Janelle Monáe Takes It To The Islands With "What Is Love"
Janelle Monáe returns with an impressive cover of David Bowie's 1977 classic "Heroes" for Pepsi's Now Is What You Make It interactive campaign. The upbeat take on the track from Bowie's album of the same name gets a synthy rework crowned by dirty drums and the omnipresence of Janelle Monáe's bright, echoing vocal. Janelle Monáe discussed the track in a recent chat with Rolling Stone:
"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?’"
On the influence of of David Bowie, she noted:
"He’s mysterious and I love the mystery," says the singer. "He’s reinvented himself over and over again. Even now, he’s morphed into something that no one else is doing. That’s what I love most about him; he’s transcendent. He’s a true time traveler and I think that that is a part of who I am and the legacy that I want people to remember. I will never expire. Nor will David Bowie. And I say that with humility, but with the utmost confidence. "
The result is a solid jam worthy of several successive body rolls. A video for the track has already been filmed in Brazil in support of the campaign, which aims to combine the best of soccer and music. Check the track below to listen to "Heroes" from Janelle Monáe. Purchase the single via iTunes. Stay tuned for more.
Spotted at RS.
