Ariana Grande Becomes A Goddess Of Funk On Huge Thundercat Cover

one of the biggest songs of the 2010s is Thundercat's "Them Changes," a rumbling rumination on lost love that somehow sounds both like both the party and the hangover. That's primarily thanks to the otherworldly fretwork by Thundercat himself, a bass virtuoso whose mastery of his musical instrument is so realized, he's often playing melody and rhythm at the same time. You could also hear it in his work with Kendrick Lamar, especially across his To Pimp a Butterfly album.


"Them Changes" showcases this musical domination fully — which is likely why Ariana Grande chose to lay down her own version of it in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. On Wednesday (September 5), Grande stopped by the storied show to perform a number of hits from her new album, Sweetener, including "No Tears Left To Cry," "God Is A Woman," and "R.E.M."


After, she dove right into a cover of these Changes" that preserves the warbling funk of the original while adding her aspects vocal flair. Before the song, Grande also called it "my preference song of the last year as well as 1/2 and shouted out Thundercat as a perfect artist."


This was Grande's first trip to the Live Lounge. Earlier this summer, Years & Years stopped by and put their own spin on "No Tears Left Cry," so it's nice to be able to see her paying it forward.


The video's not accessible online nevertheless, however you could stream all of Ari's songs right here. Her appearance starts around 2:23:10, and the "Them Changes" cover happens at approximately 2:40:25. Immediately after, check out Thundercat's original version of the song below.