Wolf Alice, Holly Humberstone, Laura Mvula, CSS & more take on the 80s with Deezer’s new ‘InVersions 80s’ album

25 May 2021 - Press release

The Originals compilation returns with a new class of alternative artists from across the globe

Deezer has today announced ‘InVersions 80s,’ a brand new Originals album in which some of this era’s most exciting alternative artists take on 80s classics in their own style. The compilation is available exclusively from today on the global music streaming service.

InVersions returns for its second time to invite more alternative and indie artists to reimagine records in their own, distinct fashion. This time around, fans can hear 80s crowd-favorites in a bold new light. ‘InVersions 80s’ will feature Wolf Alice, the Mercury Prize winning British band who have put a modern guitar-fuzz spin on Roxy Music’s melancholic classic, ‘More Than This.’

Rising UK star Holly Humberstone also impresses with a beautifully tender reworking of Prince’s ‘I Would Die 4 U’. Holly comments: “I am so excited to be a part of InVersions because the 80s is an era that continues to inspire me. I chose ‘I Would Die 4 U’ by Prince because he’s my all time favourite artist and I wanted to pay tribute to him in some way. I think it’s a beautifully simple but effective song and I love how the melodies are really static. Being able to put my own spin on it felt super special and I hope you all enjoy listening!”

Ivor Novello and MOBO winner, Laura Mvula, reinterprets Toto’s hairbrush-anthem ‘Africa’ to starkly soulful effect. She also comments: “I chose ‘Africa’ by Toto because it’s an 80s classic. It feels like music that I would write today and it fits in with the sound of my album.”

Across the album, ‘InVersions 80s’ will shine a spotlight on breakthrough artists from all over the world, such as Norway’s viral sensation Boy Pablo, Mexican-American bedroom pop prince Cuco, and emerging US R&B star Cautious Clay. These acts share exciting takes on anthems from some of the era’s biggest bands (Human League, Simple Minds and Simply Red). ‘InVersions 80s’ also features the welcome return of Brazilian icons CSS, the seminal indie band’s first new recording in eight years, in a storming rendition of Neneh Cherry’s era-defining ‘Buffalo Stance’. Luiza Sá of CSS commented: “Buffalo Stance stands on its own being a classically 80s song, but also being very unique and mixing elements in a way that feels very familiar to a band like us.”

Ana Rezende of CSS also commented: “Buffalo Stance was always around us in some shape or form. Sometimes we would listen to it while driving, sometimes we would DJ it, and lots of times Lovefoxxx would check her mic doing a little bit of that rap. The rap is such a classic to us. We feel that it influenced the Spice Girls ‘Wannabe’, which is another one of those that everyone knows how to rap. We couldn’t think of a more fun track to cover.”

Lovefoxxx of CSS added: “I’ve always dreamt of covering and playing this song with CSS. The lyrics are contemporary, talking about self esteem and confidence.”

Deezer’s debut ‘InVersions’ compilation, released last year, featured ten breakout names including indie darlings Arlo Parks (recently crowned Best Breakthrough at the BRIT Awards 2021) and Alfie Templeman (BBC Sound of 2021), plus more established alternative artists such as Fontaines D.C. and BENEE. The record became one of the most successful Deezer Originals projects to date and paved the way for this brand new album, focused on the 80s. ‘InVersions 80s’ showcases the significance of this musical decade for a new generation of stars, with the lineup as follows:

Benny Sings - Dancing in the Dark [Bruce Springsteen]

Boy - Bette Davis Eyes [Kim Carnes]

Boy Pablo - Don’t You Want Me [Human League]

Cautious Clay - Holding Back the Years [Simply Red]

CSS - Buffalo Stance [Neneh Cherry]

Cuco - Don’t You (Forget About Me) [Simple Minds]

Feu! Chatterton - Joe Le Taxi [Vanessa Paradis]

Holly Humberstone - I Would Die 4 U [Prince]

Juan Pablo Vega - Wicked Game [Chris Isaak]

La Femme - Like A Prayer [Madonna]

Laura Mvula - Africa [Toto]

Lido Pimienta - Orinoco Flow [Enya]

L’Imperatrice - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) [Whitney Houston]

Milky Chance- Tainted Love [Soft Cell]

Roosevelt - Feels Like Heaven [Fiction Factory]

Wolf Alice - More Than This [Roxy Music]

 

“80s music is seeing a resurgence like never before, with a whole new generation of fans embracing the sounds of this unique decade. So it felt completely natural to invite today’s emerging musical stars to put a modern spin on their favorite 80s anthems, and the results are like hearing them all again for the first time. Just like our last InVersions project, which saw a growth in streams of over 200% for some of our featured artists, I’m confident music fans from all over the world will love this new Originals album,” said Nigel Harding, Deezer’s VP of Global Artist Marketing.

Listen to InVersions here, exclusively on Deezer. Head to www.deezer.com to discover more.