Anderson .Paak stopped by BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge this morning, where he delivered a smooth and soulful cover of Lil Nas X‘s ‘Old Town Road’. Check it out below.
Delivering his unique spin on the country-rap phenomenon from behind the drum kit, flanked by the full band and backup singers of The Free Nationals, where he also put on a Cockney accent to tell listeners, “It’s good to see you guys back again in London Town, I came from the Watts Swap Meet”, and introducing the rest of the band.
‘Old Town Road’ has proven to be one of the most successful singles on 2019, having spent a staggering 19-week run at the top of the US Billboard chat until being toppled by Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy‘ – making it the longest-running US single of all time.
Paak’s last visit to England saw him perform a stellar set at Reading Festival 2019 last month.
“Yeah, it might be a hard task to follow up Billie Eilish on the main stage,” read NME’s review, “but Anderson .Paak was more than up to the challenge, it what was a surprise contender for a weekend highlight performance. Jubilant, joyful and expertly executed, .Paak’s Reading Festival shows was a low key triumph.”