Earlier this year, Banks opened for The Weeknd on his Kiss Land North American tour. During a recent Maida Vale session for BBC Radio 1, the soulful songstress decided to show her gratitude with a cover of the House of Balloons track “What You Need”. Even with guitars in the place of low-rumbling synths, the track retains its dark and sexy minimalism. The shift, then, comes with the vocals: whereas Weeknd responded to the grittier soundscape with a slightly-distorted croon, Banks sounds as warm and vibrant as ever, helping to crack the song’s icy exterior and let a little more sensuality shine through. Listen below.
