♪ I have nothing ♪
♪ Nothing, nothing ♪
♪ Don't make me ♪
♪ Close one more door ♪
♪ I don't want to hurt anymore ♪
♪ Stay in my arms if you dare ♪
♪ Must I imagine you there ♪
♪ Don't walk away from me ♪
♪ No ♪
- Hi, I'm Ariana DeBose
and I am going to play
a game of song association with ELLE.
I will be given a word
and I will have a mere 10 seconds
to sing or rap the word in the song.
I don't have high hopes for my success in this game,
but alas, I will be a good sport.
Oh, I have seen this show many times.
I enjoyed Olivia Rodrigo very much recently,
but I won't cheat and use only her answers.
I promise.
But before we get to the game,
be sure to check out "West Side Story" in theaters.
Wear a mask, stay safe,
but also get your popcorn and go see it.
'Cause it's really good on a big screen.
Trust me.
(tongue clicks)
(Ariana vocalizing)
♪ Dear Lord, she's a rusty ♪
♪ Should have maybe slept a little more ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
Okay.
♪ Oh no ♪
She's fine. Great.
Stay.
(clock ticking)
♪ I want you to stay ♪
(bell dings)
♪ All along it was a feeling ♪
♪ A cold head hardheaded believing ♪
Something like that.
Rihanna, "Stay".
Chance.
(clock ticking)
♪ If you change your mind ♪
♪ I'm the first in line ♪
♪ Honey, I'm still free ♪
♪ Take a chance on me ♪
"Mamma Mia!".
Can't tell me nothing about ABBA.
Oh, I am a thriving fan
of the ABBA resurgence.
I, true story, tried very hard to get tickets
to their you know, new concert.
Realness.
And I'm on a waiting list.
So I don't normally use my privilege,
but if there's anyone out there
who can help me out with tickets,
that would be really great
'cause that's like a dream.
ABBA, love you.
Place.
(clock ticking)
♪ There's a place for us ♪
♪ Somewhere a place for us ♪
♪ Peace, and quiet, and open air ♪
♪ Wait for us somewhere ♪
♪ West side story at your service ♪
You know what? I am so excited
for people to see "West Side Story"
because it's a big, ginormous, glorious re-imagination
of a movie musical made
in the style of all the films we love
from that golden old Hollywood age.
It's a true cinematic experience.
And not only that,
it is timeless and it's vivacious and colorful.
And the story is just as relevant now
as it was in 1961.
It's just as relevant now.
Our source material is "Romeo and Juliet".
(Ariana snickers)
Lots of relevant themes in that,
lots of relevant themes in "West Side".
And we have so many beautiful additions to our script.
Beautiful Latina people finally being given the opportunity
to tell our story with our voices.
And it's told through, you know,
the lens of one of the greatest directors of all time
and he did a absolutely beautiful, respectful job.
And that's why,
there are many reasons why I'm excited
for you to see "West Side Story".
Gold.
(clock ticking)
♪ Goldfinger ♪
(bell dings)
♪ He's the man ♪
♪ The man with a Midas touch ♪
♪ A spider's touch ♪
It's "Goldfinger".
The James Bond movie.
Really good.
Hot.
(clock ticking)
♪ Gotta have some hot stuff, baby, this evening ♪
♪ I need your hot stuff, baby, tonight ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
That would be my queen Donna Summer.
I played Disco Donna Summer on Broadway.
I was totally nominated for that.
What a disco diva.
Like the mother of an entire sound.
Oh, well there are two that like live on,
live rent-free as the kids would say, in my head.
♪ It's so good, it's so good ♪
♪ It's so good ♪
Yes. It's called "I Feel Love"
brought to you by Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder,
covered by Sam Smith.
Just for the delineation.
And,
♪ MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark ♪
♪ All the sweet green icing flowing down ♪
♪ Someone left the cake out in a rain ♪
You're welcome.
Fast
(clock ticking)
♪ You in a fast car ♪
♪ I got a ticket to anywhere ♪
♪ Maybe we can make a decision ♪
♪ Leave tonight ♪
(Ariana humming)
Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car".
I mean, if you were to ask my Nana,
she would say the song
that made me fall in love with music was,
♪ A whole new world ♪
from "Aladdin".
'Cause I sang it over and over again
until she wanted to hit her head against a wall.
But the song that I remember
made me fall in love with music was
"I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston from the "Bodyguard"
or sung by Whitney Houston from the "Bodyguard".
It was the drama for me.
Ooh, drama.
♪ I have nothing ♪
♪ Nothing, nothing ♪
♪ Don't make me ♪
♪ Close one more door ♪
♪ I don't wanna hurt anymore ♪
♪ Stay in my arms if you dare ♪
♪ Must I imagine you there ♪
♪ Don't walk away from me ♪
♪ No, don't ♪
Yeah. You're welcome.
It's drama. It's drama.
That might have been sharp flat in between,
but I felt it in my spirit.
West.
