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"Ordinary People" ReImagined By ZZ Ward

Blues/hip-hop artist performs acoustic arrangement of John Legend's "Ordinary People" and two original songs

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

Singer/songwriter ZZ Ward recently performed a cover of John Legend's "Ordinary People" for an installment of The Recording Academy's ReImagined series. Linking GRAMMY history with the present, ReImagined is a performance-based series featuring an artist interpreting an iconic GRAMMY-winning song, an interview and performances of original music.

Legend's "Ordinary People" garnered the artist a GRAMMY for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2005. Featured on Legend's debut album, Get Lifted, the song also earned nominations for Song Of The Year and Best R&B Song. In addition to her acoustic arrangement of "Ordinary People," Ward also performed two original songs, "Til The Casket Drops" and "Last Love Song."

"I chose [to cover 'Ordinary People'] because it's a very honest song," said Ward. "I can relate to what he's talking about in the story, the ups and downs of [a] relationship and it not always being this perfect picture that most people want it to be."

Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Roseburg, Ore., Ward grew up listening to blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Robert Johnson, and Howlin' Wolf.  She began performing with her father in local blues bands as a child, further cementing her love of blues music. Ward's musical journey subsequently connected her with the hip-hop community in Eugene, Ore., where she went on to write and perform high-energy rap shows. Combined with her bluesy upbringing, Ward developed the foundation for her signature "dirty blues and beats" sound. In January Ward released Eleven Roses, a mixtape further exploring her sonic combination of blues and hip-hop. The mixtape features blues-fused interpretations of some of her favorite hip-hop songs, including Tyler The Creator's "Yonkers" and Childish Gambino's "You Know Me." Ward's full-length debut album is due later this year on Boardwalk/Hollywood Records. She is currently touring the UK and the United States, with dates scheduled through May.

(ZZ Ward appears courtesy of Hollywood Records.)

ReImagined: Gen Neo Delivers A Lo-Fi Cover Of Seal's "Kiss From A Rose"
Gen Neo

Photo: Courtesy of Gen Neo

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ReImagined: Gen Neo Delivers A Lo-Fi Cover Of Seal's "Kiss From A Rose"

Singaporean R&B singer/songwriter Gen Neo offers a sultry take on Seal's three-time GRAMMY-winning hit, "Kiss from a Rose."

GRAMMYs/Mar 5, 2024 - 06:03 pm

In 1994, Seal's completely self-written "Kiss from a Rose" won him the first GRAMMYs of his career for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Song Of The Year, and Record Of The Year. 

Nearly 30 years later, Singaporean songwriter Gen Neo takes a turn at the microphone with a synth-driven rendition of the romantic track for the latest installment of ReImagined.

"Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray/ The more I get of you, stranger it feels," Gen Neo sings in the iconic chorus. "And now that your rose is in bloom/ A light hits the gloom on the gray."

Much like Seal, Gen Neo has written the majority of his solo tracks. He also has an extensive list of songwriting credits for K-pop artists like Henry Lau, f(x), Super Junior, Eric Nam, and more.

Gen Neo has continuously released singles since 2023, including "Same Mistakes," "Unless We Try," and "Stay." His most recent track, "KISS&TELL," which dropped on Feb. 23, is a collaboration with fellow Singaporean R&B singer Ethan Low.

Press play on the video above to hear Gen Neo's cover of Seal's "Kiss from a Rose," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.

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ReImagined: Britti Offers A Jazzy Rendition Of Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind"
Britti

Photo: Courtesy of Britti

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ReImagined: Britti Offers A Jazzy Rendition Of Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind"

New Orleans-based newcomer Britti delivers a blues-inspired cover of Ray Charles' GRAMMY-winning classic, "Georgia on My Mind."

GRAMMYs/Feb 20, 2024 - 06:00 pm

Thirty years after its original 1930 release, Ray Charles breathed new life into Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia on My Mind." His 1960 cover eventually won him his first-ever gramophones for Best Performance By A Pop Artist and Best Male Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track at the 3rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1961.

