Paul Weller has covered Billie Eilish‘s hit single ‘What Was I Made For?’ – listen below.
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The soloist and former Jam frontman delivered a stripped-back rendition of the Grammy-winning Barbie track during a live Sofa Session on BBC Radio 2 earlier this week (June 12).
Explaining his decision to cover Eilish’s song to Jo Whiley, Weller said: “I heard it through my youngest daughter, Nova. She’s a big fan of this next artist…”
Weller then performed his take on ‘What Was I Made For?’, which featured delicate keys and haunting synth textures. He went on to say that Eilish was “incredibly talented”, adding: “It’s such a beautiful song, and the melody’s incredible. And the words – I think it’s just a great tune.”
You can listen to the cover below, and listen to the full session via BBC Sounds.
Weller also praised Eilish in an interview for the July issue of Mojo. “I’ve got to say, man, Billie Eilish is fucking great,” he said (via Guitar.COM). “‘What Was I Made For?’ is an incredible tune.”
He continued: “It is lovely to see my little girl playing the record on vinyl and singing along to the words because I’m thinking: That was me and The Beatles. Those early inspirations stay with you for the rest of your life.”
The singer-songwriter released his 17th solo album, ’66’, on May 24 – the day before his 66th birthday. He recently spoke about how getting older had made him more “experimental” and “open-minded”.
In other news, Weller has opened up about his 14 years of sobriety, saying he never wanted to “cross a line at a certain age” and become “just another old drunk”.
He’s set to embark on his first North American headline tour in seven years this September. Find any remaining tickets here.
Billie Eilish, meanwhile, dropped her third record ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ on May 17.
The UK and Ireland leg of her world tour will take place in July 2025, and includes six nights at The O2 in London. Find any remaining tickets here (UK/Ireland) and here (North America).
The post Listen to Paul Weller’s haunting cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’ appeared first on NME.
