Buried in a hoodie, indie upstart Brie Larson offers a guitar cover of Ariana Grande
Perhaps you haven’t heard of rising indie artist Brie Larson, but she likes to cover songs on her guitar while swaddled in a big black hoodie. New to the music scene, Larson posts her covers to Instagram in the most chill way possible, hoping to one day strike the interest of a record producer who can pluck this bright, young talent out of her bedroom and into pop stardom.
In all seriousness, Larson might’ve made a name with an Oscar and a headlining slot in the MCU, but the actress actually had a full-fledged singing career way back in 2005, when she was 16. Had you attended a Jesse McCartney concert that year, you might have seen her in action, because Larson was his opening act—“Beautiful Soul” and mall concerts were so mid-2000s, guys. Now, though, she’s couching her comeback less in the high-energy pop of yore and more in the mold of a soulful singer-songwriter, though one who still appreciates a bubblegummy hook.
Here, Larson throws it all the way back to 2014-era Ariana Grande, stumbling a bit with the guitar but nailing the vocal runs. If you’re enamored by this latest twist in Larson’s career, you’re in luck—other covers include cuts by Maggie Rogers and Kacey Musgraves, plus a rendition of Angel Olsen’s “Give It Up” that exude a subdued Envy Adams vibe. If she revisits “Black Sheep” she’ll have to make another album. Hey, we don’t make the rules.