Everyone Is Certainly Getting Involved: A24’s Talking Heads Tribute Album

In homage to their concert film, A24 announces a Talking Heads’ tribute album with numerous artists.

Molly Downs, Culture Editor • February 19, 2024

In honor of its 40th anniversary, production company A24 restored and re-released the Talking Heads’ groundbreaking concert film, “Stop Making Sense” (1984). This re-release was found exclusively in IMAX theaters for a week, beginning on Sept. 22, 2023. On the heels of this successful homage, A24 has officially announced the upcoming release of a compilation album, entitled “Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Stop Making Sense Tribute Album.”

When the concert film originally came out, it was so powerful for fans because it portrayed the dynamic energy of the shows over the three nights they filmed— including shots of not only the band on stage— but the electricity found in the audience. The artistic elements used in Jonathan Demme’s directing style matched the iconic and unconventional nature of the band itself and allowed them to flourish on the screen. “Stop Making Sense” has had a lasting effect on the genre of concert films and on the fans who continue to watch it.

It also meant a lot to the fans. In an interview with Pitchfork promoting the re-release , bassist Tina Weymouth said of the original film, “It was a beautiful moment in time, and we’re so proud of it, that this is going to be our legacy. That when we’re long gone, this is probably going to go on for a while.” And clearly it is going on for a while, now with the announcement of the tribute album.

The album will be made up of 16 tracks by 16 different artists, including Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, girl in red, The National, Teezo Touchdown and Kevin Abstract. With this range of genres, this collaboration is bound to be an interesting one, which should fit the Talking Heads’ overall aura.

Currently, the only song that has been released from the upcoming project is Paramore’s cover of the legendary track, “Burning Down the House.” While there’s no way for the group to make this song better than the Talking Heads’ original, they do a pretty great job. Paramore’s lead singer, Hayley Williams, matches David Byrne’s beautifully wonky vocals and screechy ad libs— adding her own vocal touches here and there at points. Overall, the cover does justice to the iconic track

Although there still is no official release date for the album in its entirety, there’s certainly excitement in waiting for the next single to drop. All fans can do now is wait and hope that these covers will live up to their rightfully high expectations.

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About the Contributor

Molly Downs, Culture Editor

Molly is a senior English major with a minor in Creative Writing serving her second year as Culture Editor for The Torch. Outside of her role at The Torch, you can find her reading a book on the Great Lawn, listening to one of her many playlists, or watching one of her favorite movies, like “Little Miss Sunshine.” Molly can be reached at [email protected].