Likewise, none of the great artists whose legacy she honors, like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, or Rosemary Clooney, would know what it meant to “go viral.” As it happens, this is how Stella Cole first got noticed by the music industry and, more importantly, the larger world beyond: by performing her own interpretations of classic American popular standards and using the internet to share them.
As an artist, Stella found a way of thriving – and launching a musical career – at a moment when most performers were struggling. At the height of the pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, she began posting videos of herself singing on YouTube, Tiktok, and other social platforms. Lots of other singers of all ages were already doing that, but Stella was virtually the only one to parlay viral video views into a real opportunity. Her performance of “Everybody Says Don’t” (from Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known Anyone Can Whistle), hit 40,000 views right out of the gate; James Taylor championed and reposted her video of the beloved standard, “Moon River.”
The vision for It’s Magic was to take on songs that were familiar, but somewhat unconventional, including “Stairway to the Stars,” “My Ideal,” and “Fools Rush In,” all of which utilize the more intimate backing of a string quartet, as opposed to the full 24-part string orchestra. The package varies from classic show tunes, like “Till There Was You” from The Music Man, to iconic film themes, like “As Time Goes By,” a Stella favorite from Casablanca, Doris Day’s 1948 hit “It’s Magic” from Romance on the High Seas, and Burt Bacharach’s main title theme from Alfie (1966). Above all, there are jazz and songbook standards, like “Say It” and “The Touch of Your Lips.”
“When I was younger, I always thought of performing – singing or acting – as kind of an ego-driven, self-centered kind of career,” says Stella, “that people who did it were all totally focused on themselves.” But, she reports, “During the lockdown, thousands of people were sending me messages saying, ‘You don’t know how much you’ve helped me,’ and ‘your music is the one thing cheering me up right now.’ And so I was sort of shocked by that because I hadn’t realized that music had that kind of power to help people. It’s amazing to think that my music can be a bit of a salve or a balm for people’s stress and anxiety. Don’t forget, these songs and this music helped people get through the Great Depression and World War II.” She concludes, “That’s the most gratifying thing of all, experiencing how this music can actually help people.”
