Australian indie-pop darling Mallrat (Grace Shaw) has transformed Lana Del Rey’s cinematic track “Radio” into her own ethereal anthem. This marks her first official cover amid her ongoing world tour, Light Hit My Face Like a Straight Right. Mallrat doesn’t quite have the same languid nature as Lana Del Rey’s vocals. But her voice does evoke a surprisingly similar sense of the old Hollywood glamour, for which Lana Del Rey is known.
Rather than mimicking the grandiose instrumentals of the original, Mallrat opts for a minimalist production. Intimate vocals sit atop gently plucked instrumentals and floaty synths. The result is a lullaby-esque cover that highlights the sweetness of the lyrics. It plays with the signature Del Rey wistfulness while filtering it through Mallrat’s own dreamy, bedroom-pop sound. On the Instagram announcement of the cover, Mallrat said, “When I was a teenager this song felt like a portal to my future. Lana I love you.”
Mallrat continues to pay homage to her influences through blends of dreamy pop and subtle hip-hop influences, creating music that feels both intimate and ethereal. The release comes on the heels of Mallrat’s North American tour opener for MARINA this fall, building momentum after festival-heavy tours earlier this year.
