February 01, 2023
Lizzy McAlpine/YouTube
Lizzy McAlpine, the Wynnewood native singer and songwriter, is set to release 'Hold On,' the main title track for AppleTV+ series 'Dear Edward,' which premieres on Friday, Feb. 3. She co-wrote the song with fellow Philadelphia native composer Benj Pasek.
Lizzy McAlpine is set to release "Hold On," the main title music for the upcoming AppleTV+ series "Dear Edward," the Wynnewood native singer-songwriter told fans on Tuesday night.
The song will be released on all streaming platforms on Friday, Feb. 3, in order to coincide with the show's official premiere. McAlpine co-wrote the track with composers Justin Paul and fellow Philadelphia native Benj Pasek, the duo best known for "Dear Evan Hansen" and "The Greatest Showman."
"Dear Edward" tells the story of Edward Adler, a 12-year-old boy who survives a commercial plane crash that kills everyone else on the flight, including his family. Adler is sent to live with his aunt, Lacey, who attends a support group to deal with the struggles of caring for her traumatized nephew and grieving the loss of her sister. An ensemble of other characters, many of whom are family members of other crash victims, form unexpected friendships, romances and communities in the wake of the tragedy, according to a plot synopsis.
The show was developed from Ann Napolitano's bestselling novel of the same name. Jason Katims, best known for creating shows like "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," serves as showrunner, head writer and co-executive producer along with the novelist. The show stars Connie Britton, Taylor Schilling and newcomer Colin O'Brien along with a host of other recurring cast members.
guys. i got to co-write the main title theme for the new @AppleTVPlus show Dear Edward with @benjpasek and @heyitsjustin and also sing it & it comes out on Friday pic.twitter.com/htWsak6MK7
— lizzy mcalpine (@LizzyMcAlpine) January 31, 2023
The show is described by Apple as a "heartbreaking, life-affirming and uplifting story about survival, resilience, connection and examination of what makes us human," which is not a far cry from the sometimes angry, always-in-her-feelings music that McAlpine has become known for since her 2020 debut.
The Wynnewood native's second studio album, "five seconds flat," helped propel her to mainstream success, a sold-out headlining tour, a performance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and her debut NPR Tiny Desk Concert, which was released in November. She is set to begin her second headlining tour this spring, including a sold-out performance at The Fillmore on April 18.
McAlpine's "five seconds flat" was released in April to mostly positive reviews, with many critics lauding the new release as an "elevation" of the singer's previous work. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Since releasing the album, the Montgomery County native has collaborated with artists including Jacob Collier, Dodie, Finneas and John Mayer, whom she was supposed to join on tour before abruptly cancelling the plans due to a "last minute scheduling conflict."
Tracks like "ceilings" continue the heartbreak retrospective McAlpine hoped to create with the release of her first three singles on the album, while on others, like "chemtrails," McAlpine comes to terms with her rise to fame and her mixed feelings about growing up.
The album is currently available to stream or purchase. The short film, written to promote the album, can be found on McAlpine's YouTube channel.
Her latest song, "Hold On," will be released on all streaming platforms on Friday, Feb. 3, and can be pre-saved here. The first three episodes of "Dear Edward" will be available to stream beginning on Friday, with the following seven episodes released each Friday through March 24 on AppleTV+. Check out the trailer for the series below.
