The Spotify Singles series was touched for the very first time by Yungblud, who paid tribute to Madonna with a cover of “Like a Virgin.” The cover and a stripped down version of his own song “Mars” were recorded at Los Angeles’ Sound City Studios and released on Spotify Wednesday (June 30).
The 23-year-old English singer, whose given name is Dominic Harrison, explained in a press release how he chose the songs for his first Spotify Singles session. For the punk-rock, electric guitar-saturated “Like A Virgin” cover, he said he wanted to pick a tune that made sense while still being out of the box. He also praised Madonna, saying that he idolizes the Queen of Pop and admires “every move she artistically made.”
“I wanted to take the classic, add some YUNGBLUD energy and shake it the f– up!” he said in a statement. “This is a song I heard growing up, my mum and my sisters used to play it all the time so that added real pressure to get it right!”
As for performing the quiet, piano-led version of his own Bowie-referencing “Mars,” Harrison said he owed it to his fans and the song itself.
“It’s something that this song deserves, to exist in its purest form so the emotion can just radiate,” he said. “I have owed my fan base a version like this for a long time. I hope they love it!”
Harrison said recording at Sound City “blew my mind.” “I’m still picking my brains up off the pavement to be honest,” he said in a statement. “To record in that studio you need to bring everything you have or you don’t get past the car park.”
The Spotify Singles series began in 2016 and has since seen names like Elton John, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, Mac Miller, Jorja Smith, Demi Lovato and more participate. Artists perform song covers and originals in different Spotify studios and recordings of the performances are released for streaming on the platform afterward.
