Fans loved Willie Nelson‘s heartfelt, acoustic rendition of “Under Pressure.” The singer recently teamed up with Karen O, the lead singer of Yeah Yeah Yeah, for the song.
Fans Reacted to the Singers’ Collaboration
So far, fans have embraced the cover and are loving the tune. On YouTube, one user said the song was a welcomed surprise. They wrote, “I gotta admit this is the last song I thought Willie would cover, but hey I like it. His voice is so iconic!”
Another wrote, “Beautiful reimagining and perfect for these times.” On Twitter, fans also shared their thoughts on the song with many people loving it.
Not everyone was a fan of the cover though. Some users disliked the acoustic sound of the song.
Willie Nelson and Karen O Collaborated on the Song
In a statement, Karen O revealed how the duet came together. She had always been a huge fan of Nelson and reached out through a mutual associate about a future collaboration. To Karen’s surprise, the country singer agreed to perform a duet. Soon afterward, their rendition of “Under Pressure” was born.
“At this point, my mind was melting but I had to focus and pull a song out of the ether that was worthy of a living legend and spoke to the people in troubled times, not an easy assignment,” she wrote. “Then like a bolt out of the blue ‘Under Pressure’ came to mind—I’ve heard this song countless times without processing the gravity of what Bowie and Freddie were singing about, maybe because their performances are so exhilarating you get swept away in the high of that duet.”
Both David Bowie and Freddie Mercury of Queen made the song an instant classic when they recorded it in 1981. For their cover, both Nelson and Karen O wanted to do something a little different. They settled on an acoustic version matching Nelson’s spirit. They wanted to comment on 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic through the song.
“Our cover was meant to be more intimate but just as saturated with the power of love,” she continued. “I can’t listen to this song without tearing up every time Willie comes in, one of the purest voices which of course reflects a pure heart, and I get to sing alongside it. I never knew if it was actually going to happen but you must dare to dream, I hope the song brings as much light to the listener as it has to me in dark times.”
[H/T: Pitchfork]
