Michael Stipe releases first solo song in three years as theme for HBO’s Rooster
Michael Stipe, former frontman of R.E.M., has released “I Played the Fool”, the main title theme for HBO’s new comedy series Rooster, starring Steve Carell. The track dropped on March 9 via WaterTower Music on all major streaming platforms, marking Stipe’s first new solo music in three years.
The song was co-written with super-producer Andrew Watt, known for his work with the Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam and Lady Gaga. The recording also features Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and piano and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. The collaboration brings together two Grammy Award-winning artists for the first time.
Rooster is a college campus comedy created by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Shrinking) and Matt Tarses, centering on the complicated relationship between an author played by Carell and his daughter, played by Charly Clive. The show debuted on March 8 on HBO and HBO Max, with new episodes of its ten-episode season dropping weekly through May 10.
