Watch Chvrches Cover Justin Bieber’s ‘What Do You Mean?’ And Admit To Being New Fans
Justin Bieber’s more-ish mega-hit “What Do You Mean?” has penetrated pop culture so thoroughly it has now been covered by Chvrches, a.k.a. the critics’ darlings Scottish pop-synth band, for their BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session on Wednesday morning.
As per Live Lounge tradition, guests perform one cover of their choice. For the Chvrches, who previously covered Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” and Whitney Houston’s “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” to much acclaim, that meant an irresistible electro-dance spin on Bieber’s charts-conquering jam.
Maestros Iain Cook and Martin Doherty jettison the tropical pan-flute sonics in favor of a pounding bass, multi-synths, and Lauren Mayberry’s schoolgirl-voice steeze. Best sign that it worked? You’ll want to hear it again immediately after it ends.
Final proof? The Biebs himself tweeted his approval to Chvrches hours after BBC 1’s broadcast, writing, “great job.”
@CHVRCHES great job
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) September 23, 2015
As a number of media outlets noted today, ever since the 21-year-old superstar stopped appearing in headlines for non-musical reasons and unleashed his Jack Ü collaboration “Where Are Ü Now” and now “Mean,” previous naysayers are now openly declaring they are jonesing to hear what else is in the Justin Bieber musical kitty.
During the show, Chvrches’ Martin Doherty said of Bieber’s recent releases, “Honestly after those two tunes I had a sit-down and thought, ‘Oh my god, I’m actually a Justin Bieber fan. How did this happen?'”
Other Biebs converts won’t have long to wait. As the heartthrob announced earlier this month and re-confirmed yesterday, a brand new record from Mount Bieber is preparing to land on November 13. As it happens, a little known Anglo-Irish band of troubadours called One Direction are also releasing their new set, Made in the A.M., the same day.
Bieber’s as-yet-unrevealed-title new LP will reportedly be a mix of R&B, EDM, and pop. According to Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, a Grammy winning songwriter who works regularly with the singer and co-wrote “What Do You Mean?” the Canadian’s upcoming LP will be his Thriller, in terms of impact.
As for Chvrches, they are just two days away from dropping their own new album Every Open Eye. It’s the follow-up to last year’s The Bones of What You Believe. Check out the band’s Live Lounge appearance in full below. Their splendid version of “What Do You Mean?” starts at around the 2:05 mark.
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[Images via Radio BBC 1]
