Watch Tim Minchin play "the greatest (half) version of Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy ever recorded" for Triple J.
From The Interrupters to random deathcore renditions, Billie Eilish's Bad Guy has become a hugely popular song to cover since its release in 2019… but Tim Minchin has attempted arguably the most out-there version of the lot.
The Aussie comedian, actor, composer, songwriter, pianist and director took on Billie's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? smash single for Triple J's Like A Version for Requestival, busting out the accordion for a thoroughly entertaining performance of the song.
"Here’s the greatest (half) version of Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy ever recorded," he wrote afterwards (modestly). We have to say, we're inclined to agree.
Read this: Primus’ Les Claypool: "My daughter tells me I’m weird all the time”
During a behind-the-scenes interview for Triple J, Tim explained of the cover that, "We really wanted to push the boat out and make them super-entertaining and sort of funny. But this tune just sit so beautifully as a pop song, and all we really did was fattened up the harmonies and just changed the dynamic a bit.
"We started it really gentle, and held off a bit longer before it kicked in. It's more how you play it live – because it was live – where you find these big moments of dynamics."
Check it out below:
Of course, Tim is no snob when it comes to appreciating different genres (though he has to be in the right mood…), telling Kerrang! last year that he has a real fondness for Sia's Chandelier in particular.
"I quite often go, 'Hey, let’s have some music on!’ and then go, 'Eurgh, no, too much,'" he said. "Part of that is that I end up analysing it, part of it is that I have a lot of music in my life and enjoy silence, but also, if it’s shit, it annoys me. I’m not that judgmental, I listen to music across all genres, and I love pop. I love a good pop tune, but if it’s shit – the chorus is the same old chords, the melody is this bubblegum thing, I end up going, 'Fuck this!’ Like, if they’ve just applied a formula, taken another song, replaced the wrecking ball with a firework, inverted the melody and changed a chord so it doesn’t look like they’ve stolen it, I’m not a fan of that. But then you have songs like Chandelier, or Drunk In Love, or Crazy In Love, which are brilliant. I like all sorts of shit, but I also don’t like all sorts of shit.”
