The eclectic Janelle Monáe covering David Bowie makes so much sense, it’s a wonder that it didn’t happen earlier. The Electric Lady singer, fresh off reviving American Idol, tackled the Thin White Duke’s “Heroes” as part of a Pepsi ad campaign, updating the 1977 classic with a peppier, more danceable beat. “Bowie knows what’s up,” Monae told Rolling Stone, which premiered the song. “He’s a fan and I’m a fan of him. The respect is mutual. I hear from his wife Iman that he’s a huge supporter of me, the way I dress and my music. I just hope that we made him proud.” In an interactive video for the cover, Monae plays a busker on the streets of Rio alongside a number of soccer stars. Check out the standard version of the ad and the audio of “Heroes” below. And for a classic dance version of “Heroes,” revisit Big Ben Tribe’s 1983 Italo-disco cover.
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