Another 60 years later, New Orleans-based newcomer Britti enters the ring with her own rendition of "Georgia" for the latest installment of ReImagined.

"Georgia, Georgia/ No peace, no peace I find/ Just an old, sweet song/ Keeps Georgia on my mind," Britti sings in the video, shot by videographer Patrick Linehan. Her fast vibrato adds a haunting ambiance to her jazzy version of the classic.

On Feb. 2, Britti released her debut studio album, Hello, I'm Britti., via Dan Auerbach's label, Easy Eye Sound. The superproducer/Black Keys star also contributed to the songwriting and production of the project.

According to a press release, the songstress calls the LP "a love letter to the place she calls home, a triumphant ode to fresh starts in the face of heartbreak, and the culmination of a years-long journey she didn't know she was taking."

Press play on the video above to watch Britti's performance of "Georgia on My Mind," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.

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ReImagined: Watch TeaMarrr Deliver A "Radioactive" Rendition Of Imagine Dragons' Chart-Topping Single
TeaMarrr

Photo: Courtesy of TeaMarrr

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ReImagined: Watch TeaMarrr Deliver A "Radioactive" Rendition Of Imagine Dragons' Chart-Topping Single

Rising genre-bending songstress TeaMarrr offers a charming take on Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," the track that skyrocketed their career in 2013.

GRAMMYs/Dec 12, 2023 - 06:00 pm

Over a decade ago, pop-rock band Imagine Dragons took their career to the next level with their electrifying smash "Radioactive." It became one of their highest-charting hits at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and won them a GRAMMY for Best Rock Performance in 2014.

In this episode of ReImagined, promising pop newcomer TeaMarrr covers Imagine Dragons' life-altering track, and it might just be a sign of a "Radioactive" career of her own. She remains faithful to the original recording yet adds her own twist with new harmonies, quick ad-libs and light choreography.

"I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones/ Enough to make my systems blow," TeaMarrr cheers in the chorus. "Welcome to the new age, to the new age/ I'm radioactive, radioactive."

On Nov. 17, TeaMarrr dropped her debut studio album, You Should Prolly Sit Down For This, via Raedio, Issa Rae's imprint label in partnership with Atlantic Records.

"I want people to heal themselves with my sound," she explains in her artist biography. "I hope they walk away, thinking, 'TeaMarrr is my new musical pharmacist.' My catalog will heal whatever mood you're in."

Press play on the video above to watch TeaMarrr's bright rendition of Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.

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ReImagined: Prateek Kuhad Delivers A Poignant Acoustic Cover Of John Mayer's "Waiting On The World To Change"
Prateek Kuhad

Photo: Courtesy of Prateek Kuhad

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ReImagined: Prateek Kuhad Delivers A Poignant Acoustic Cover Of John Mayer's "Waiting On The World To Change"

Indian singer/songwriter Prateek Kuhad delivers a stripped-down performance of John Mayer's GRAMMY-winning single, "Waiting on the World to Change."

GRAMMYs/Nov 28, 2023 - 06:00 pm

In 2006, John Mayer wrote "Waiting on the World to Change," feeling hopeless about the ongoing wars and society's future. Almost twenty years later, the track still finds relevancy in a world, once again, ridden by political tension.

"We see everything that's going wrong/ With the world and those who lead it/ We just feel like we don't have the means/ To rise above and beat it," Mayer croons in the opening verse. "So we keep waiting/ Waiting on the world to change."

In this episode of ReImagined, Indian singer Prateek Kuhad offers his take on Mayer's GRAMMY-winning call for peace. He remains faithful to Mayer's signature acoustic sound with a stripped-down performance, using only a guitar and a piano.

Along with Mayer, Kuhad also calls blues and folk singers Elliot Smith and Bob Dylan the primary influences on his songwriting.

Kuhad's cover comes on the heels of his latest project, Mulaqat, which was written exclusively in Hindi. In a social media post on the eve of the EP's release, Kuhad shared that the five-song collection is "stories from my life this year and are very close to my heart."

Press play on the video above to hear Prateek Kuhad's rendition of John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of ReImagined.

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