Blake Shelton's Edgy Black Crowes "She Talks to Angels" Cover Is a Tear-Jerker
Shelton never fails to deliver the chills when he tackles rock n' roll classics.
Long before he became a household name as a beloved Coach on The Voice, Blake Shelton flexed his powerhouse performer status far and wide. During a 2008 show in Nashville, for example, Shelton graced fans with a haunting, stripped-down rendition of The Black Crowes' "She Talks to Angels" that will have any fan reaching for the tissues.
Shelton always excels at vocal storytelling, but his 2008 cover of The Black Crowes' 1990 single is downright goosebumps-inducing. Known for his smooth baritone and magnetic stage presence, The Voice's Country King brought a raw, emotional edge to the rock ballad, putting a rustic spin on the soulful original. Handling the song's dark subject matter with reverence, Shelton injected emotion into each verse while losing himself to the performance. While his velvety timbre perfectly complemented The Black Crowes' hit, the set showcased Shelton's chameleonic range and versatility behind the mic.
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"She Talks to Angels" is a ballad that builds, and Shelton handled the summit like a master, culminating in a rock n' roll-revved gospel performance. Watch Shelton's emotional cover of The Black Crowes' "She Talks to Angels" here.
About The Black Crowes' "She Talks to Angels"
"She Talks to Angels" was released in 1990 from The Black Crowes' debut album Shake Your Money Maker, later peaking at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by The Black Crowes co-founders and brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, "She Talks to Angels" details the life of a woman battling drug addiction.
During VH1's 1996 episode of The Black Crowes Storytellers, Robinson revealed that "She Talks to Angels" isn't based on any actual woman but instead "a hotdog" of people he and his brother knew from Atlanta's '90s club scene (via Rock Reflections). Chris Robinson endearingly compared this friend group to "a hotdog" because they were "not all the best parts for you."
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"'She Talks to Angels' is a funny song in that so many people resonate with it," Robinson said in an interview with Songfacts. "The dark details like drugs and things like that would be a part of growing up and being in this world, but when I wrote that song, I had no idea. I hadn't done any of those things. I hadn't lived that; everything was in my imagination."
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