Overview
- Annie Clark performed David Bowie’s 1975 classic on The Late Show on Wednesday, calling it the only song that makes her break down and cry.
- Her version traded the proto-disco feel for a guitar-driven rock arrangement with forceful, reshaped vocals.
- She replaced Bowie’s Nixon reference with President Biden and closed with the line “I’m afraid of Americans,” nodding to Bowie and Trent Reznor.
- The staging included arm-length black gloves, a cadet cap, pantomimed lyrics, and an operatic a cappella “break down and cry.”
- In a pre-show chat, she said she hopes Erykah Badu, Doechii, and the Slits will cover her songs and noted earlier this week she played a six-song set of her own material at Rolling Stone’s holiday party.