Bonnie McKee Marks Season With Intimate ‘Hallelujah’ – Premiere
Pop singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee nestles by the fireplace for this intimate, heartfelt rendition of Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah.” Aided by Christmas lights and light guitar, McKee – who has co-written a staggering 10 Number One singles for the likes of Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Ke$ha, Christina Aguilera, Taio Cruz and more – casts a delicate spell in the accompanying holiday-themed video.
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“I wanted to make a video for the holidays but none of the traditional holiday songs were moving me,” McKee tells Rolling Stone. “I know ‘Hallelujah’ isn’t actually a Christmas song, but it has that cozy, haunting vibe that sounds like a winter’s night and belongs by a fire. It’s still and reflective, one of the most beautiful descriptions of the sparkling highs and devastating lows of falling in love, and perfectly captures the thrilling rapture and free-falling fear we feel when we dare to really show ourselves to another person. This is my interpretation of Leonard Cohen’s poetic masterpiece.”
“Hallelujah” comes on the heels of McKee’s recent single “American Girl.” As a songwriter, McKee has co-penned some of Perry’s biggest hits (“Teenage Dream,” “Roar”) plus Spears’ “Hold It Against Me” and Cruz’s “Dynamite.” For her efforts, McKee won BMI Pop Awards in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
McKee’s new album will be released by Epic Records in early 2014.