Susan Boyle Expecting Beatles Fans Backlash for Covering John Lennon Song [VIDEOS]
Susan Boyle, the most famous contestant from “Britain’s Got Talent,” knows that she is set to anger Beatles fans when she releases her new album. The 53-year-old Scottish songstress has covered John Lennon’s “Imagine” for her sixth album “Hope.”
After selling over 20 million records worldwide, the church volunteer will be releasing a new album and is planning on a U.S. tour for the first time in October.
While it should be just another potential hitmaker for her, Boyle admitted that she is expecting rock fans to criticise her for daring to sing renditions of their idols’ songs.
“I hope I have done them justice in my own way,” the singer, also known as Su Bo, told the Herald Scotland. “John Lennon’s Imagine was one of the hardest to record, not because of the music or the vocals, but I wanted to do his song justice. Of course the die-hard Lennon fans will probably criticise but I hope that people like my personal take on the song.”
She also covered Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” in the album.
“Hope,” which she described as “a risk,” is themed “around inspiration and hope because those are two elements we all need in our life to drive us forward and inspire us to go out and capture our dreams – they worked for me.”
The album includes 10 tracks, including the abovementioned songs, as well as “I Can Only Imagine,” “Abide With Me,” “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” “The Impossible Dream,” “Oh Happy Day” and “You Raise Me Up.”
It will be released on November 24 in the UK, and on October 21 in the U.S.
Boyle found fame in 2009 when she auditioned for “Britain’s Got Talent.” Her unpretentious appearance fooled judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan into assuming she wasn’t a serious candidate, and therefore surprised them when she belted out “I Dreamed a Dream” flawlessly.
Her audition was watched by over 10 million viewers when it aired in the UK, and has received tens of millions of views when it was uploaded on YouTube.
Although she was the clear favourite to win the show, she only placed second, next to dance troupe Diversity.