Chlöe Bailey has been hard at work on her debut album — which does not have a release date as of yet — this year, and gave fans a taste of what they can expect with solo single, “Have Mercy.” In between recording sessions, though, Chlöe — who is one half of Chlöe x Halle — has treated fans to covers of varioius popular songs from today’s top artists, including Adele, The Weeknd, Silk Sonic and more.
Below are some of her most memorable covers of 2021.
Adele, “Easy on Me”
Bailey has been enjoying Adele’s “Easy on Me,” and put her own unique twist on the song with powerful vocal runs and whistle notes. “Easy on Me” dominated the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks, only recently dropping down to No. 3 with the return of Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 25, 2021.
easy on me 💔 @Adele cover ✨ pic.twitter.com/NkFmEC5Xwe
— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) December 9, 2021
The Weeknd, “Earned It”
Bailey tapped into her sultry side for her cover of The Weeknd’s 2015 hit “Earned It,” from the 5o Shades of Grey soundtrack. The singer put her Beyoncé-mentored vocals to the test, giving fans flawless vocals runs and gender-swapped lyrics, which allowed the cover to rack up more than a million views on Instagram. The cover later found its way to The Weeknd himself, who commented with flame and praise-hand emojis.
earned it 🎶 @theweeknd pic.twitter.com/5gqc30437I
— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) April 18, 2021
Silk Sonic, “Leave the Door Open”
Instead of keeping Silk Sonic’s groovy, ’70s-inspired instrumentals for her cover of “Leave the Door Open,” Bailey went the ballad route and used the piano to back up her stunning vocals. The original song charted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in April, marking Bruno Mars‘ eighth hit on the chart and Anderson .Paak‘s first.
ima leave the door open 😍🙇🏽♀️ @silksonic pic.twitter.com/znOsfdV22m
— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) March 21, 2021
Cardi B, “Be Careful”
The 23-year-old took things back to 2018 with a cover of Cardi B‘s “Be Careful” and juggled the singing and rapping lines of the Hot 100-charting track. With Bailey’s impressive vocals runs and deep vibrato at certain points, the cover caught the attention of Cardi, who thought she sounded as nice as Bailey on the track. “This is soo beautiful got me smiling from ear to ear and blushing maa hard …..You see this how I thought I sounded on the track,” the rapper wrote on Twitter.
be careful with me 💔 @iamcardib pic.twitter.com/3bKdZe9Par
— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) May 1, 2021
Rihanna, “Love on the Brain”
Bailey kept the hits coming and delivered a soulful and swoon-worthy rendition of Rihanna‘s “Love on the Brain” from the musician-turned-mogul’s 2016 album, Anti. Rihanna may not have responded to her cover of the track, but it did get love from peers. Sister Halle commented on Instagram, “stunner !!!!!! spectacular!!!!” Tamar Braxton also chimed in with, “As soon as I saw that mike i knew it was going to be trouble.”
love on the brain @rihanna ❤️🎶 pic.twitter.com/MS9gs2xLkZ
— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) May 16, 2021
Nina Simone, “Feelin’ Good”
On June 21, months ahead of releasing “Have Mercy,” Bailey appeared on Good Morning America and delivered a sultry synth-filled version of Nina Simone’s 1965 classic “Feelin’ Good.” Despite receiving backlash for her interpretation, Simone’s granddaughter ReAnna Simone Kelly praised Chloe on Twitter for breathing new life into the song.
“Everyone’s coming at @ChloeBailey for her performance of my grandmother Nina Simone’s song ‘Feeling Good’. But what ya’ll don’t understand is that my grandma was a free spirited woman herself!!” Kelly tweeted. “She would’ve loved that performance as much as I do! Relax. Chloe killed it.”
“I have always loved Miss Nina Simone forever. And the performance was inspired by her spirit and her confidence and her honesty,” Bailey told the morning show. “I worked incredibly hard to put it all together. I still have scrapes and bruises from all the rehearsals. I’m just so happy to see that her granddaughter loved it. I’m happy that people loved it as well.”
