How Am I Supposed to Sing Puccini? - Michael Bolton Goes Opera

Jon's WTF Music Moments · Sep 17, 2026 · 13m · transcript

After spending a decade as one of pop music's leading power balladeers, Michael Bolton decided to record an album of Italian and French opera arias in the late-1990s. And nearly thirty years later, My Secret Passion: The Arias, remains a fascinating and peculiar collection. Part vanity project, part crossover attempt, the album baffled fans and critics alike. And yet it also served as a precursor to the 'popera' craze that would sweep the music world in the early 2000s.

In this episode of Jon's WTF Music Moments, Jon looks back at Michael Bolton's (thankfully) brief foray into the world of…