Janelle Monáe gives David Bowie's 'Heroes' an update in Pepsi campaign [LISTEN]

R&B songstress Janelle Monáe has released a cover of David Bowie's iconic 1977 track "Heroes" as part of Pepsi's 2014 "Now Is What You Make It" campaign. A Bowie disciple herself, she tells Rolling Stone that she was confident that her version would make The Thin White Duke, who is also a Monáe fan, proud.

As Rolling Stone notes, the remake sticks to the song's chord changes and buildup while replacing the slow-burning guitar with heavy synths, essentially transforming the track into an EDM/New Wave hybrid.

"Bowie is part of my musical DNA in so many ways," Monáe told them. "And 'Heroes' is one of my favorite Bowie songs. When you love your favorite song, you want to keep some of the beautiful qualities of the original, but we brought Atlanta in the drums and wanted them to be thick and hit hard. It's like us reimagining it. I thought, 'If this song was in my dream, how would it get from our dream to my reality?'"

The lyrical message also resonated with Monáe, who describes the track as "very hopeful," adding "I try to inspire and lead by example and be the change that I want to see. So this song is a poster child for just that."

Monáe filmed an interactive video for the campaign's track in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil along with a handful of global soccer stars. The track will be featured in a Pepsi Max FutbolNow commercial during the 2014 World Cup, NME reports.

Check out the track here, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Tags

Janelle Monae, David Bowie