Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson & Mike Shinoda Contribute Songs to ‘Central Park’ Season 3

Apple TV+’s acclaimed animated musical comedy series Central Park kicks off season 3 on Sept. 9 with a slew of new songs contributed by returning collaborators Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor, Rafael Casal, Supercommuter and Mike Viola.

Additionally, new guest songwriters on the 13-episode season include Jesse Carmichael & Samantha Shelton, Open Mike Eagle, Ester Dean, Helen Park, Mike Shinoda, Emily King, Germaine Franco and Garfunkel & Oates.

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“The greatest obstacle in creating new seasons of Central Park is living up to the quality of music in the previous seasons,” Josh Gad, Central Park executive producer, co-creator and voice of Birdie, tells Billboard. “When you have over 40 songs a year and a mandate to never let any of them feel like an afterthought, it is imperative to find the greatest collaborators who are willing and able to continue to break the mold and help us reach new musical heights in the process. This season, we not only matched our incredible season one & two output, but in my humble opinion, surpassed them.”

The series, created by Gad, Nora Smith and Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard, follows the Tillerman-Hunter family who live in Central Park and who try to keep crusty, elderly heiress Bitsy Brandenham from buying the park and turning it into mixed-use retail space. In addition to Gad, other voice actors on the series—all of whom burst into song—include Tituss Burgess, Kristen Bell, Daveed Diggs, Stanley Tucci, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr.

“It’s pretty cool that you can just click on something and hear Leslie Odom Jr. singing an original song by Ingrid Michaelson. Or Kristen Bell belting out a never-before-heard track by Sara Bareilles. Or Kathryn Hahn rapping a K-Pop track by Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda. It’s all here! I am so proud to have worked on this season and I think people will really treasure it,” says Kelvin Yu, executive producer and showrunner.

The idea is for the music to elevate the storytelling, but also to stand on its own, adds Steven Davis, executive producer  and showrunner. “From Ester Dean to Regina Spektor to Emily King to Cory Chisel to Open Mike Eagle to Sam Shelton to Clipping, we wanted this season to feel like a mixtape made by us for you (to hopefully listen to over and over).”

Hollywood Records will release Central Park Season Three “The Central Track Sound Park” on digital service providers on Sept. 9 to coincide with the new season. It will include songs from the first three episodes with new songs released weekly.

Central Park Season Three: The Central Track Sound Park track list:

1. Room to Grow
2. Person to Worsen
3. Plant That Seed
4. Person to Worsen (End Credit)
5. All Lining Up
6. Hit the Sweet Spot
7. One Foot in the Door
8. Hit the Sweet Spot (End Credit)
9. Ten Out of Ten
10. The Wash and Dry for Me
11. Love Worth Fighting For
12. The Wash and Dry for Me (End Credit)
13. A Song to Sing
14. Bad Bad Bird
15. Backing Up
16. Backing Up (End Credit)
17. A Positive Light
18. A Real Whodunit
19. Little Good
20. A Positive Light (End Credit)
21. Four Park Harmony
22. My Many Talents
23. Working Song
24. Working Song (End Credit)
25. A Moment Forever Ago
26. Me and the Girls
27. We Have Fun
28. One Step at at Time
29. Me and the Girls (End Credit)
30. Saturday Means Adventure
31. Black Boy Joy
32. Everything But You
33. Saturday Means Adventure (End Credit)
34. Tick Tock
35. Flick of the Wrist
36. I Got the Goods
37. I Got the Goods (End Credit)
38. I Will Find You
39. Can’t Clone Shampagne
40. Money Candy Peed in Our Bathroom
41. I Will Find You (End Credit)
42. Fista Puffs Kick Butt
43. Re-Brandenham
44. Perfect Fit
45. What Do We Want?
46. Small Stuff
47. Enough Is Enough
48. Love Comes Back Around
49. Louie’s Life
50. Doin It for Louie
51. HIgher and Higher
52. He Touched Us (With His Hot Dogs)
53. Doin It for Louie (End Credit)

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