Legendary crooner Rick Astley has revealed he loved how his number one single "Never Gonna Give You Up" was used in the hit TV comedy-drama series Ted Lasso. The streaming series was developed by Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, and actor Jason Sudeikis, who also stars as the eponymous lead. Premiering on Apple TV+ in August 2020, Ted Lasso has become hugely popular and received widespread critical acclaim, scooping several Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe, with a 12-episode third season confirmed for production. Well-received for its irreverent humor and comforting, feel-good themes, the show has become a huge success.
English '80s pop icon Rick Astley has enjoyed a career spanning almost four decades, with numerous hit singles and best-selling albums in his back catalog. The Lancastrian retired from the music industry in 1994 at the age of 27, before making a return some seven years later, with the album Keep It Turned On, released in 2001. For all of the hits Astley has enjoyed, his best-known and most popular remains his debut single "Never Gonna Give You Up," which topped the charts in 25 different countries. The single went platinum in the United Kingdom and gold in the United States, and it remains Astley's signature song, with the music video getting a 4k remaster. So when the song was featured in Ted Lasso season 2, many wondered how Astley would react to the episode and the scene. The song was featured in a moving funeral scene, where it was recited by Hannah Waddingham's character Rebecca Welton, with many viewers praising the scene and the use of the song.
It seems that Astley himself is genuinely delighted with how the song was used on the show, as well as what he felt it was able to add to the episode. Taking to social media, the British music icon talked about his feelings on the use of the song, as well as his wider feelings on the show as a whole. Astley recorded a video where he talked about finding the scene incredibly moving and emotional and said he was 'blown away' by the fact the song had been included in the show. The video has received more than 17,000 likes, as well as close to 2,000 retweets, and has been trending on social media since Astley posted it on the morning of September 26th, with fans flocking to post comments and share their opinions.
The scene shows Rebecca Welton at her father's funeral, where she is trying to deliver a eulogy, but she is unable to find the right words for what she wants to say; instead, she recites the lyrics from the song, her mother's favorite. The scene continues with rest of the crowd joining in with her, capping an emotional and touching moment. Fans joined Astley in praising the scene and the use of the song, packing emotional weight and resonance. Waddingham even replied to Astley's video, revealing herself as an Astley fan and saying that she had 'DM'd' Astley in response.
Ted Lasso is not the first show to use the reciting of song lyrics during important moments for the purposes of comedy or dramatic impact, with popular British sitcom Gavin & Stacy employing a similar approach in one of its episodes. Whether viewers can expect to see more Astley hits being used in the third season of Ted Lasso remains to be seen, but it's clear that this is a show going places, and the intelligent writing and thematic weight could well mean more song lyrics being sampled in later Ted Lasso episodes and seasons.
Source: Rick Astley