Video: Ingrid Michaelson Performs 'Backyard' and 'What a Wonderful World'

Last Friday, The Notebook composer Ingrid Michaelson released her ninth studio album For the Dreamers. To celebrate the release, Michaelson visited Today's Citi Concert Series to perform from the album.

"I wanted to make a record that was for people who needed some hope," Michaelson said, which she believes is encapsulated in Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World, a song she covers on the album. She says the classic song is "not a declaration" but "a prayer." She performed that song on Today, along with an original song Backyard, her favorite from her new album. "It's just sweet and simple and it's a reminder that the goodness inside of us is kind of all we need to keep going," the songwriter said.

Having spent the last few years working on The Notebook, she says that writing music and lyrics for somebody else as opposed to herself is "not as different as you might think because I think we all feel and experience the same things, it's just filtered through different lenses." Watch her perform both songs here!

Featuring a trio of treasured covers and nine original songs, For The Dreamers takes listeners back to the days of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, with a modern cinematic sensibility. The album was released on Michaelson's own Cabin 24 label and was produced by the Grammy Award-nominated artist Ariza, also featuring song collaborations with Ariza, Jason Mraz and Sneha. The album marks the first full-length studio album from the beloved vocalist and songwriter since 2019.