“Gossip Girl” actress Leighton Meester hasn’t yet released her Universal Republic debut. But it appears the TV star is well on her way to silencing naysayers about her fledgling singing career.
Meester released her first single - a retro dance-pop track titled “Somebody to Love” - to digital retailers Oct. 14 after premiering it on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM Los Angeles morning show. Featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke, the song is already off to a solid start with 102 spins at top 40 radio and 7,000 digital tracks sold through the week ended Oct. 18, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
“I have a crazy, strange life and I work a lot,” Meester says. “I like that it’s electronic but still lyrically driven. It’s a very sexy track, and Robin really brought something different to it.”
“Somebody to Love” follows “Good Girls Go Bad,” Meester’s collaboration with Cobra Starship that reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer. Universal Republic believes these two songs should assuage anyone who raised an eyebrow when the label announced her signing in April.
“There was some skepticism, but now there’s not,” says Universal Republic executive vice president Tom Mackay. “As the Cobra record went up the chart, we got better and better material from songwriters. That song immediately validated the project.”
Mackay also notes that the vision for Meester’s album was clear from the start. “She wanted to make a sophisticated pop record that could work in the clubs and in the international market. And this first single is nothing else if not sophisticated pop.”
Although it isn’t yet finished, Meester’s debut album is tentatively slated for late 2009 or early 2010. She’s spent most of the year juggling studio sessions with taping two feature films and the CW network’s “Gossip Girl.” About 25 songs have been completed, however, and collaborators include producer Mike Caren on “Somebody to Love,” Stuart Price on “I Feel Everything” and J.R. Rotem on “Lights Out.” Meester also plans to showcase her vocals on more downtempo tracks like “Your Lies Are the Truth.”
Universal Republic and CW are also discussing how to promote Meester’s album on “Gossip Girl,” with short-term ideas ranging from a synch placement of “Somebody to Love” to an exclusive premiere of its music video. “We would be foolish not to utilize the show,” Mackay says.
Meanwhile, Meester remains focused on channeling her singing idols - from Madonna and Debbie Harry to Santigold and Lykke Li - and taking the time to get her solo material just right.
“I never wanted to pay attention to the business side of acting, and it’s the same with music,” she says. “I love being creative. As I come up with more stuff, I keep topping myself . . . and this is the perfect time for me to do it.”
