Check out the new version of ‘Nightcall’ from Phoenix, Kavinsky and Angèle
The trio of acts performed the 'Drive' song together at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony
by Tom Skinner · NMEKavinsky has shared a new version of ‘Nightcall’ featuring Phoenix and Angèle – you can listen to it below.
The French electronic musician co-wrote and co-produced the synth-pop single with Daft Punk‘s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Originally released in 2010, the song went on to soundtrack the opening sequence to the Ryan Gosling-starring film Drive (2011) – leading to a surge in its popularity.
Last month saw Kavinsky team up with Phoenix during the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024. They delivered a collaborative performance of ‘Nightcall’ with Belgian singer Angèle. CSS vocalist Lovefoxxx sang on the 2010 studio version.
Following the Olympics outing, the track broke the record for most Shazamed song in a single day ever. An official release for the joint reimagining was then teased earlier this week.
Today (September 20), the sped-up 2024 take on ‘Nightcall’ has arrived on streaming platforms. Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars and Angèle both contributed vocals to the re-recording, with Phoenix credited as producers.
Watch the official lyric video above, and see the cover artwork by Warren Fu (Daft Punk, The Strokes, The Weeknd).
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The single was teased via a phone line where fans heard a conversation between Mars and Angèle. “The song is ready, do you want to hear it?” Mars asked, to which Angèle replied: “Yes, of course. Let’s go.”
Mars continued: “OK, cool. Let me add Kavinsky to the call right now.” A snippet of the new ‘Nightcall’ then began to play.
Speaking to NME in 2022, Kavinsky reflected on the huge “sudden success” of ‘Nightcall’. “[…] I didn’t really want to record again at that moment,” he explained. “I sensed some pressure; I was scared.”
He continued: “I was scared to imagine what my music was going to be after this success. I took two steps back and started to imagine what I was going to record after that, at my own pace. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next.
“It allowed me to breathe some fresh air; it allowed me to think and it allowed people to forget about me for a little bit so that when I felt ready to return, I could perhaps try new things.”
Lupe Fiasco, Childish Gambino, Vinny Cha$e & Kid Art and Will Young have all sampled ‘Nightcall’, and London Grammar covered the song on their 2013 debut album ‘If You Wait’.