Barbra Streisand Maintains Icon Status, Belting And Rapping In ‘Carpool Karaoke’

Barbra Streisand, James Corden Image by GETTY IMAGES/FORWARD MONTAGE

By Jenny Singer November 2, 2018

With a mane of golden waves, a black choker, and the index figure of a formidable safta, the legendary Barbra Streisand piloted herself and James Corden through the streets of Los Angeles, belting the classics.

It was another segment of “Late Show With James Corden” favorite “Carpool Karaoke,” which is what it sounds like — famous people and James Corden singing along to the radio while driving around what may or may not be a soundstage. The Schmooze is not always amused by this kind of thing. But this featured Barbra Streisand. Thus, it was delightful.

In the twelve minute joyride, Babs and James cover plenty of ground — the diva’s 27 year period of stage fright (“I get scared. I just don’t want to disappoint people”) and her mind right now (“twirling.”) In between grooving to Donna Summer and “The Way We Were,” our lady of the stage confessed that not only did she call Tim Cook to announce that she didn’t like the way Siri was pronouncing her name (he saw to it that it was fixed,) she also once phoned Steve Jobs to ask for computer help. He blamed Microsoft, she said.

Then they sang “Imagine.”

Explaining that the Trump administration has her at a loss, only able to write and tweet, Streisand and Corden burst into the single “Walls” from her new album — a song aimed at the President that just happens to be a total bop. Streisand’s index finger here deserves its own EGOT:

Image by youtube

Look at that artistry!

Image by Youtube

Mastery of form!

Image by Youtube

But the best is saved for last: Streisand, in her half-refined-half-Yentl voice, trying to rap to Cardi B.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

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