It’s The Girls Anniversary Post
Bootleg Betty: Happy 12th Anniversary to Bette Midler’s album, It’s The Girls. By Mister D on November 4, 2026.
For a Bette fan, It’s The Girls! is a fascinating late-career passion project because it isn’t just a covers album. Moreover, Bette Midler traces the history of female harmony groups that inspired her from childhood onward.
Overview
It’s The Girls! was released on November 4, 2014, and is Bette Midler’s 14th studio album.
Additionally, the album pays tribute to influential female vocal groups across several decades.
From the Boswell Sisters to TLC, the selections span many eras.
Producer Marc Shaiman reunited with her for the project.
Some of the songs included:
Additionally, “Be My Baby” (The Ronettes). “One Fine Day” (The Chiffons). “Baby It’s You” (The Shirelles). “Tell Him” (The Exciters). “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” (with Darlene Love). “Mr. Sandman”. “Waterfalls” (TLC). “It’s the Girl” (The Boswell Sisters). Commercial Success.
The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, selling about 40,000 copies in its first week. Moreover, it became Bette’s highest-charting studio album and her highest debut sales week at the time.
One of the most impressive chart milestones attached to the album:
Bette became only the second female singer after Barbra Streisand to score Top 10 albums in five consecutive decades.
Awards & Recognition
While It’s The Girls! itself did not win a Grammy, it received strong critical notices and earned a 72/100 score on Metacritic, indicating generally favorable reviews. Critics praised Bette’s vocal performances and the affectionate treatment of the source material.
The album is often noted as one of her best-reviewed later-career studio projects. The New York Times called it one of her best albums, praising the connection between Bette and the material.
Fun Trivia for Bootleg Betty
The Boswell Sisters connection
The title track, “It’s the Girl,” comes from The Boswell Sisters, one of Bette’s lifelong musical obsessions. She frequently spoke about discovering and admiring their intricate harmonies.
A history lesson in girl groups
The album spans nearly seven decades of girl-group music, moving from 1930s jazz vocal trios all the way to TLC’s 1990s R&B hit “Waterfalls.”
Darlene Love guest appearance
Legendary singer Darlene Love joins Bette on “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” giving the album genuine girl-group pedigree.
Bette sings all the parts
On some tracks, including “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” and “Baby It’s You,” Bette overdubbed her own vocals to recreate the sound of an entire vocal group herself.
A very personal project
Bette described the album as an attempt to honor the female harmony groups that brought her joy growing up, saying she had been in love with “voices in harmony” since she was young.
