Brow Beat

Lorde Does an Excellent Cover of Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights”

Lorde.

Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images for TAO Downtown

Amidst another media uproar about another Kanye West controversy, it’s easy to forget that the man makes some pretty great music, and that his work exerts a powerful hold on up-and-coming artists everywhere. The latest to pay him homage is none other than Lorde, who at a recent concert in Philadelphia performed a short, thrilling rendition of Graduation single “Flashing Lights.”

It’s not the first time the Kiwi has covered Kanye—she’s done several versions of Yeezus’ “Hold My Liquor” on tour, and has frequently cited West as an influence. It’s easy to see why: cuts like “Flashing Lights” are of a piece with her off-kilter pop sensibilities, and she does the song justice with a strong, plaintive vocal before segueing into Pure Heroine tune “Bravado.”