Phoebe Bridgers Covers Nirvana's 'Lithium' on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge
Phoebe Bridgers covered Nirvana's 1991 classic 'Lithium' in an acoustic arrangement for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, in an episode broadcast Wednesday, August 19. In the same session, she performed 'Lost Boys' — the lead single from her third solo album, Lost Weekend — and the album track 'Bobby'. NME reports the full session audio is now live on BBC platforms.
What was performed
- 'Lithium' (Nirvana cover)
- 'Lost Boys'
- 'Bobby'
Recorded before a health scare
According to NME, the session was likely recorded before Bridgers fell ill with appendicitis. A run of small UK shows scheduled for this week was canceled as a result. Bridgers posted a photo from her hospital bed on Instagram Stories, writing "I got appendicitis for my birthday," indicating her UK dates have all been postponed.
Lost Weekend and a six-year gap
Lost Weekend was released on August 14, marking Bridgers' third solo studio album and her first solo release in six years — a gap during which she was active as a member of the supergroup boygenius. Bridgers recently explained why the album took "forever" to make.
Taylor Swift is among the album's public supporters, calling it an "absolute triumph in every way." NME gave the album five stars, with critic Erica Campbell describing the record as "staggering, strange and stirring," writing that it is Bridgers' reckoning with herself and with the love and loss that shaped her songwriting.