As the pop industry slowly shifts towards focusing on viral singles over powerful bodies of work like albums, release strategies differ and one thing that's lost in this noise is a little something from single releases of the past, which is acoustic versions of singles. Lifted from the vinyl days where artists would employ a B-side single, or alternate takes on the original, acoustic versions of songs whilst still viable, are now more of a rarity than commonplace. Holding onto that magic is London-based electro-pop artist Lucy Whittaker, with a piano-led her rendition of her future house-infused pop hit "Hate Me" from September of last year.
Speaking to the release, Lucy states via email that "I recorded "Hate Me" acoustically because I wanted to show another side to me. [The track] is about an ex who can’t let go – they want you, they know that they want you, and they hate that they want you. I feel like the acoustic version really gives the track space to breathe, and I hope people love hearing something different from me.”
Swapping the pizzicato synths for a gripping piano-led performance, Lucy aptly displays the breadth of her talent, and how it far beyond extends from her releases as an artist. Her transposition provides such a wider palette of colours to the original arrangement, adding multiple layers of emotion, and opens up the song for a deeper level of personal interpretation and connection to the lyrics. Delivered with her apparent down-to-earth mantra, Whittaker proves that she's clearly overflowing with talent, and we can't wait to see what's next.
