By Madison • 2 Comments
Collaborations are common in the world of music, but sometimes unexpected artists get together and it can result in some surprising musical collaborations. While some interesting duets miss the mark, others exceed expectations. The surprising musical collaborations on this list may sound odd, but I can promise you they are actually quite amazing!
"Over and Over" by Nelly and Tim McGraw is one of the surprising musical collaborations that turned out to be great. The song was released in 2004 on Nelly’s album “Suit.” The surprising collaboration between a rapper and country singer was received quite well, earning a place at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Even after all these years, I still love this song!
By now, I’m sure you have heard Kendrick Lamar’s "Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe," but did you know Lady Gaga was originally supposed to do the female vocals on the track? The story goes that Gaga didn’t get her vocals submitted in time for it to be featured on the album. However, Gaga released the version with her vocals for fans to enjoy anyway. The two may seem like an unlikely pair to sing together, but both have stated they are fans of each other’s work. I love both versions of the song, but I am partial to this one since Kendrick and Gaga are two of my favorite artists.
When Elton John joined Eminem on stage at the 2001 Grammys, everyone was shocked. Elton played the piano and sang Dido’s chorus for Eminem’s song "Stan" for the performance. With Eminem’s homophobic lyrics, this was one collaboration no one saw coming. I love that they did the song together and Elton’s voice adds a nice dimension to the song.
She Wants Revenge is an alternative rock band with punk and gothic influences, so who would have expected them to appear on a Timbaland track? Surprisingly, it works! Timbaland’s sound actually works well with the vocals of the She Wants Revenge duo. The song, "Time," is better than you might imagine!
The song "Walk This Way" was originally released by rock group Aerosmith in the '70s. However, in 1986, then up-coming rap group Run-DMC covered the song with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The song is credited with creating the sub-genre of rap rock as well as helping make hip hop mainstream. Yes, the collaboration is THAT good!
It may have seemed like an odd choice to put Rihanna’s vocals on a Coldplay song, but "Princess of China" was written with her in mind. Although the pairing is surprising, the song is amazing. In my opinion, it is one of the best Coldplay songs. The song did well internationally and peaked at #20 in the US.
Jack White is one of the greatest guitarists and musical artists of our generation. Alicia Keys is one of the princesses of R&B. There is no denying that each of the artists are among the best in their field, but who would have thought of the two of them collaborating? White and Keys got together to record "Another Way to Die," written by Jack White, for the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace. White plays the guitar, drums, and sings, and Keys also does vocals. This may be one of the most amazing musical collaborations of all time!
I am in love with each of these surprising musical collaborations. I love when artists get together from different genres to blend their unique styles and create new sounds. Which of these collaborations are your favorites? And what other surprising collaborations can you think of that are really good? Give us your input in the comments!