‘Universal Love’ is a 6 track EP that sees a bunch of great artists cover classic songs.
So far, so brilliant.
What makes it even more interesting/important/powerful is that all the songs have been reworked to give them a same-sex twist. The Crystals’ ‘And Then He Kissed Me’ becomes St Vincent’s ‘And Then She Kissed Me’. Janis Joplin’s ‘I Need a Man to Love’ becomes Kesha’s ‘I Need A Woman To Love’. The Temptations’ ‘My Girl’ becomes Kele Okereke’s ‘My Guy’ and so on, with Benjamin Gibbard, Bob Dylan and Valerie June also appearing.
According to The New York Times, “The album was funded by MGM Resorts International and its songs are intended to function as wedding anthems for same-sex couples. To secure the right to perform the songs with altered lyrics, permission was required from the songs’ publishers. ‘The response was completely positive,’ said Rob Kaplan, the project’s executive producer.
You can stream the whole of ‘Universal Love’ below.