Introducing Skinbag Theory

Young and old artists everywhere are teaming up to try this one weird trick

(CBS / Paramount+)

Sometime last year, my good friend John ran a Google Image search for “Lady Gaga and the skinbag” and later showed a few people the screenshot. Google didn’t know what to make of it, but everyone in the room instinctively knew he was talking about Tony Bennett; you might have too. And so the enduring concept of skinbag theory was born, even if it was here all along.

Generally speaking, skinbagging occurs when a younger entertainer or public figure and an older, often male counterpart (skinbag) who may not seem like an obvious pairing forge some kind of artistic partnership. Maybe it’s a series of covers albums, a live performance, a passing of the torch in a blockbuster franchise, a presidential ticket, or just a one-off single that boosts the profile of one or the other to new heights. Now before an octogenarian stan army torches my inbox, let me say there’s nothing wrong or pathetic about entering a skinbag agreement (or even literally baggy skin in many of these cases). It’s merely a fact of life, that can either result in staid, boring art or something that pleases just about anyone.

The skinbag dynamic is mutually beneficial — the younger artist gains credibility with stuffier, older circles and parents who previously may have known them from the Disney Channel or twerking at award shows. And the elder skinbag in a given scenario gets to prolong their time in the spotlight, potentially notching a few extra Billboard chart certifications or Grammys for their mantle, and maybe a lot more money than they would on their own at this stage in life.

There’s been something especially skinbaggy in the air as of late. Dua Lipa still has a (pretty bad) song on the radio with Elton John. Brandi Carlile’s pulling Joni Mitchell out of hiding for a live performance this summer. Miley Cyrus, one of the prime innnovators in this space, hosted a skinbag convention of sorts on New Year’s Eve alongside Dolly Parton. The pair performed together soon before the clock struck midnight, and sometime before or after — my memory’s hazy — she took the stage with David Byrne, also tapping into this dynamic. I couldn’t believe how much she was performing.

This can be a risky proposition for the younger artist — wade too far into traditional aesthetics, there’s no going back reputationally speaking. It’s like becoming a judge on The Voice too soon or doing a regrettable commercial. There’s always the danger of an unforced error, in making a mid-to-late-career move when you ought to be in the thick of your prime. Die and be a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the skinbag.

But skinbagging doesn’t have to imply you’re now doomed to a life of stale art. Latch onto the right older counterpart(s), and it can open doors few would have projected, like Selena Gomez starring in a good Emmy-nominated series with your parents’ favorite comedic actors. Someone like Lady Gaga has become so adept at straddling the line between pop provocateur and PBS-core standards artist (and starring in big Oscar-y movies also extends your leash to lean on the former when you want). Even if the chart success for Chromatica was muted compared to the Fame Monster days (with a pandemic partly to blame), she’s now amorphous enough and can be several distinct things to different audiences thanks to this ability to toggle.

The Grammys are a real skinbag incubator — both as an institution that awards this behavior and attempts to foster new cross-generational connections through the oddly paired performances every year. (See: Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Eminem of years past.) Even after years of breathless outrage when Beyoncé loses every top award, people are still shocked when something a little more milquetoast takes home Album of the Year. Always important to remember it as the awards body most enthralled by skinbag practices — Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s last duets album was nominated for the top prize, while Chromatica was not.

Alternatively, you have the case of failed cinematic skinbag attempts, like when Harrison Ford seemed ready to hand the Indiana Jones keys over to Shia LaBeouf more than a decade ago — and, briefly, Chris Pratt at the zenith of his public reputation on the internet — only to reprise the role one last time (?) this year, with yet another young performer by his side in the form of Phoebe Waller Bridge. Despite these efforts, the character now looks more than likely to die with Ford. A much younger example would be the Mission: Impossible franchise priming up Jeremy Renner to take the wheel from Tom Cruise in Ghost Protocol, only for the latter to kick into another gear and make buckets of money in the decade to come.

So there are worse things to be than a failed skinbag, a successful skinbag, or a skinbag protege. Just don’t let it seem like you’re trying too hard.

Below I’ve composed a far from exhaustive list of every skinbaggy duo that came to mind – please do sound off in the comments or replies if I’m missing anyone important, and I’ll add them.

Skinbag Duos

• Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

• Elton John and Dua Lipa

• Elton John and Ed Sheeran

• Elton John and Taron Egerton

• Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller Bridge

• Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

• Brandi Carlile and Joni Mitchell

• Miley Cyrus and so many people (Dolly Parton, David Byrne, Wayne Coyne, the industry of covers)

• David Byrne and St. Vincent

• Ariana Grande and Jennifer Coolidge

• Rihanna and Bon Jovi that one time

• Paul McCartney and Kanye West, briefly (and Rihanna on FourFiveSeconds)

• Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus

• Stevie Nicks and a bunch of people (Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Haim)

• Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg

• Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg

• Olivia Rodrigo and Billy Joel

• Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas (and everyone else)

• Steve Martin and Martin Short and Selena Gomez

• Brandon and Kamala* (friend suggested this might be too antagonistic a relationship to qualify…I can see it)

• Bernie and AOC

• Adam Sandler and the Safdie brothers

• Adam Lambert and Queen

• Lorne Michaels and the cast of SNL

• Dave Grohl and Billie Eilish (and every other older rock guy who’s like, man…she’s so authentic)

• Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points (Zach)

• John Mayer and the Grateful Dead / Dead and Co., Wes Anderson and Bill Murray (Nick)

• U2 and Kendrick Lamar on XXX. (Elliott)

• Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Patrick)

• Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones cover the Everly Brothers (Brendan)

• Ozzy Osbourne and Post Malone, Joe Elliott and Ghost, Tom Morello’s solo career (Eli)

• Wet Leg and Dan Carey (Jackie)

• Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, Sigourney Weaver / Sigourney Weaver as the teenaged Kiri (Ian)

• Michelle Yeoh and the Daniels (Joe)