MILAN (Reuters) – Cher, Rita Ora, Iggy Pop, Jennifer Hudson and other music stars take centre stage in the 2022 Pirelli calendar unveiled on Monday, shot by Canadian rocker and photographer Bryan Adams.
However the 62-year-old was unable to unveil his take of the famed calendar in person in Milan after testing positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Italy last week. He joined a press conference remotely via video.
Called “On The Road”, the calendar seeks to depict a day in the life of a touring musician.
Its cover shows guitarist and singer St. Vincent posing with a Pirelli guitar pick on her tongue. It features pictures of Cher and Pop in dressing rooms, Ora in the bath, rapper Saweetie pushing a luggage trolley and Hudson surrounded by flowers.
Rapper Bohan Phoenix poses on a piano while musician Grimes’ photo is set in a futuristic setting. Adams, who snapped the photos in Los Angeles, Capri and Canada last summer, also features.
“With all these pictures, fantasy plays a big part in trying to create something,” he said in a statement. “Because you don’t want it to be literal, you want it to be glamorous, yet it gives the impression of what it might be like.”
Adams said last week that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after flying into Milan and was going to hospital. It was the second time in a month he had tested positive for the virus. He has since posted photos, thanking doctors and nurses looking after him.
Adams is best known for songs like “Summer of ‘69”, “Heaven” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”.
As a photographer, he has snapped Mick Jagger and Naomi Campbell, as well as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. He has also published books of his photos, including one on injured British soldiers.
First published in the 1960s, the Pirelli calendar has a limited run and is usually gifted to the company’s clients. In recent years, it has moved away from featuring images of scantily-dressed models to more artistic themes, featuring various celebrities.
The 2021 edition was suspended due to the pandemic.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; additional reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Alex Richardson)
