After an outpouring of requests from fans online, English singer-songwriter Declan McKenna has shared a full studio version of ABBA‘s “Slipping Through My Fingers.” Released today (December 15), his acoustic rendition offers a sparse, intimate take on the beloved Swedish pop band’s 1981 single.
Videos by American Songwriter
Earlier this year, a recorded segment of McKenna singing the track during a livestream performance went viral on TikTok. The clip shows the 24-year-old talent singing the song’s chorus and playing acoustic guitar, quickly drawing comparisons to a young Paul McCartney.
The unexpected interest in McKenna’s off-the-cuff cover caught the alt-pop artist by surprise. His choice to record and release the track for fans while in the midst of promoting his upcoming third album, What Happened to the Beach?, is an unorthodox one. Still, McKenna is approaching the unpredicted, algorithm-driven success of his cover with a sense of humor.
“My full cover of slipping through my fingers is out now on all streaming platforms, I put a whole 2 and a half hours into recording and mixing this thing so please stream it as much as humanly possible & send it to Christmas number one so my back breaking work is not all in vain,” McKenna joked in a social media post.
“Slipping Through My Fingers” was included on ABBA’s eighth studio album, The Visitors. The track was written as an homage to the young daughter of band members Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, who provides lead vocals on the song’s original version.
[RELATED: The Revolutionary Meaning Behind ABBA’s Freedom-Fighting “Fernando”]
Next month, McKenna will embark on an extensive tour across the U.K. and Europe in support of What Happened to the Beach? You can find a complete list of tour dates and additional ticketing information by visiting his official website.
Listen to “Slipping Through My Fingers” below:
Photo by Henry Pearce, courtesy of Tomplicated Records/Q Prime
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