So I'm flipping through Spotify a couple of days ago and I hear THIS.
JoJo Siwa covering a nearly-forgotten 80's classic song was NOT on my 2025 bingo card. However, it's pretty solid - an electronic update of the Kim Carnes classic. Her raspiness matches the song well.
But let's talk about the 1981 Kim Carnes version - which adds a sultry breathiness to the raspiness. THIS version - Carnes's biggest (but not only - she isn't a one-hit wonder) - spent nine weeks at number one on the US charts, and won the Grammys for Song and Record of the Year.
The song also reached gold and platinum status, and Carnes sent gold and platinum records to Bette Davis herself - who was very appreciative of the song and of course hung those gifts up prominently.
So the thing about the Grammy for Song of the Year - it's a songwriter award. Kim Carnes did not write this song. Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon wrote this song, so they won the Grammy.
However, even though they won the Grammy in 1982, they WROTE the song in 1974, and DeShannon was the original artist. Although her version is VERY different, I don't think she was terribly upset that her song was made into a hit by Carnes.
I thought it would be a fun detour here to hear a man cover the song.
So who better than Liga Joe, from Brazil? We've featured them before. This is straight-ahead rock and I don't really care where they're from - this is a great song.
Other artists, however, have made this song into a hit. Shockingly, Gwyneth Paltrow is one of them.
Anyway, this version - from the movie Duet - went platinum in Australia, and was a top five hit there. And, although not as raspy, it's still well done.
Although Taylor freaking Swift performed the song live, and did so beautifully on an acoustic guitar, it did not become a hit from her.
That does not mean it wasn't great.
T-Swift isn't the only pop superstar to cover this song live. Kylie Minogue did it, too, and did it a little less acoustically.
And we come back full circle to JoJo, who performed it live before she went into a studio.
Not gonna lie - I like this version better. The raspiness is more natural.
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