To promote her new nonprofit benefiting homeless and LGBT youth, the Happy Hippie Foundation, Miley Cyrus has been partnering with other artists to cover pop classics in a series of “Backyard Sessions.” The latest is a cover of Crowded House’s mid-’80s hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over” with Ariana Grande, who—like Cyrus—spends the entire video lounging in an animal onesie.
Unlike the luminous, poppy 2003 version by Sixpence None the Richer, the duo’s cover borders on bluesy, with occasionally twangy instrumentals. The acoustic setting complements Grande’s trademark indistinct elocution, which tends to get lost in more complex productions, while Cyrus shows off the lower end of her impressive range. And Cyrus—who, as usual, is “just being Miley”—makes things wonderfully awkward by flirting with Grande during the bridge.
