Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara visited Phil Taggart’s Chillest Show at the BBC, sharing a lovely cover of Ariana Grande’s Sweetener highlight “Breathin.” Cara’s stripped-down version of “Breathin” features gorgeous live piano accompaniment and what appear to be the tallest background singers I have ever seen. Grande’s synth-pop melody translates beautifully into spare piano, and the song’s anthemic vibe is maintained even when it’s pared back to its simplest elements. Mumford And Sons recently visited the Radio 1 Live Lounge to cover the same song, adding folk-rock instrumentation. It’s a testament to the brilliance of “Breathin” that the song can be a folk stomper, a synth-y SoulCycle staple, and a piano heartbreaker. (And Cara’s voice sounds seriously lovely here.)
Cara has had an incredible year. After massive, chart-topping features on songs with Logic and Zedd in 2017, Cara won the Grammy award for Best New Artist in the early months of 2018. Her sophomore studio album, The Pains Of Growing, was released in November to critical acclaim and commercial success. Along with her “Breathin” cover, Cara also performed a stripped-down piano version of her single “Trust My Lonely” for Radio 1. (You can watch it here).
Watch Alessia Cara’s cover of “Breathin” by Ariana Grande above.
