Rock legend Brian Wilson has taken to Facebook to lambast fans critical of his decision to collaborate with, among others, Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, and Zooey Deschanel on his new album. The Beach Boys co-founder wrote that it “bums me out” to see such “negativity.”
News of the high-profile collaborations came via a Rolling Stone article that the rock and roll icon re-published on his official website and Facebook page. According to the blurb, Del Rey is set to feature on Wilson’s new album on a “haunting” track titled Last Song, while singer slash actress Zooey Deschanel will potentially appear as a guest on the “space-age bossa nova” of On the Island.
“This project blows my mind,” Wilson said. “I had no idea we could pull this off!” However, reaction from fans has not been as enthusiastic, prompting Wilson to write, “I’ve been told too many times not to fuck with the formula, but as an artist it’s my job to do that – and I think I’ve earned that right.”
“I’m really proud of these new songs and to hear these great artists sing on them just blows me away,” he continues. “I would think that after making music for more than fifty years, my fans would understand that I’ll always do what’s in my heart – and I think that’s why you are my fans.”
“So let’s just wait until the album comes out because I think you just might dig it as much as I do,” concludes Wilson before signing off. The artists Wilson chose to feature on the new album each have a connection to the Beach Boys, with Deschanel previously covering Wouldn’t It Be Nice.
Watch: She & Him – Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys Cover)
