Fan are finding a new reason to love Meryl Streep thanks to her lullaby in the latest episode of “Only Murders in the Building,” which you can watch in the video above.
In the third season of Hulu’s murder mystery, Streep plays Loretta Durkin, a struggling actress who finds her big break in Oliver’s (Martin Short) latest play. The scene starts as all of the character’s do: Loretta is supposed to perform a small scene for her small role. But seconds into her performance of “Look for the Light,” her on-stage charisma and raw talent transfix her castmates.
By the song’s end, Kimber (Ashley Park) joins her on stage as they both belt out this delicate lullaby.
Though “Only Murders in the Building’s” latest episode premiered on Tuesday, by Wednesday fans were singing the song’s praises. “I’ve been listening to it on Spotify for 12 hours now,” one user wrote on X. Others have called for Streep to win an Oscar and an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) for her performance. Though she has been nominated for all four coveted awards, Streep is currently lacking a Grammy and a Tony win.
An original song for “Only Murders in the Building” Season 3, “Look for the Light” was written specifically with Streep in mind by multi-Grammy winning artist Sara Bareilles as well as Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Olivier Award-winning songwriters and producers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pasek and Paul are best known for their work in “La La Land,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Greatest Showman.”
“It was so easy to say yes to this invitation,” Bareilles said in a press release about the episode. “Meryl was gentle and focused, and I loved her musicality and her willingness to share her process. Ashley Park’s glorious counter melody was added later, and I got goosebumps the first time I heard it. It truly couldn’t have been a more seamless experience — how lucky am I to be a part of it!”
Pasek and Paul described the one-two punch of Streep and Bareilles as collaborators as “basically the most perfectly algorithmic targeted ad someone could throw our way.”
“Getting to shape this song around Meryl’s voice, and working together in the studio and on set, was a dream and we are three very lucky songwriters. Meryl not only amazed us with her usual brilliance and mastery of the craft, but also inspired us with her humility and tireless work ethic,” the duo said in a press release. “While it is unfair for someone to be so wonderful at everything, it’s a basic human truth that we all must reckon with!”
Currently in its third season, “Only Murders in the Building” follows three strangers — Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) — who become close over their mutual love of true crime podcasts. When a dead body appears in their own Manhattan apartment building, their amateur detective skills are put to the test.
In its third season, the murder they have to solve is none other than Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd), the movie star lead of Oliver’s newest Broadway play, “The Death Rattle.” New episodes of the 10-episode season premiere on Hulu Tuesdays.
