Barbra Streisands The Secret of Life: A Duets Album with Music Legends

Barbra Streisand, a long-time icon in the entertainment industry, has recently released her new album titled "The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2." The album features duets with some of the biggest names in music, including Hozier, Sam Smith, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and James Taylor. Streisand's voice was initially shot when she began recording the album, but she was able to overcome her concerns and deliver a powerful performance. One of the most anticipated duets on the album is with Bob Dylan. Their collaboration had been in the making for decades, and Streisand chose to rework the Ray Noble standard "The Very Thought of You" for their duet. Dylan was receptive to Streisand's suggestions during the recording process, and they were able to capture his originality and voice in an exciting way. Streisand's duet with Paul McCartney was more daunting, as a full film crew was on hand to capture the recording for an upcoming documentary on Streisand's life. Despite McCartney's initial "terrified" state during the three-hour session, they were able to work it out and the song "My Valentine" turned out great. Another notable single from the album is "Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self," a duet with Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey. Streisand related to the song because it reminded her of a middle-school report she wrote called "My Thirteen Years," which meant so much to her that she still has it. She worked with Laufey to turn the original, which Laufey sang solo, into a duet with Laufey singing as the 13-year-old and Streisand as her mother. Streisand was "absolutely thrilled" with how it turned out and how fans have responded to it. Streisand's worries about the world and President Donald Trump's second administration may have subconsciously contributed to her selection of some of the album's more serious tracks. She wants to be happier but is fascinated and horrified by what she sees on television. At a recent dinner with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, Streisand described the current state of Washington as "created chaos, corruption, and cruelty." She added that she thought it "kind of sums up" Trump. Despite her worries, Streisand is in her "stop and smell the roses" era. She has retired from touring but plans to continue working on achieving the goal she set out in her memoir: To enjoy life more. "The secret of life is spending time with people you love," she said, adding that she plans to release a string of photos of herself and her "secrets," including her husband and son Jason Gould.