With a whole lot of hoopla, Apple in January of last year excitedly announced that it was turning the popular “Carpool Karaoke” segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden into a new show available exclusively for Apple Music subscribers. While Apple’s plans in the TV space have long been frustratingly nebulous, the marriage of “Carpool Karaoke” and Apple Music seemed like a strategic step in the right direction.
“We love music, and Carpool Karaoke celebrates it in a fun and unique way that is a hit with audiences of all ages,” Apple executive Eddy Cue said at the time. “It’s a perfect fit for Apple Music, bringing subscribers exclusive access to their favorite artists and celebrities who come along for the ride.”
Apple Music was set to launch sometime in April, but now comes word via Reuters that the show’s release date has been pushed back indefinitely. All we know is that the show’s new launch window is scheduled for sometime before 2018.
A premiere party for “Carpool Karaoke” scheduled for March in Los Angeles was postponed without explanation days before it was to take place. This week, the company again postponed its launch party, which had been rescheduled for Monday.
Apple, a company known for its precisely coordinated product launches, declined to explain the delays, but said in a statement that “Carpool Karaoke: The Series will premiere on Apple Music later this year.”
Apple debuted an ad for the show during the Grammy Awards a few weeks ago, and believe it or not, the show doesn’t look half bad. What’s more, the list of celebrities Apple managed to wrangle up for the series is rather impressive and includes Will Smith, Metallica, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Seth MacFarlane, Chelsea Handler, John Cena, Shaquille O’Neal, and many others.
While this is admittedly speculative, perhaps Apple wants the release of “Carpool Karaoke” to coincide with WWDC.
