Abigail Barlow

Abigail Barlow
Barlow in February 2024
Born (1998-11-10) November 10, 1998 (age 26)[1]
Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.[2]
Notable workThe Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
AwardsGrammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
Websitehttps://www.abigailbarlowmusic.com/

Abigail Barlow is an American singer-songwriter. She shared a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2022 for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, co-written with Emily Bear. Barlow and Bear also wrote songs for the Disney film Moana 2.

Life and career

Barlow was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but moved to Birmingham, Alabama in first grade.[2] Her album The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, co-written with and produced by, Emily Bear, won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2022.[3][4] She is also known for her independent pop hit “Heartbreak Hotel,” which peaked at #2 on iTunes and has more than 6.5 million streams. She and Bear were honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame[5] and named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.[6] She has more than 2.4 million TikTok followers.[citation needed] Barlow has collaborated with Meghan Trainor, who co-wrote and produced a track on Barlow's self-titled debut EP in 2020 titled Phantom Feelings.[5]

In July 2022, Bear and Barlow performed their Bridgerton album live in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Reineke, at the Kennedy Center. Guest soloists included Ephraim Sykes, Denée Benton and Kelli O'Hara.[7] In late July 2022, Netflix sued Barlow and Bear in U.S. federal court for copyright infringement, claiming that they had objected to live concerts of the album.[8] The company discontinued the lawsuit in September 2022 after a reported settlement.[9]

Also in 2022, Barlow and Bear were engaged by Taco Bell to write the music for Mexican Pizza: The Musical, with a book by Hannah Friedman, which featured Doja Cat and Dolly Parton. The satirical musical's true story concerns a fan-favorite item at Taco Bell, Mexican pizza, which was removed from, and later returned to, its menus.[10] The musical streamed on Taco Bell's TikTok and YouTube accounts on September 15, 2022.[11]

Barlow and Bear wrote songs for the Disney film Moana 2.[12][13] Two of their songs, "Beyond" and "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?", were nominated for the 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in an Animated Film,[14] and "Beyond" was nominated for a 2025 Society of Composers & Lyricists Award for Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production.[15] Barlow and Bear are the youngest composers, and the first female writing team for an animated Disney movie.[16]

References

  1. ^ "What a 25th birthday. Thank you to all my best friends for making this night one to remember. My frontal lobe is fully developed!! Let's f*ckin GOOOOO". instagram.com.
  2. ^ a b Reese, Katie. "Meet the Cast of RMTC's 42nd Street: Abigail Ross Barlow", AL.com, July 11, 2013
  3. ^ "'Bridgerton: The Musical' Blew Up on TikTok. Could Broadway Be Next?". variety.com.
  4. ^ "Grammys 2022: Alabama's Abigail Barlow wins for 'Unofficial Bridgerton Musical'". al. April 4, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Abigail Bio — barlow & bear". barlow & bear. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  6. ^ Brown, Abram. "From Bella Poarch to a Bridgerton Musical, Meet Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Social Media", Forbes, December 1, 2021
  7. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Solea Pfeiffer, Ephraim Sykes, Kelli O'Hara & More Join The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert", BroadwayWorld.com, July 7, 2022
  8. ^ Schwartz, Deanna. "The Netflix v. Unofficial Bridgerton Musical lawsuit, explained", NPR, August 4, 2022; and Haring, Bruce. "Netflix Sues Bridgerton the Musical Creators for Infringement, Seeks Halt to Live Stagings", Deadline, July 29, 2022, accessed July 30, 2022
  9. ^ Maddaus, Gene. "Netflix Settles Copyright Lawsuit Over Unofficial Bridgerton Musical", Variety, September 23, 2022
  10. ^ "Barlow & Bear sign on for Taco Bell inspired TikTok musical", WIFR, May 11, 2022; and Saad, Nardine. "Dolly and Doja? What is happening with Taco Bell’s bizarre Mexican Pizza musical?", Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2022
  11. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Video: Watch Dolly Parton, Barlow & Bear and More in Mexican Pizza: The Musical on TikTok", BroadwayWorld, September 16, 2022
  12. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee. "Beyond the sea: Moana 2's Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reflect on the unexpected path to their surprise sequel", Entertainment Weekly, September 12, 2024
  13. ^ Stephan, Katcy (February 7, 2024). "Moana 2 Set at Disney With Surprise 2024 Release Date". Variety. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Grein, Paul. "'Emilia Pérez' Leads 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations: Full List", Billboard, November 6, 2024
  15. ^ Pedersen, Erik. "Society of Composers & Lyricists Cues Up 2025 SCL Awards Nominations", Deadline, December 18, 2024
  16. ^ Venkat, Mia, Ari Shapiro, Christopher Intagliata. "Moana 2 songwriters made history as 1st all-female team to lead a Disney soundtrack", NPR, December 6, 2024; Lenker, Maureen Lee. "Beyond the sea: Moana 2's Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reflect on the unexpected path to their surprise sequel", Entertainment Weekly, September 12, 2024