Last week, the former NYLON cover star Phoebe Bridgers has taken the next step in her vibrant music career by launching her own radio show. Title The saddest factory radio – a play on his similarly titled label, Saddest Factory, which launched in October 2020 and has since signed some of the coolest artists in the industry, including NYLON favorites MUNA and Claud – the monthly show hosted by SiriusXM finds Bridgers playing curator and host, as the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter interviews artists, communicates with fans and, of course, plays his favourite music.
Airing the first Thursday of each month, Bridgers celebrated its first episode by providing listeners with tons of great tunes and even answering fan questions about which songs it thought would provide the perfect soundtracks for situations and settings. specific. But best of all, the premiere featured a new track from Bridgers herself, who surprised us all with a beautiful cover of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.”
The latest in a long line of artists to hit the ground running – from James Blake to Bring Me the Horizon – Phoebe Bridgers is once again proving she’s in a league of her own when it comes to covers. Swapping Eilish’s moody electronic soundscape for a backdrop of bare piano chords, Bridgers delivers Eilish’s soulful single (a standout from the latter’s Grammy-winning debut album). WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?) a new vibe without ever stripping the original of its emotional weight. With breathy vocals and brief flourishes of background sound effects, Bridgers’ rendition delivers a hauntingly evocative update.
The cover feels like some kind of full-circle moment, especially after Eilish revealed in 2020 that Bridgers’ Stranger in the Alps the single “Smoke Signals” inspired her WWAFAWWWG “I love you” track. (Eilish later shouted Bridgers’ Punisher track “Savior Complex” as one of his favorite songs of that year.) While it would have seemed even Continued as a highlight if Bridgers had in turn covered “I love you,” opting for an equally emotive track seems just as important.
“My favorite way to consume music is incidentally,” Bridgers said recently. rolling stone about his decision to start a radio show, giving examples like “something playing in the grocery store, an opening band I’ve never heard, a college radio station while trying to find a signal while traveling by car”. And while covering a Hot 100 single by one of the biggest artists on the planet, it’s not exactly what I would call accessorywe can certainly thank The saddest factory radio for giving Bridgers an excuse to nevertheless bless us with this new song.
Check out Phoebe Bridgers’ cover of Billie Eilish’s track via Soundcloud below.