This morning, Ed Sheeran performed a six-song set for BBC Radio 1 in their Live Lounge, and he kicked things off with a cover of Christina Aguilera’s 2002 single, “Dirrty.” The soulful musician transformed Aguilera’s raunchy and hard-hitting ode to getting down on the dance floor into a stripped back acoustic song, ditching the leather chaps and bikini top of Aguilera’s performances in favor of a more organic sound and image. Sheeran displayed his talents as an artist, delivering Aguilera’s rapid lyrics and then fearlessly tackling a rapped verse that was originally done by Redman. Hours before taking the stage, Sheeran revealed that the song he originally intended to cover was not approved, implying that he and his band had to learn “Dirrty” overnight.
Alongside his cover of “Dirrty,” the musician also played several of his own original music, including his current single, “Bloodstream,” the emotional ballad, “Thinking Out Loud,” and “Don’t.” This is not Sheeran’s first time appearing in the Live Lounge for BBC Radio 1. In fact, this is Sheeran’s third appearance in less than a year. Previously, he has performed covers of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” and Hozier’s “Take Me To Church.” After he finished up in the Live Lounge, close friend and fellow musician Taylor Swift joined Sheeran to play Edz or Taylz, a game created by Radio 1 that tested the friend’s knowledge of one another. The duo were asked questions about the other such as where they were born or who their celebrity crush was, and the person who got the most answers right was able to post a tweet on the other’s Twitter account. After a heated game, Sheeran was announced the winner.
Later this week, Sheeran will be taking the stage at the BRIT Awards on Wednesday, February 25, 2015. Others who will be taking the stage include Madonna, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, and several others. He is also nominated for several awards, including British Male Solo Artist and British Single of the Year (for “Thinking Out Loud”).
“Dirrty” was the lead single off of Christina Aguilera’s 2002 Stripped album. The release was intended to distance the musician from the youthful image she had been promoting in the past. Aguilera’s release of the single was very polarizing; she established herself as a sex symbol with the highly erotic music video, but she garnered criticism for the overtly sexual lyrics and image. As a result, the single did not perform as well as Aguilera’s past releases, barely cracking the top half of the Billboard Hot 100 charts. However, the single has become a fan favorite, and Aguilera frequently performs it. In 2006, the musician revisited the single by recording a follow-up track titled “Still Dirrty,” which can be found on her Back To Basics album. Currently, Christina Aguilera has reclaimed her seat as a judge on the singing competition, The Voice, and she is in the process of recording a new album.
FDRMX Eyes: The Dodos recently premiered their music video for “Competition.” Members Meric Long and Logan Kroeber are given the chance to show off their dance skills.
[jwplatform tZmkBw6N-daFoP3nJ]