Sparks on Recruiting Cate Blanchett as the Dance-Happy Star of ‘The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte’: ‘We Were Extras in Our Own Video’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Cate Blanchett recently had her way with Mahler’s fifth on screen, but she really digs her dancing heels into Sparks’ 26th — a song from the duo’s 26th album, that is — with the brand new music video for the record’s title track, “The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte.” Blanchett seems to be caught up in her own dance symphony as, rocking a yellow suit and bright red headphones, she alternately hoofs and sulks her way through the spirited track, in which tears and overcaffeination make for a natural brew.

Ron and Russell Mael told Variety how a chance meeting with Blanchett at a film festival led to shooting the video in Los Angeles just two weeks ago. (The currently Oscar-nominated “Tar” star corroborated details of their surprise collaboration in a separate interview.) The brothers also talked about the pleasures of bringing the “Latte” album to the public after drawing in new fans with the recent “Sparks Brothers” and “Annette” films, and what it means to finally be playing both the Hollywood Bowl and Royal Albert Hall this summer, 52 years after the start of their recording career. “When she first heard it, she said, ‘I’m laughing and I’m crying at the same time,’ and I thought that was a really apt comment about this song,” says singer Russell Mael.

When it came to her final participation in the video, “we didn’t even know she was gonna necessarily be dancing. It was more like ‘Come and stand in our video’ — you know, that would’ve been fine too.

But that was what she felt like doing to that song. She came in with the red headphones she’s wearing in the video, and… she seemed like she’d actually been on a stage before or something,” he remarks, with bemused