The Weeknd Remixes Lorde’s “Royals”: Hear The Surprisingly Warm Reinterpretation

Carl Williott | August 19, 2013 7:38 am

The Weeknd has remixed “Royals,” the surprising smash from his labelmate Lorde. Considering that the New Zealand teen’s original is fairly woozy, we thought The Weeknd would dive even deeper into that atmosphere and take the remix to a darker place. But Abel Tesfaye has instead brightened the song with a warm haze of synths, backing ooohs and, yes, screeching eagle sound effects.

It’s a pleasant flicker of light in Tesfaye’s otherwise bleak world, showing Tesfaye’s got more than just gloomy sex and bump-in-the-night beats up his sleeve. It makes you wonder if there will be a more saccharine side to the singer on Kiss Land.

Check out the “Royals” remix below, then compare it to the RAAK hip-hop version.

Lorde — “Royals” (The Weeknd Remix)

[via FADER]

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