By MARK KENNEDY, AP Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — One of the Chainsmokers’ latest hits is “High,” and they hope to live up to their words.
The hit duo of Drew Taggart and Alex Pall have signed up to enter a pressurized capsule attached to a stratospheric balloon in a few years and fly some 20 miles above Earth.
The feat would make Taggart and Pall the first musical artists to perform on the far reaches of space, Ryan Hartman, chief executive of space tourism startup World View, told The Associated Press.
World View says The Chainsmokers will be on one of the company’s inaugural flights scheduled for 2024 and will record a performance from inside the capsule, giving viewers the chance to experience the music and the journey first-hand.
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“We have always dreamed of going to space and are thrilled to partner with World View to bring this adventure and experience to life,” The Chainsmokers said in a statement. “We know the sights of Earth and space are going to be amazing and inspiring and we hope to leverage this flight for creativity on future projects.”
The Chainsmokers have had five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Closer”, “Paris”, “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Something Just Like This” with Coldplay in 2017.
Hartman said that while most people who have flown in space are scientists and engineers, World View hopes sending artists could “inspire them to do something different than they otherwise would have done.” “.
“We believe in inspiring new insights and how those new insights can lead to a radically improved future for our Earth,” Hartman said. “Being able to reach The Chainsmokers audience through the work of Alex and Drew also helps our mission. It’s something that inspires me personally and excites me.
World View is part of a new wave of private space exploration companies offering seats to the public, a list that includes Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX. Each World View balloon capsule is designed to seat eight passengers and reach a maximum altitude of 100,000 feet (30,480 meters). Each flight will last 6 to 12 hours.
Choosing The Chainsmokers for the honor was, in part, a personal decision as well as an attempt to excite younger audiences. Hartman said he watched his youngest son sing the lyrics to the duo’s songs and was inspired by the band’s popularity. He explained the theft to the couple over dinner.
“I just saw firsthand and personally how their music reaches many different groups, many different age groups and how passionate they are about their music and their art. It matches our passion for what we do,” did he declare.
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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