Ellie Goulding, Sigrid, Dua Lipa, Members of Royal Blood, Biffy Clyro, AJ Tracey, Sean Paul, Foreplay’s Chris Martin, Sam Fender and more have joined forced with Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters to release a cover of the band’s song “Times Like These,” according to Pitchfork. The cover was created in an effort to raise money for BBC’s Children in Need and Comic Relief, which will split 100% of the proceeds.
The song is toned down from the original grungy take back in 2002, but the softening around the edges of the song much better fit the circumstances for its release. The artists involved all are shown recording their segments from home, reminding everyone the unique circumstances we all find ourselves in. The simpler take of the song may not have the same force of the original song, but the delicate nature of the cover provides much needed comfort in times of uncertainty.
While Foo Fighters first formed in the mid 1990’s following the breakup of Nirvana, three decades later they still find themselves in the midst of musical relevance. Grohl recently announced that the band’s tenth studio album is finished, which includes a guitar riff that Grohl has been working on for 25 years. Grohl performed with a slew of other artists for We Are Hear’s “Heaven is Rock & Roll” Gala at the Hollywood Palladium on January 4th of this year, before the coronavirus halted the live music world.
Dua Lipa is coming off of the release of her second studio album Future Nostalgia, which has further propelled her into pop and mainstream culture worldwide. “[The album] is an example of well-balanced pop with songs that make you want to dance and songs that make you want to feel,” Mxdwn reviewer Marianna Salcedo writes. “Heartbreak, power and love all sung with pleasantly deep vocals and fun beats make for perfect pop music. Even though “no skip” albums are practically nonexistent these days, Lipa sure breaks the mold with this project. She definitely deserves the status of one of pop’s current elites.”