Cool cover song of the week...

Almost every time I turn on the radio lately I hear Lorde's hit song, Royals. I don't honestly know most of the words short of the chorus (although I can make out "Grey Goose" and "driving Cadillacs in our dreams"), and I didn't know what the song was about until I read an interview with her, where she said the song was about the luxury and lifestyle of pop artists. (Interestingly enough, Lorde was inspired by seeing an image in National Geographic, of all places, which showed a baseball player signing baseballs, with his shirt displaying "Royals.")

The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in August 2013, Lorde became the first female solo act to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart since Tracy Bonham in 1996. Not bad for a 16-year-old, huh?

I've been a big fan of Mayer Hawthorne for several years now. I love the way so much of his music has a great old-soul vibe, and he has a terrific voice. He added some funk to Royals as part of VEVO's "Unexpected Covers" series, and I was completely taken by his rendition. It's a great counterpoint to Lorde's version.

Here's Hawthorne's take:

Here's a live version from Selena Gomez, which is a little closer to Lorde's rendition:

And here's the original, in case you can't get enough of it, or if you have no idea what I'm talking about:

Check out my previous Cool Cover Songs of the Week:

Borderline by The Counting Crows

How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird and The Bee

Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen

I Don't Want to Talk About It by The Indigo Girls

Only You by Joshua Radin

Pure Imagination by Maroon 5

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Blake Stratton

What a Fool Believes by Neri Per Caso

Poker Face by Daughtry

Back to Black by Ronnie Spector

I Will Survive by Cake

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by The Stereophonics

Rolling in the Deep by John Legend

Go Your Own Way by Lissie

Winner Takes it All by McFly

What a Wonderful World by Joey Ramone

Careless Whisper by Seether

I Walk the Line by Live

Dear Prudence by Siouxsie and The Banshees

Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

Who Wants to Live Forever by Breaking Benjamin

Redemption Song by Chris Cornell and Audioslave

Love Me Tender by Chris Isaak and Brandi Carlile

All You Need is Love by The Flaming Lips

Lovesong by Adele

I Love It by Robin Thicke

Billie Jean by The Civil Wars

Across the Universe by The Scorpions

Can't Hold Us by Pentatonix

Wicked Game by James Vincent McMorrow

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) by The Postal Service

Jolene by The White Stripes

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) by Justin Timberlake

More Than This by Norah Jones