John Mayer Turns Beyonce’s “XO” Into A Stripped-Back Folk Song: Watch His Live Cover

Mike Wass | April 15, 2014 4:10 pm

It’s time to welcome John Mayer to the ever-expanding Bey Hive. “The best thing about Beyonce? The break in her voice on the first ‘baby, love me lights out’ in XO. Real and raw,” the singer-songwriter raved in a tweet on Saturday (April 12), before unveiling his live cover of the Ryan Tedder-penned hit at a gig in Adelaide, Australia last night.

Katy Perry‘s ex stripped “XO” back to its raw, emotional core — performing the song with only his guitar and harmonica for accompaniment. And it survives the genre switch exceedingly well. Regardless of how you feel about John’s uber-sincere schtick, his folk ballad interpretation reminds you that Bey’s love song has an unusually melancholy underbelly. Watch up top.

Do you like John Mayer’s cover? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via Rap-Up].

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