Listen to Lucy Dacus’ Cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’ on BBC Radio 1
Lucy Dacus performed her own magic trick on Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.”
The Boygenius star joined BBC Radio 1 this week, where she covered Gaga’s Mayhem hit. While Gaga’s version is punchy and anthemic, Dacus strips it back for hers, singing alongside a pianist and acoustic guitarist, opting for a more ethereal, atmospheric feel with soaring harmonies and a slowed tempo.
“With a haunting dance, now you’re both in a trance/ It’s time to cast your spell on the night/ Abracadabra/ Amor oo na na/ Abra ca da bra,” she sings in the chorus.
Gaga’s MAYHEM debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated March 22, marking her seventh leader. The project earned 219,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 13, according to Luminate — the biggest week of the year for an album by a woman. It’s also Gaga’s largest streaming week of her career.
“Abracadabra,” meanwhile, debuted at No. 1 on the Feb. 15-dated Hot Dance/Pop Songs tally and climbed to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
Over the weekend, a group of 32 Gaga fans, affectionately known as Little Monsters, were chosen to go from “fan to featured” in a special edit of the “Abracadabra” music video. Gaga herself opens the clip, released by Mastercard. In the recreation of the track’s music video, directed by Parris Goebel — who also worked on the original — the fans have a blast while delivering a fierce, heartfelt performance of the Mayhem single’s choreo.
Rania Aniftos
Billboard
