KEiiNO aren’t just a flash in the pan. Although formed just earlier this year, the band, which consists of the singers Alexandra Rotan and Tom Hugo, plus joiker Fred-René Buljo, are proving that there’s more to them than just their Eurovision hit song “Spirit In The Sky”. Ahead of Eurovision 2019, they’ve dropped their follow up single – a cover of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s honky-tonky ballad, “Shallow“.
The original version of “Shallow” is the theme song to the film A Star Is Born, and serves as the encore to Lady Gaga’s Las Vegas residency show Enigma. The song has received numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Song.
KEiiNO’s version of the track takes listeners to the club via the joiker’s route. Above all, the ‘concerning’ tone of the lyrics gives way here to a production that’s got a much happier vibe to it.
Speaking exclusively to wiwibloggs, KEiiNo explain:
“When we first got together and formed KEiiNO, we promised to make the world a poppier place. I guess all people can agree we did so with “Spirit in the Sky”. Now, as we felt it was too boring only to have one song to perform live during the ESC pre-parties, we made a cover of a song by an artist we admire A LOT, Lady Gaga.
The feedback we got after premiering it during the pre-party in Riga, G-A-Y at Heaven and the parties in London and Madrid, we filed a request to be able to release our cover. I guess Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper just didn’t know that Shallow would sound better with Joik, but someone in their publishing company certainly thought it sounded good enough so we were allowed to release it.
We’re super excited to release the song the same day we fly to Berlin to record new KEiiNO-songs in the same building David Bowie and U2 has made classic hits (Hansa Studios). Because KEiiNO will continue to deliver poppy songs after ESC as well.”
KEiiNO – “Shallow” (LYRICS)
[Joik]Tell me somethin’, girl
Are you happy in this modern world?
Or do you need more?
Is there somethin’ else you’re searchin’ for?
I’m falling
In all the good times I find myself
Longin’ for change
And in the bad times I fear myself
I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I’ll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us
We’re far from the shallow now
In the shallow
In the shallow
In the shallow
We’re far from the shallow now
Tell me something, boy
Aren’t you tired tryin’ to fill that void?
Or do you need more?
Ain’t it hard keeping it so hardcore?
I’m falling
In all the good times I find myself
Longing for change
And in the bad times I fear myself
I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I’ll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us
We’re far from the shallow now
In the shallow
In the shallow
In the shallow
We’re far from the shallow now
I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I’ll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us
We’re far from the shallow now
In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
In the shallow, shallow
We’re far from the shallow now
What do you think of KEiiNO’s cover of “Shallow”? Do you prefer their clubland interpretation? What do you think of their lyric video? Are there songs that you’d like to hear them cover? Let us know in the comments section below.
Wow. This one sucked so damn hard.
It’s marvelous, i listen to it all the time! I think the joik adds to the song, makes it more unique. Looking forward to more music from them 😀
I LOVE IT!!!
After listening to their renditions of “Shallow” and “Only Teardrops”, I now want an album of covers by KEiiNO.
I love Shallow the original and Shallow the KEiiNO cover. So when I watched their Madrid performance, I was so happy. Takk takk.
Except from the Sámi/joiker part, this is what Lady Gaga should’ve been doing in terms of music. The sound that made her great was written off too soon, too easily. Ah well, at least Keiino made it a Lady Gaga-worthy song. Let’s just hope she sees this. 🙂