Over the past few years, The xx have cultivated a sound that is both entirely their own and effectively adaptable to whatever song they feel like applying it to. Case in point: The band has taken to BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge several times now and performed brilliant covers of songs by Drake, Wham, and others, each rendition folding their sparse and cinematic signature aesthetic into the original composition for chill-inducing results. They recently found themselves in this position yet again, and this time, they put their spin on Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds hit “My Love.”
Their version plays up the group’s recent increased focus on the dance-oriented part of their sound, with Jamie xx recreating Timberland’s beat in real time while Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim trade vocal verses back and forth. They didn’t take a stab at T.I.’s verse, and although it probably would have been funny to see one of them try to rap, Sim instead included some lines from Timberlake’s “LoveStoned” and it worked out pretty seamlessly.
The xx also performed “Dangerous” from their most recent album I See You, so watch that and their performance of “My Love” above. Also revisit our 2015 interview with Jamie xx here.
