Stjepan Hauser, known professionally as HAUSER, created a beautiful instrumental cover of Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning ballad “What Was I Made For?” The original pop version of the song appeared in the 2023 movie Barbie. Now the Croatian cellist strips the song back to its emotional core. A conversation between the piano and cello articulates the song’s intimacy through rich harmonies.
This poignant cover is a featured track on his upcoming album CINEMA, set for release on September 12 via Sony Music Masterworks. The album will feature “25 of the most romantic movie soundtracks of all time,” according to the artist’s official Instagram. It will appear alongside classics like Phantom of the Opera’s “Music of the Night” and the Mission: Impossible theme. The album features 25 tracks recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Robert Ziegler. HAUSER is most known for his work in the duo 2CELLOS, and is currently on a solo tour in the Americas and will return to Europe this fall after the release of CINEMA.
