Watch Sam Smith Perform Choir-Assisted Cover Of Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under’

Sam Smith has delivered a sweeping rendition of Sam Fender’s “Seventeen Going Under”.

Performed for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge program, Smith’s cover is a slick take on Fender’s gritty anthem. The cover replaces the original’s jangly guitars with an elegant piano, while a wash of rising guitar leads take the place of the original’s bombastic horns, as Smith glides above the support of a 17-piece choir. You can check it out below.

Both artists are admirers of one another’s work: on his appearance on the same BBC program in 2019, Fender delivered an indie-rock flavoured cover of Smith’s hit “Dancing With A Stranger”.

Earlier this March on this year’s BandLab NME Awards, Sam Fender took home Best Album In The World and Best Album By A UK Artist with his second record, Seventeen Going Under, beating out records by Halsey, Little Simz and Tyler, the Creator.

Earlier this month, Fender cancelled his remaining North American tour dates for the year to look after his mental health. He was slated to perform in cities including New York City, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, alongside a festival set at Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful.

“It seems completely hypocritical of me to advocate discussion on mental health and write songs about it if I don’t take the time to look after my own mental health,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

Last week, Smith delivered their latest single “Unholy,” set to appear on their forthcoming fourth studio album. On the new single, Smith teams up with pop juggernaut Kim Petras to shed light on some hidden escapades they’ve seen go down in the dark.

“Dirty, dirty boy, you know everyone is talking on the scene / I hear them whispering ‘bout the places that you been / And how you don’t know how to keep your business clean,” Smith teases over pulsing production that skitters with the tense anxiety of someone who’s been caught red handed.

Listen to the best of Sam Smith on Apple Music and Spotify.