Premiere: Bonnie McKee & AUGUST 08 Cover Billie & Khalid’s “Lovely”

Mike Wass | June 27, 2019 3:02 pm
Bonnie McKee Interview
Bonnie McKee talks starting over, her 'Bombastic' EP and songwriting stories.

While busy as ever behind the scenes, Bonnie McKee has been relatively quiet on the artist front since dropping her Bombastic EP in 2015. There have been a couple of stand-alone singles (“Thorns” was a highlight) and collaborations (“Lonely For You” dropped this year), but it would be great to hear a little more from her. That makes the arrival of “Lovely” — an uptempo cover of Billie Eilish and Khalid’s breakout hit — a cause for celebration. The dreamy rendition features 88 Rising/Red Bull Records’ AUGUST 08 and works surprisingly well as a banger.

“When I set out to record a cover song, I wanted something lyrically striking, so Billie and Khalid were my first choice!” Bonnie reveals. “‘Lovely’ is a haunting story, evoking adolescent nights of sneaking out and wandering aimlessly, alone with your thoughts and fears, just you, your shadow, and your footsteps. It feels like an attempted escape from suburbia, finding a quiet moment to indulge in the frustration of desire, the sting of loneliness, and the romance of longing to flee the constraints of routine and authority.”

That interpretation of the song informed the production. “AUGUST 08 was the perfect match to reimagine this gem with, and Jamie Reed and I approached the production with a lot of movement and warmth, so it feels like an ethereal summer night reverie,” she continues. Why is one of pop’s greatest songwriters dropping a cover? Well, that’s the whole point of the label that is releasing it. Cure8 was created with the sole purpose of releasing singles by well-known artists covering hits. Listen below.

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