Nothing is quite as satisfying as the inventive cover song — see Fountains of Wayne’s take on Britney Spears‘ “Baby … One More Time” or Johnny Cash‘s version of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” — especially when that tune is Lorde‘s addictive “Royals.”
PHOTOS: FYF Music Festival Rocks L.A. With MGMT, Beach House
The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 today, making the 16-year-old New Zealander (nee Ella Yelich-O’Connor) the youngest female singer to top the charts since Tiffany in the 1980s. So it’s no wonder her peers are jumping on the bandwagon.
Taking the song for a retro spin is Mayer Hawthorne, who premieres his rendition via Vevo’s Unexpected Covers series on Friday, Oct. 4. Watch it below:
The Unexpected Covers series debuted with Passion Pit covering Fun.’s “Carry On.” Said Passion Pit singer Michael Angelakos: “I think it’s one of the prettiest songs on the radio.”
Hawthorne released his third studio album, Where Does This Door Go, on July 16.
Lorde’s debut, Pure Heroine, released Oct. 1, is expected to land at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 next week.
