Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, announce the release of Barbra Streisand’s Release Me 2, available as a digital album, CD digipak or single 12″ vinyl LP (standard black, various colors and even picture disc) on June 4th, 2021.

This new collection of ten previously unreleased sublime studio performances, recorded over the course of Barbra’s astounding career, opens on the impassioned, melodic plea for empathy toward the world’s unfortunate ones within Be Aware (recorded within the period of Stoney End and Barbra Joan Streisand) and the cultured, smooth Latin beats of You Light Up My Life.

Next up is her dulcet (albeit it, for the most part, a so-called talky vocal) duet ballad (from 2014) with Willie Nelson, the gently passive undertaking of I’d Want It To Be You (which, to be fair, also includes the heartwarming little highlight, when Willie sings, You’ll always be that Funny Girl to me, and Barbra responds, Awww, thanks Willie) which is itself followed one of my own personal favorites here, the emotional ballad Sweet Forgiveness.

The first side then rounds out on the ‘70s song, complete with casual vocal and gossamer strings, Living Without You and then the soaring reach of the delightfully hopeful One Day (A Prayer) (one of two songs written by Michel Legrand and Barbra’s pals the Bergmans).

The second side opens on the delicately Rainbow Connection, a duet with Kermit The Frog (!), here played as a waltz tempo, very upbeat and with Barbra’s vocal expressing appropriate childlike innocence throughout, and that is backed by a song that itself showcases early Barbra’s precise enunciation of every syllable and nailing of every note, Right As The Rain (which was actually recorded in 1962, before the version that was done for The Second Barbra Streisand Album).

The album then rounds out with the If Only You Were Mine, a jazz-lite upbeat duet with Barry Gibb, where he only scats, there’s no singing, but nonetheless a track where Barbra’s vocals sound as fresh and clear on this 2005 recording as they ever did on much of her earlier work, with the recording closing on the heartfelt ballad (again written by Michel Legrand and the Bergmans) Once You’ve Been In Love – and which was itself recorded with an orchestra in one take in the studio.

Side A
1. Be Aware
2. You Light Up My Life
3. I’d Want It To Be You
4. Sweet Forgiveness
5. Living Without You
6. One Day (A Prayer)

Side B
7. Rainbow Connection
8. Right As The Rain
9. If Only You Were Mine
10. Once You’ve Been In Love

Release Me 2 is available as a digital album as well as a CD digipak with a 32-page booklet–featuring liner notes by Barbra Streisand and Jay Landers, the album’s executive producers. Several collectible 12″ vinyl editions, art directed by Barbra Streisand, will be available in a variety of color packages, color vinyl pressings, and a special picture disc.

For the ultimate Barbra fan, Release Me 2 Collector Box Sets are available through The Thread Shop, Sony Music Entertainment’s merchandising division.

With three different amazing sets to select from and collect, each offers specially curated album inspired items, as well as a physical copy of Release Me 2.

The Box Sets are available for pre-order now at Barbra’s Official Store, www.barbrastreisandshop.com.

Official Website

Barbra Streisand - Be Aware (Official Music Video)