Hear Karen O and Willie Nelson Cover Bowie and Queen's Classic "Under Pressure"

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Oct 28, 2020

Karen O and Willie Nelson have teamed up to cover "Under Pressure" — the classic 1981 song by David Bowie and Queen.

The track comes featuring Karen O's Yeah Yeah Yeahs bandmate Nick Zinner on guitar, with production coming from TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. Also included are Imaad Wasif, Johnny Hanson, Micah Nelson and Priscilla Ahn.

While the team-up of Karen O and Willie Nelson may seem unlikely, she explained that it all started when she asked Nelson via a mutual friend if he would be willing to do a duet.

"At this point my mind was melting but I had to focus and pull a song out of the ether that was worthy of a living legend and spoke to the people in troubled times, not an easy assignment," she explained in a statement. "Then like a bolt out of the blue 'Under Pressure' came to mind — I've heard this song countless times without processing the gravity of what Bowie and Freddie were singing about, maybe because their performances are so exhilarating you get swept away in the high of that duet."

She continued: "Our cover was meant to be more intimate but just as saturated with the power of love.I can't listen to this song without tearing up every time Willie comes in, one of the purest voices which of course reflects a pure heart, and I get to sing alongside it. I never knew if it was actually going to happen but you must dare to dream. I hope the song brings as much light to the listener as it has to me in dark times."

Check out their "Under Pressure" cover below.

Latest Coverage