KANYE, RIHANNA, MACCA
Being in second place can be frustrating. You know you’ve come so far, yet somehow you didn’t come out on top. Paul McCartney, however, who in 2014 was the second-richest musician in the world, probably isn’t beating himself up about it.
According to Wealth-X findings, McCartney has a net worth of about $660 million. It would be easy to assume that McCartney has been riding out his Beatles fame, but you don’t become the second-wealthiest musician in the world by solely capitalizing on the fact that you were once part of an iconic band.
McCartney didn’t end up second on this list by accident. He’s there because he’s smart and knows that if he wants to stay relevant, he needs to make music with relevant musicians.
The path that McCartney has chosen is an unconventional one. No one would expect a 72-year-old who once specialized in pop-rock ballads to partner with an R&B singer and a rapper. Yet this past December, Kanye West dropped the song “Only One,” which was partially produced and written by McCartney. January saw the release of the song “FourFiveSeconds,” featuring McCartney, West and Rihanna.
Apparently, McCartney isn’t done yet. About two weeks ago, Lady Gaga posted a picture on Instagram of herself and McCartney in front of a large group of people with the caption; “Had a beautiful session with Sir Paul McCartney and friends. Working on one of his many secret projects!”
If the new singles weren’t enough of a reminder that McCartney is still a musical force, his latest TV appearances seem to drive the point home. On Feb. 8 he performed “FourFiveSeconds” at the Grammys with Kanye and Rihanna. The performance as a whole didn’t necessarily feature McCartney heavily. In fact, it seemed as if his microphone might have been muted. However, simply viewing the juxtaposition of music’s past and present on one stage was fascinating. There was a man who once performed “All My Loving” on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 standing on the 2015 Grammy Awards stage strumming his guitar along to a brand-new hit he had helped pen.
McCartney hasn’t chained himself to one era, either. He can play guitar next to rap stars and then show up to the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary show and croon an old ballad while pounding away at a grand piano. He has chosen to work with smart, young and incredibly talented musicians and is producing music that continues to top the charts.
Sure, continuing to obsess over old musicians who have had their time in the spotlight takes away from up-and-coming young musicians who are trying to make it and might be just as talented. But at this point, McCartney deserves all of the recognition he gets. He isn’t being paraded around to sing old hits that everyone is tired of; he’s working to create new classics, building upon his already lofty musical legacy.
McCartney isn’t limiting himself to the old; he’s taking what he knows and reaching out for new musical inspiration. McCartney’s collaborations with artists such as Kanye, Gaga and Rihanna create a refreshing musical dynamic wherein the present is able to learn from the past and the past is able to learn just as much from the present.
