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See Lorde’s ‘Royals’ Get Positively Funked by Mayer Hawthorne

Lorde Royals Cover Mayer Hawthorne Video Vevo

Lorde’s “Royals” just became the biggest song in the country, making the 16-year-old artist the youngest Hot 100 chart-topper since Tiffany scored in 1987. Her Pure Heroine LP debut may not be perfect, but the power of that song is undeniable, and an ace songsmith like recent SPIN interview subject Mayer Hawthorne would be a fool to deny it. So instead, the man is here to “funk it up.” Celebrating his freshly released album, Where Does This Door Go, the Detroit-bred soul man covered “Royals” for VEVO’s “Unexpected Covers” series, enlisting his full band to give the electronipop delight an afterhours jazz rebirth. The groove is undeniable and the four-part harmonies are divine. Bear witness above, and read our interview with Lorde to find out who’s been inspiring her along the way.