Drawing us in with a brooding string arrangement of the iconic melody, Susie Cousins opens her cover of A-ha‘s 1985 hit Take On Me with mystique and atmospheric vocals as she shares the opening lyrics of the song, “Talking away, I don’t know what I’m to say but I’ll say it anyway, today is another day to find you, shyin’ away, I’ll be comin’ for your love, okay…”

For some context, the song is about the uncertainty, vulnerability and the almost dreamlike pursuit of romantic connection. The song taps into notions of reaching out to someone who appears hesitant to let themselves be fully seen. Susie Cousins takes that familiar idea and strips away the glossy 1980s synth-pop exterior. Her cover reveals something far more intimate and vulnerable.

A custom string arrangement, a live string quartet, and female vocals breathe new life into a pop masterpiece so loved for decades. We immediately connect with the transformation. Rather than attempting to replicate the original’s enormous pop energy, Susie Cousins creates an almost chamber-pop interpretation. There is something almost sacred about hearing such a familiar song placed into a completely different sonic environment. The nostalgia remains, but the frequency has shifted.

We could imagine fans of Cowboy Junkies, This Mortal Coil, Mazzy Star and London Grammar connecting with this more atmospheric and vulnerable interpretation. The live strings are sublime. The quartet creating a sense of movement beneath the vocals rather than simply functioning as decoration. We also love the decision to have the musicians play together in the room, allowing the individual microphones and natural room sound to become part of the live recording. It gives the track an organic imperfection that feels increasingly meaningful in an era of hyper-edited production.

There is no doubt that Take On Me would be perfect for a sync placement in films such as Lost in Translation, Past Lives, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Worst Person in the World, The Perks of Being a Wallflower or Aftersun. On television, we could imagine it working well within Normal People, The White Lotus, Black Mirror or Stranger Things. It could even work in a show like Love Island or Love Is Blind.

What makes the release even more interesting is Susie Cousins’ classical background. As a lifelong musician, songwriter, composer and educator, she has written an album, two EPs and numerous singles, alongside choral and classical compositions and soundtracks for documentaries.

Susie explains that she has always loved A-ha, particularly Morten Harket‘s soaring vocals, but it was hearing the acoustic version of Take On Me that inspired her to translate the song to strings. She says, “I decided that would be the perfect song to translate to strings and I loved arranging this.”

Perhaps most importantly, she describes the track as everything AI music is not: live strings, live vocals, human arrangement, nuance and emotion, with even the artwork hand-drawn by a local artist. We deeply connect with that philosophy. In a world increasingly obsessed with frictionless perfection, Take On Me feels like a reminder that the imperfections created by real people can carry their own kind of beauty.

The recording took place at Ol Elegante studio in Birmingham, Alabama, where Susie has recorded her other work, while the strings were captured playing simultaneously, preserving the interaction between musicians and the acoustic environment. She will also perform this and other covers at Girls Rock Fest, celebrating women in music.

Needless to say, we are in awe of this beautiful reimagining and have added Take On Me to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Susie Cousins, including Revelation, Starless, and Tuesday’s Child.

The post Susie Cousins transforms a-ha’s iconic 1980s hit with live strings, atmospheric vocals and an intimate new perspective on Take On Me appeared first on KIMU.