Rufus Wainwright releases cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) : RufusWainwright

April 28, 2017 | « back

Rufus Wainwright releases cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)

New York, NY – April 28^th, 2017

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright has teamed up with charity The Art of Elysium and its new fully philanthropic production company and video streaming platform Elysium Bandini Studios (EBS) to release a rendition of the Stevie Wonder classic, ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’. Wainwright was asked to be a part of EBS’ video series tribute for The Art of Elysium’s annual fundraising gala, HEAVEN, which took place on January 7th and honored Wonder. In the series of ten short concept videos, artists ranging from James Franco and John Legend to Zoe Saldana perform a unique interpretation of the Stevie Wonder hit. Conceived by New York-based artist Andrew Ondrejcak, each video’s concept is radically different - for some, the song feels like a celebration of love, for some it’s a dance celebrated with family, to others, the lyrics feel vulnerable like a plead for affection. Based on the dance scene in Fellini’s 8 1/2 as well as the 1897 play “La Ronde” (“The Round”), Rufus’s chapter is titled Love and consists of two dancers who begin the video together then cycle through other partners until they find themselves together again. The video is one continuous shot without edit and as such is a simple, clear visual idea with a focus on the performer’s uniqueness.

"’Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’ is one of the great happy/sad hits of all times,” says Rufus. “If you listen to the lyrics they are both gloomy and touching, but with a really up melody. Unfortunately, it’s not a duality often mastered in this day and age,” says Wainwright.

The videos are in support of the LA-based charity, The Art of Elysium, in promotion of their newly launched philanthropic film studio and video streaming platform Elysium Bandini Studios, to raise funds and awareness towards young filmmakers as well as The Art of Elysium’s charitable programs.

Rufus performed at the Elysium Art Salons in Los Angeles hosted by the charity and EBS’ founder, Jennifer Howell, on the eve of release. Attended by an exclusive few, the intimate setting was the perfect backdrop for Rufus to debut his version live for the first time.

Stream or download "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, SoundCloud, Deezer, or on your favorite digital service provider.