[MUSIC] Janelle Monáe, ""Heroes""
May. 15th, 2014 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldVia Towleroad I learned that archandroid Janelle Monáe has covered ""Heroes"", and it is good.
(The anti-bullying video is also good.)
As noted in Rolling Stone by Jason Newman, Monáe was happy to cover this iconic song.
(The anti-bullying video is also good.)
As noted in Rolling Stone by Jason Newman, Monáe was happy to cover this iconic song.
Despite a basic adherence to the song's chord changes and gradual, grand buildup, Monae and her production team — the same group behind 2010's The ArchAndroid and 2013's The Electric Lady — radically update Bowie's 1977 classic. Eschewing the original's slow-burn guitar in favor of warbled dubstep-friendly synths, Monae transforms the track into an EDM/New Wave hybrid supporting her future soul vocals.
"Bowie is part of my musical DNA in so many ways," Monae says. "And 'Heroes’ is one of my favorite Bowie songs. When you love your favorite song, you want to keep some of the beautiful qualities of the original, but we brought Atlanta in the drums and wanted them to be thick and hit hard. It’s like us reimagining it. I thought, ‘If this song was in my dream, how would it get from our dream to my reality?’"
Monae says she was drawn to the song by its lyrical message as much as the music. "It’s very hopeful," says the singer. "The way the world is today, you can never write enough inspiring or motivating songs or songs that embolden the people and make us feel fearless. Those lyrics spoke to me as someone who is for the people. I try to inspire and lead by example and be the change that I want to see. So this song is a poster child for just that."
