Bruno Mars’ and Lady Gaga’s “Die With A Smile” was one of 2024’s biggest hits. But when the ladies of Postmodern Jukebox took on the instant classic, they made the pop song sound like a vintage dream, completely restyling the song to make it sound like a 1940s-inspired cover!
Performed by the pastel-gowned Effie Passero, Sara Niemietz, and Tatum Langley, this cover has gone internet viral, like the bulk of Postmodern Jukebox’s YouTube-famous covers, amassing over 698,000 views within just five months. Music Man readers can watch the magic unfold in the video below.
Backed by a live jazz band, the vocal trio summons sweetness with their first notes; bright and sparkling voices capturing a golden mood reminiscent of post-war euphoria. Leaving no room for solos, the trio’s warm, glassy and ‘close’ harmonies are instantly breathtaking, tapping into the vintage sounds of barbershop quartets and crackling vinyl reclaimed from your grandad’s attic.
As the iconic chorus hits, the jazz band switches up the original pop groove for a retro swing beat, the vocalists accentuating the new beat with some flashback girl group choreography, while reinventing the melody to suit their new upbeat, dance-worthy atmospheres. You can hear Bruno and Gaga’s original simmering beneath the surface, flavored with radiant charm and a sunny approach.
Not heard the original tune in a while? Check out Bruno and Gaga’s record-breaking original in the clip above, and get ready to compare and contrast their Grammy-nominated power ballad with Postmodern Jukebox’s own spring-fresh rendition!
This is far from the first vintage-inspired cover Postmodern Jukebox has posted on YouTube. With over 6.47 million subscribers, this group, featuring an ever-revolving cast of lead vocalists, scored their first viral vid back in 2013, covering Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” before wowing fans with retro renditions of Radiohead’s “Creep,” Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and even a “Singin’ In The Rain” inspired cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.”
Even after 10 years of success, fans can’t get over the magic of Postmodern Jukebox’s recent rendition, with one top commenter on this “Die With A Smile” performance writing, “People call it cover, but I think that this is art.”
While some fans are taken aback by the ladies’ ruffled dresses and flawless flashback aesthetic, others have been held spellbound by their voices, with one viewer praising, “I already liked the original version, but this one sounds like a fairy tale,” and another noticing, “Three absolute professionals at work: They blend in and harmonize like they have been singing together for 20 years, already. Mindblowing!”
But despite the exuberant joy this cover exudes, one viewer noticed an eerie semblance between Postmodern Jukebox’s favored retro era and our own, ominously commenting: “We reprise our role in America the sequel, stand at the edge of Depression and war, and the music is so fine.”