"It Was A 'Pinch Me' Moment": Sara Bareilles on Writing a Song for Meryl Streep in 'Only Murders in the Building' [Exclusive]

sara bareilles

By Chris McPherson & Joe Schmidt

Published Feb 3, 2025

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Sara Bareilles has had an impressive career spanning pop hits, Broadway success, and television stardom, but even for someone with her résumé, there are moments that feel straight out of a dream. In a recent interview with Collider’s Joe Schmidt, Bareilles opened up about her work on Waitress, Girls5eva, and the surreal, pinch-me moment of writing a song for none other than Meryl Streep in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. When asked about the experience of hearing Meryl Streep sing a song she helped write, Bareilles didn’t hold back on just how incredible it was.

Bareilles collaborated with the Oscar-winning songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman) on the song “Look for the Light,” featured in Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, and she loved the process:

“It was really fun. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment. Benj [Pasek] and Justin [Paul], who were the on-board composers for the whole season, had asked if I wanted to collaborate and they were like, ‘It’s for Meryl.’ And I was like, ‘Did I go to the Good Place? What is happening here?’ We spent two afternoons together, and this song really felt like it wrote itself. It was really fun and easy.”

Sara Bareilles Witnessed Meryl Magic

But the real magic happened in the studio, where Bareilles got to witness Streep not just as the iconic actress the world knows, but as an artist who was showing vulnerability in a place where she wasn't 100% comfortable.

“Then going into the studio with Meryl and watching her sing and watching her work, I was so moved, partially because she also was just so transparent about her vulnerability too. She’s a beautiful singer, but singing is not the thing she does the most. So she was in a vulnerable space and felt capable to share that, and I found that to be really moving because, well, vulnerability is my favorite quality in people.” [Laughs]

Despite Streep’s legendary status, Bareilles was struck by how open and genuine she was during the recording session, adding, “I just was really impressed with how she moved through that, and I just love the finished product too. I’m such a huge fan of that show. So it just felt like a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

Stay tuned with Collider for more on Sara Bareilles’ upcoming projects. Only Murders in the Building streams on Hulu.