(clock ticking)
♪ Go west, go west ♪
And that's the only lyric I know,
but I know it's from "Priscilla Queen of the Desert".
"Go West".
Side.
(clock ticking)
♪ Nobody's on nobody's side ♪
(bell dings)
Again, "Chess".
Check out the Jessica Vosk version of that song.
Quality, quality cover if I do say so myself.
Story.
(clock ticking)
♪ But these stories don't mean anything ♪
♪ When you've got no one to tell them to ♪
♪ It's true, I was made for you ♪
Wait.
♪ All of these lines across my face ♪
♪ Tell you the story of who I am ♪
There you go. "Story", Brandi Carlile.
Queen.
Oh, I love this.
I love that question.
If I was to release my own song,
I think my dream collaboration,
oh my God,
would probably be with like,
I don't know.
Whoever wrote "Wrecking Ball" for Miley Cyrus
and Barbara Streisand.
Who wants to make that happen?
I know eclectic taste.
(laughs)
No? Okay, it's fine.
Just me.
Easy.
(clock ticking)
♪ Take it easy ♪
♪ On me, baby ♪
♪ I had no time to choose ♪
♪ What I chose to do ♪
♪ So take it easy ♪
♪ On me ♪
Adele, "Easy".
I love Adele with my whole heart.
In fact, my mother and I,
anytime Adele has a concert
we like literally seek out tickets.
Like it's the last thing we're gonna do on this planet.
We went and saw her,
I think it was her "25" album concert,
at Madison Square Garden.
And she did the most beautiful cover
of an Alison Krauss tune.
Oh my God.
She, I ride the subway and weep to Adele.
She is everything.
♪ But we could have had it all ♪
♪ Rolling in the deep ♪
Really gets me.
Speaks to my whole being.
♪ I can't love you in the dark ♪
♪ It feels like we're oceans apart ♪
That's a good one.
But I'm really vibing with,
♪ Oh my God, I can't believe it ♪
♪ That all other people in the world ♪
It's so good.
"Oh my God" is a vibe.
Cross.
(clock ticking)
♪ How do we know who we are unless we cross the line ♪
It's from "Bring It On The Musical".
♪ We reach for what we love ♪
♪ And when we fall ♪
♪ We know first place doesn't matter at all ♪
"Bring It On" was my Broadway debut.
I was 21 years old.
That was 10 years ago.
My word.
Broadway found me, actually.
I had just been voted off
of "So You Think You Can Dance?"
And I moved to New York city
trying to redeem myself
for my myself.
It was really just about me proving
that I was still good at dancing.
And I auditioned for many many shows,
received many many nos.
And then Andy Blankenbuehler hired me for "Bring It On".
And that was the show that taught me how to make shows
and also taught me how to potentially sing some pop songs.
So that was super helpful, very grateful.
And that was my first encounter with Lin-Manuel Miranda.
I didn't roll my r very good.
Lin-Manuel Miranda.
(laughs)
He's gonna be really mad that I did it like that.
It's not impressive.
Lin's like a big brother.
He's a big fat nerd.
And guess what? So am I.
But he is potentially one of the most creative people
you'll ever have in a room.
And he's, I remember when I was auditioning
for "Bring It On',
he actually, he came in late if I remember correctly.
But he was just like,
"You sound really good from the hallway."
And I was like work.
Ah, I got one.
I sounded good from the hallway.
So it was great.
Dance.
(clock ticking)
Oh.
♪ Dance, ooh ♪
♪ Nothing left for me to do ♪
♪ But dance, ooh ♪
♪ All these bad times I'm going through ♪
♪ 'Cause dance ♪
♪ Got canned heat in my heels tonight, baby ♪
♪ Ooh, just dance ♪
♪ Dance, dance ♪
Pretty.
♪ I feel pretty ♪
♪ Oh, so pretty ♪
♪ I feel pretty, and witty, and gay ♪
♪ And I pity any girl who isn't me today ♪
That would be, "I Feel Pretty" from "West Side Story".
And I really enjoy the pronunciation
of "I feel pretty" by Rachel Zegler.
Beautifully sung
Song.
(clock ticking)
♪ My gift is my song ♪
(bell dings)
♪ And this one is for you ♪
♪ And you can tell everybody ♪
♪ That this is your song ♪
Forever.
(clock ticking)
It's in "West Side Story".
Because I can hear Rachel say,
♪ Forever ♪
Oh.
♪ Only you, you are the only thing I'll see forever ♪
♪ In my eyes, in my words, and in everything I do ♪
♪ Nothing else, but you ♪
♪ Ever ♪
And that is the "Balcony Scene".
Look at that.
Who says I only read the part with Anita in it?
What now?
I think that I made a respectable showing
and I think that I might have offered up some songs
that perhaps the general audience may not be aware of.
So we learned something from each other.
I also think I might have severely embarrassed myself
and now all of you know what an absolute idiot I am.
And I thank you for your time.
Thank you for watching me play song association with ELLE
'cause I know that you really did enjoy this.
And for more videos like this one,
click subscribe to ELLE.