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Mayer Hawthorne Drops A Slow-Burning Funk Cover Of "Stay" From Rihanna's 2012 'Unapologetic' LP.
Mayer Hawthorne Drops A Slow-Burning Funk Cover Of "Stay" From Rihanna's 2012 'Unapologetic' LP.

Mayer Hawthorne - "Stay" (Rihanna Cover)

Mayer Hawthorne Drops A Slow-Burning Funk Cover Of "Stay" From Rihanna's 2012 'Unapologetic' LP.

Mayer Hawthorne lends his discerning ear for funk to a smooth soul cover of "Stay" from Rihanna's 2012 Unapologetic LP. Hawthorne's soft-spot for soul reportedly compelled him to cover the track originally written by Mikky Ekko and Justin Parker. This take, which surfaced via Esquire, is a slow-drag ready soul ballad with fret work that packs a slight island vibe and finds Mayer Hawthorne unleashing his falsetto to bring the whole thing home. He explains his philosophy on recording covers:

"The only thing that was missing from the original version of the song was the funk," he says. "So we took it to that sexy Barry White funk zone. Any time I'm doing a cover of a song, I'm trying to do it better than the original. I'm trying to beat the original. Otherwise I don't see the point of doing a cover."

Check the track below to listen to the "Stay" (Rihanna Cover). Purchase the Where Does This Door Go LP via iTunes. Stay tuned for more from Mayer Hawthorne.

Spotted at ESQ.