Hayley Williams Extracts The Funk And Injects Jazz In Dua Lipa's 'Don't Start Now'

You know that chilling, neck hair-raising feeling that you get as soon as there's no one in the home with and also you hear a creak in another room? It's hard to replicate that simultaneous mix of fear, wonder, and flatulence. Just kidding about the last part. Yet if you're looking for the audio equivalent of this eccentric sentiment, prepare for Hayley Williams's bluesy cover of Dua Lipa's three-minute electric groove, "Don't Begin Now" at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.


If the wind had a voice, it'd probably sound like Williams. So imagine in case you can listen to the wind make its own version of an explosive pop record into its own, early morning mist. That's the gist of Williams's whispering cover, trading in the sexy groove for a subtle, sultry rasp. Williams torches the microphone with a simultaneously quiet and powerful vocal that sits on your chest like an elephant. She's absolutely wonderful as she's backed by the drums that swallow the original's funk and regurgitate it in the form of DIY percussion. Even with the same lyrics and the same structure, Williams's cover feels like a drastically different song.


Williams also tackled her own chilly single, "Simmer," that she released in January. Her limbs got loose as she danced while singing the song with her eyes closed. You can tell that she was into the moment, bringing the same sort of intensity evident in the music video where she gets chased by a dangerous entity that's ultimately revealed to be her.


Williams is set to release her forthcoming album, Petals For Armor, on May 8. It'll feature "Simmer" and also the recently shared "Leave It Alone" which came with a video about metamorphosis.


Check out Williams's 'Don't Begin Right now cover up above.