[Cover] Florence Welch Works Her Magic With Icona Pop's "I Love It" @ HRC Benefit

Here's something I wasn't expecting to see, EVER: Florence Welch covering Icona Pop's thumping dance track I Love It.

With the original version housing a rebellious and petulant vocal courtesy of Charli XCX, I couldn't even fathom how someone with as contrasting a voice as the Welchster would bend the song to her musical will. The answer, was of course, for Florence to strip the track back, slow it down and give her wavering voice the room to substitute a more melodic line for Charli's punchy delivery. Initially it sounded out of tune to me, but the magic built as the song progressed and I was suitably charmed and impressed by the end.

An effect of the change of pace and Florence's emotive ways, was that the song's lyrics- which originally sounded as shallow as a dried up puddle- got a better chance to be heard and appreciated. Where there was once just defiant empowerment, there's now a sense of sorrow and loss mixed in with this sentiment. Effectively Florence managed to give the song a depth which wasn't present before.

This does make me wonder if there's anything this woman can't bring new life to with that amazing voice. I nominate Daphne and Celeste's Ooh Stick You to really put her interpretive skills to the test. If she can make that song sound anything other than the musical equivalent of babies crying, I will know once and for all she has some kind of Midas touch.

I should also mention that this performance by Florence and Dev Hynes was put on to bring attention to a Humans Rights campaign. Find out more about www.hrc.org/equalityrocks.

#EQUALITYROCKS

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Thoughts?