We don’t know about you, but at 12 years old the only things we were good at was avoiding cooties. But if you were Ella Yelich-O’Connor, by the 6th grade you were already carving a path to becoming international pop sensation Lorde.
At the tender age of 12 O’Connor covered Kings Of Leon’s 2008 hit single Use Somebody for Radio New Zealand. The acoustic cover, which was posted a while ago but made the rounds on the internet today, stays true to the original melody but you can already hear her distinctive vocals, now so recognisable thanks to mega hits like Royals.
Where the original is a bellowing stadium anthem. O’Connor’s stripped back take really emphasises the longing message of Use Somebody, and projects an understanding of the single’s sentiment well beyond her years.
For those who have dug into her history, such a quality cover from a pre-adolescent Lorde probably comes as little surprise. Footage of Lorde performing with her intermediate school band Extreme, in 2009, made its way onto the internet sometime ago.
Don’t worry, we’ve included that clip too. You can listen to 12-year Lorde cover Kings Of Leon, and Rainbow, below.
