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Photo: Courtesy of Adekunle Gold

Nigerian highlife singer Adekunle Gold puts a lush, genre-straddling spin on Coldplay's classic ballad "Yellow" in this episode of Reimagined at Home.

Back in 2000, Coldplay released "Yellow," an emotive power ballad that became their breakthrough hit and introduced the world to the band’s relentless vulnerability.

Now, 22 years later, Nigerian highlife star Adekunle Gold taps into the same emotional power and soaring vocals that made the original song so special, albeit with even more stripped-down instrumentation. 

In this episode of Reimagined at Home , dive into the singer's shimmering, transcendent interpretation of "Yellow." Gold relies on a piano line for his primary accompaniment on the song, putting a spotlight on his soaring, buttery vocals to drive home the song’s enduring message.

Gold is no stranger to a cover performance. His breakout hit was a 2015 highlife interpretation of One Direction's "Story of My Life," retitled as "Sade." Since then, he has released four albums, beginning with Gold in 2016. His most recent project, 2022's Catch Me if You Can , represents an amalgamation of influences, layering his highlife foundation with Afropop influences and genre-broadening ambitions.

And while his performance of Coldplay’s "Yellow" is proof that Gold's voice can find a home in any corner of the pop format he chooses, his performance of the track opts for simplicity in a way that feels very intentional. No dressed-up instrumentation or flashy production tactics appear in his performance; rather, its effect rests on the natural, emotional power of Gold's voice.

Gold takes a similar tactic with the visual elements of his performance. He performs the song from a sunroom, a sunlit garden outside the windows and a lush array of plants surrounding him as he stands at a microphone. No flashy production needed — Gold's interpretation of “Yellow” speaks for itself.

Enjoy Gold's performance of "Yellow," and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Reimagined at Home .

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Singer/songwriter Ant Clemons puts his own spin on Bill Withers' immortal "Ain't No Sunshine" in an exclusive performance for ReImagined At Home.

Why has Bill Withers' immortal hit, "Ain't No Sunshine," endured for decades? And, furthermore, why does it seem set to reverberate throughout the ages?

Could it be because it's blues-based? Because it's relatable to anyone with a pulse? Because virtually anyone with an ounce of zeal can believably yowl the song at karaoke?

Maybe it's for all of those reasons and one more: "Ain't No Sunshine" is flexible. 

In the latest episode of ReImagined At Home, check out how singer/songwriter Ant Clemons pulls at the song's edges like taffy. With a dose of vocoder and slapback, Clemons recasts the lonesome-lover blues as the lament of a shipwrecked android.

Giving this oft-covered soul classic a whirl, Clemons reminds music lovers exactly why Withers' signature song has staying power far beyond his passing in 2020. It will probably be a standard in 4040, too.

Check out Ant Clemons' cosmic, soulful performance of "Ain't No Sunshine" above and click here to enjoy more episodes of ReImagined At Home.

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Folk/rock band cover GRAMMY winner's classic ballad "Strangers In The Night" and perform three original songs exclusively for GRAMMY.com

Folk/rock band Milo Greene recently performed a cover of Frank Sinatra's classic ballad "Strangers In The Night" for an installment of The Recording Academy's ReImagined series at Smidi Music in Venice, Calif. Linking GRAMMY history with current music makers, ReImagined is a performance-based series featuring artists interpreting an iconic GRAMMY-winning song and performances of original music.

"Strangers In The Night" is the title track from Sinatra's 1966 album, which earned a GRAMMY for Album Of The Year at the 9th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The song garnered Sinatra GRAMMYs for Record Of The Year and Best Vocal Performance, Male honors. In addition to their adaptation of "Strangers In The Night," Milo Greene performed three original songs from their self-titled debut album — "1957," "Cutty Love" and "Take A Step."

"It doesn't get cooler than Frank Sinatra," said Milo Greene's Robbie Arnett. "['Strangers In The Night' is] a classic song, something that we're all familiar with and something that we all kind of grew up with. I know Frank Sinatra was played a lot in my house growing up so it was an obvious choice and one that we could have a lot of fun with."  

Formed in Northern California in 2009, Milo Greene was originally the fictional character used to promote the creative endeavors of college friends and vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Arnett, Andrew Heringer and Marlana Sheetz. The band later added bassist Graham Fink and drummer Curtis Marrero and began performing as Milo Greene. They subsequently landed slots on tour with artists such as the Belle Brigade, GRAMMY winners the Civil Wars and Grouplove before releasing a four-song EP, The Hello Sessions, in 2011.

Milo Greene's self-titled debut album was released in 2012 and topped Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. On April 20 the quintet will release an exclusive 7-inch vinyl single in conjunction with Record Store Day, featuring live performances of "What's The Matter" from Milo Greene and the previously unreleased "Staging Point." Milo Greene will kick off a European tour with Cold War Kids on April 24 before returning to the United States to perform select dates through August.  

Photo: Courtesy of Kidd Kenn

Kidd Kenn gives Lil Nas X's breakout hit "Old Town Road" a glam update by adding some of his own signature flair.

Before Lil Nas X ruffled feathers by (literally) dancing with the devil in 2021, he first caused controversy with "Old Town Road." Labeled "country trap," the song sparked a fierce debate on the definition of the country genre. Yet, its instantly memorable hook — and cinematic music video — helped launch Lil Nas X into pop superstardom.

In this episode of ReImagined at Home , the song gets a fresh look from Kidd Kenn, an enigmatic, 18-year-old rapper from Chicago who shares Lil Nas X's penchant for eye-catching, forward-thinking imagery. Kenn delivers his version of "Old Town Road" while lounging in a wicker chair, seated in a light-filled room with walls decorated with book pages and a lush backdrop of vines and flowers. 

The performance lends a glamorous, feminine touch to the song, like when Kenn sings into a vanity mirror. But sonically, his interpretation is fairly faithful to the original "Old Town Road," layering smooth-as-honey vocals against rap lyrics and a sizzling trap beat.

Both Lil Nas X and Kidd Kenn broke into the scene as teens. Though the former artist is only 23 today, he's an inspiration to many in his genre, Kenn included: Nas X came out as gay early on — a fairly rare occurrence in the rap genre — and Kenn has been out since fans first got to know him.

"People in my community [are] building stuff in this game and it shows from what everybody is doing that [success] is going to happen. We're making room. We're here," Kenn commented to Red Bull , acknowledging Lil Nas X as well as Tyler, the Creator for helping destigmatize queer stories in hip hop. 

Press play on the video above to watch Kenn's interpretation of this modern-day classic, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of ReImagined at Home. 

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In the latest episode of the ReImagined At Home cover series, Colombian band Monsieur Periné perform a gorgeous rendition of Coldplay's 2008 GRAMMY-winning song, "Viva La Vida"

In the latest episode of the ReImagined At Home cover series, Colombian band Monsieur Periné perform a gorgeous, moving interpretation of Coldplay's 2008 GRAMMY-winning song, "Viva La Vida," complete with a string section and a wooden flute.

The beautifully filmed performance ends on a powerful note, with the band holding signs that read, in Spanish, "We're not born for war," "Art over bullets," "I'm a flag of liberty," and other bold statements.

Watch Monsieur Periné's moving performance of "Viva La Vida" in full below.

"Viva La Vida," a track off Coldplay's 2008 album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, won the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals at the 51st GRAMMY Awards in 2009; the album itself won the GRAMMY for Best Rock Album that same year.

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