Words: Keira Knox
In the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, Blossoms and Rick Astley collaborated once more, this time on a cover of Charli XCX’s ‘360.’
Many casual listeners have been surprised by their collaboration, but ardent fans will remember the two Northern titans touring together, covering some of The Smiths’ most infamous songs, as well as an impromptu set at the renowned Glastonbury Festival.
On October 14, the Stockport indie band made an appearance at the Live Lounge, but they didn’t disclose that Astley was in attendance until they began performing. Blossoms selected a track to cover, as is customary on the Live Lounge, and approximately ten minutes into the show, opted to perform a jangly, guitar-led rendition of the tune from Charli XCX’s widely recognised album ‘Brat.’ After that, Astley joined in for an interpolation of ‘Music Sounds Better With You,’ an immensely popular single by Stardust from 1998.
When I initially saw this video recurring on social media, I had no idea that Rick Astley would appear near the end, but I’m so happy he did. Following Blossoms vocalist Tom Odgen’s stripped-down rendition of one electronic pop tune, the 59-year-old confidently steps up to sing the other, even adding a little gruffness to the chorus.
Josh Dewhurst’s flawless merging of the two tracks with that instantly familiar little guitar riff gives the listener the thrilling sense of knowing where the remixed cover is headed, which is something fans haven’t experienced from a Live Lounge session in a while. If there’s one thing that defines a great BBC Radio Live Lounge, it’s an artist covering a classic song while maintaining their own unique sound.
It’s one of the best Live Lounge covers that we’ve seen in a long time!
Watch here:
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