Kings of Leon recently visited the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge and surprised their fans by covering Selena Gomez's hit song "Hands To Myself." KOL slowed this cover down with a mellow back beat that brings in the drums right at the second verse. Caleb, the lead singer, has a husky voice that lends itself perfectly to make this cover haunting and completely different from the original dance tune. The band similarly covered Robyn's "Dancing On My Own," back on the BBC stage in 2013. "Dancing On My Own," is hands down my favorite BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge cover of all time. The eerie and memorable base line sends chills up my spine. Every time I hear the last acapella line at the end of the song, my heart just breaks a little because it's so raw and beautiful.
Even though an original song has the same lyrics as a cover, the mood, tone, and delivery of the song can be completely different. KOL has proven they can take any song, even an electric dance tune, or a sassy Selena Gomez song and turn it into something completely different and original. It hows the true artistry and authenticity of exceptional bands on todays music scene. If you want to check out some more irresistible covers, including The 1975's cover on One Directions "What Makes You Beautiful", head over to BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
"Hands To Myself"
"Dancing On My Own"What are your favorite BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge covers?