mxdwn PREMIERE: Elliot Lee Transforms ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” Into a Ukulele Ballad in New Video

Elliot Lee is a Brooklyn based pop artist that specializes in a pop sound that’s a bit darker and edgier than the average radio star. She’s released several singles including “Pink (Freak),” “Dirt” and “Upside Down.” Today, we’re premiering a new video from Lee, though instead of an original track it’s an attention-grabbing cover of the ABBA disco hit “Dancing Queen.”

“I grew up listening to ABBA and I always felt like there was a dissonant, subtextual sadness constantly oozing through their songs. Maybe it was just me projecting, or maybe it’s really meant to be there, but I wanted to draw that sadness out and rebuild the song in a way that portrays how the original makes me feel when I listen to it.”

In the song, Lee slows things way down and strips down the lush disco arrangement for nothing but her voice and a ukulele. The arrangement allows for her emotive vocals to punctuate every line in the song, bringing an added element of melancholy to the pop hit’s mostly upbeat aesthetic. The video is similarly spartan, featuring the singer in an empty room playing the song while visuals flash around her.

During the quarantine, she’s been active on social media playing live stream shows. You can find out more by visiting her Facebook and Instagram pages.

Matt Matasci: Music Editor at mxdwn.com - matt@mxdwn.com | I have written and edited for mxdwn since 2015, the same year I began my music journalism career. Previously (and currently) a freelance copywriter, I graduated with a degree in Communications from California Lutheran University in 2008. Born on the Central Coast of California, I am currently a few hundred miles south along the 101 in the Los Angeles area. matt@mxdwn.com
Related Post
Leave a Comment