UK TikTok hero Sam Ryder has a new song out, “Mountain”, which he showcased during triumphant return to Eurovision, where, accompanied by a cameo from Queen’s Roger Taylor, he achieved an unexpected British 2nd place. To promote “Mountain,” Ryder recently appeared on Chris Evans’ radio show, and included an acoustic version of his previous single, a cover of “You’ve Got the Love.”
Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine has established herself as something of a covers aficionado, taking on a diverse roster of artists from Drake to Buddy Holly. She debuted her latest cover while taping her upcoming episode of MTV’s Unplugged, which will air on April 8. Following in the footsteps of her excellent collaboration with Billy Bragg on “Fairytale of New York,” Florence teamed up with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme for a cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter’s classic duet, “Jackson.” Continue reading »
In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of an artist’s cover work. View past installments, then post suggestions for future picks in the comments!
Florence + the Machine songstress Florence Welch recently capped off a breakout year with performances at the Grammys and Oscars. Considering her affinity for covers, it’s appropriate that she took on Aretha Franklin’s “Think” at the Grammys and handled Dido’s part with Best Song nominee A.R. Rahman at the Oscars. Florence + the Machine’s debut, Lungs, arrived less than two years ago, but Welch has already performed more covers than some musicians do in decades. Here are a few highlights, from Florence solo and with the help of her band the Machine. Continue reading »
Our final Grammy cover was the first performance of the evening. Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, and Yolanda Adams performed a medley of Aretha Franklin hits that suffered from many classic issues of star-crossed medleys, but still proved a timely reminder that Christina “Anthemgate” Aguilera could actually sing. Continue reading »