The original is an undisputed banger, but today’s triple j Like A Version cover of M.I.A’s classic ‘Paper Planes’ reinterprets it completely, adding in a stack of violins and – blasphemy! – removing the track’s controversial gun sounds.
The Slumberjack lads enlisted buzzing U.S. singer K Flay to tackle vocal duties alongside a gorgeous selection of strings, and the result makes for a pretty great watch, with plenty of little details sprinkled throughout to differentiate it from the version we have tattooed on our brains.
With her wonderfully smoky voice, K Flay is more than up to the task of reinterpreting M.I.A’s signature laconic vox, and the swelling composition definitely takes this one over the line towards the very end.
A note to any artists tackling a Like A Version cover this year: bring strings.
