The title of a new album from iconic singer Johnny Mathis is raising some eyebrows.
Nearly half the songs on Johnny Mathis Sings The Great New American Songbook, out Sept. 29, were written by non-Americans.
The collection begins with “Hallelujah,” the classic song by late Canadian artist Leonard Cohen, and continues with “Once Before I Go,” penned by the late Australian singer Peter Allen.
The third track is “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which was co-written by Canada’s Steven Lee Olsen. It’s followed by “You Raise Me Up,” a song written by Ireland’s Brendan Graham and Sweden’s Rolf Løvland.
It’s not until track No. 5 that Mathis covers a wholly American song — Great Big World’s 2013 hit “Say Something.”
After a few more songs by Americans (R. Kelly, Bruno Mars, Pharrell Williams), there’s “Hello,” the 2015 smash hit co-written by British-born Adele.
In a release, Columbia Records described the album as featuring “inspired Mathis interpretations of prevailing current songs that comprise the modern great American songbook.”
Mathis, who turns 82 the day after his new album comes out, worked with producers Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds and Clive Davis on the collection.