a watch or five.) Since then, it's become one of the most iconic TV-show themes ever, and with the show's recent resurgence in popularity due to its stint on Netflix, it makes sense that they'd want to give it a 2019 makeover. (Friends is leaving Netflix and going to a new streaming platform next year, but you'll always have reruns on syndication!)
As for Meghan? She remains a major fan, admitting she loves the key Ross and Rachel episodes most: “I’m always a Ross and Rachel fan, and I always wanted them to get back together.” And if Friends is your go-to comfort show, you're not alone. Meghan's right there with you.“On all levels — relationship levels, personal levels — it’s so relatable and it makes you feel good watching it,” she told RS. “You can laugh and cry. It’s just a perfect show.”
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