Chvrches covered Janelle Monae's "Tightrope," and the results are pretty great

Janelle Monae received the Rising Star Award at last month’s Billboard Women In Music event in New York City. In honor of that recognition, Glasgow band Chvrches performed a cover of Monae’s ArchAndroid single “Tightrope” live at the ceremony. In the clip below, singer Lauren Mayberry recounts talking with Monae on the phone about the cover the night before, then launches into her version—a darker, more haunting groove, in comparison to the high-flying funk of the original. The vocals get a bit pitchy, but it’s a live performance in front of Monae, so that’s understandable, especially given how seamlessly Mayberry and the rest of Chvrches fit the song to their own style.