Erykah Badu: “HOTLINE BLING BUT U CAINT USE MY PHONE MIX”

You can call Erykah Badu’s hotline, but you can’t use her phone. Last night the fairy godmother of soul shared a cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” one she co-wrote with Seven Benjamin, her son with Andre 3000. The warped bouncy track reworks the hook as she sings, “you used to call me on my cell-u-lar de-vice at night.” There’s even a faux hotline interlude recording mid-song:

“You’ve reached the Erykah Badu hotline. If you’re calling for Erykah, press 1. If you’re calling to wish her a happy birthday, Kwanzaa, MLK, Black History Month, Juneteenth, or Hanukkah, press 2. If you’re calling because you just saw her on BET, MTV, or any of the social media outlets and you’re checking to make sure you’re still in good standing, press 3. If you’re calling to beg for some sh-t in general, press 4. If you’re calling to beg for the sh-t but this is that pre-call before the actual begging, press 5. If you’ve already made the pre-call and this is the actual call to beg, press 6….”

You can stream the track above, and judging from the SoundCloud description, there might even be a mixtape titled BUT U CAINT USE MY PHONE in the works.

Lady Gaga & Nile Rodgers, “I Want Your Love”

Fashion icon Tom Ford typically doesn’t do anything you would expect when it comes to premiering his new season’s line. Ford tapped Lady Gaga to rework Chic’s 1979 hit “I want Your Love,” and the pop star teamed with Chic founder Nile Rodgers for a double dose of disco and present-day pop. The singer strikes a pose in the designer’s new womenswear campaign video, as the models prance the runway to the shuffling upped rhythm. It’s a plugged remake that mashes Rodgers and Gaga’s signature styles for Ford’s catwalk vision.

Check out the video and song above and at TomFord.com.

Childish Gambino, “So Into You”

There’s no way around it: Childish Gambino can really sing. Dropping by Australian radio station Triple J this week, the sensitive artist opted to perform a cover of Tamia’s ‘90s classic “So Into You.”

When asked why the song is special to him, Gambino blamed it on being young and in love. “There was a couple of girls I used to date who would always say ‘I love this song’, and I was like ‘Me too!’”

We could say it’s a left-field pick for Gambino, but judging by his overall range and capability, it’s the perfect tender jam for his vocal register.