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John Legend & John Mayer Are the Smoothest Duo Covering "Lilac Wine" Together
John Legend’s piano and John Mayer’s guitar are meant to be together.
What happens when a world-renowned guitarist and an award-winning vocalist take the stage for a duet? You get one of the best versions of "Lilac Wine" ever to be captured on film!
During a 2015 episode of the Late Late Show, John Legend and John Mayer teamed up for an epic rendition of the underrated classic. The performance was soulful, beautiful, and everything fans could have hoped for!
Watch the unbelievable duet here.
Although he didn't contribute his signature understated vocals, Mayer's intricate guitar work served as the perfect backdrop to the silky-smooth piano playing and soulful singing Legend provided, and the end result is absolutely magic. This version of "Lilac Wine" represents what happens when two super-talented artists come together to share the spotlight and complement each other in every way.
It's impossible not to get the chills when The Voice Coach sings, "Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love / Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love," as Mayer expertly layers his guitar alongside Legend's voice.
(Would anybody complain if Mayer laid some low-key-gorgeous guitar licks over some of Legend's biggest hits? Fans would go wild!)
This performance comes three years after Legend revealed his admiration for this song in a 2012 social media post. It's almost as if the 45-year-old manifested everything from the beginning:
"Musical inspiration this morning - Nina Simone - Lilac Wine. Beautiful," Legend wrote, calling attention to one of the better-known versions of the tune.
In fact, that's one way to describe his and Mayer's version of the song: beautiful.
Here's what to know about "Lilac Wine"
Written in 1950 by the American Broadway actor, composer, and writer James Shelton, "Lilac Wine" has been covered by many prominent artists, including Simone, Elkie Brooks, and Jeff Buckley. Brooks is the only artist to date to earn commercial success with her version of the song, reaching number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in 1978.
(Could Legend record a studio version of "Lilac Wine" that could top the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the United States? We're sure his millions of fans think so!
Fans of The Voice will recognize the song as part of Miley Cyrus' YouTube series The Backyard Sessions. In 2013, the Grammy-winning artist uploaded many live performances of her all-time favorite songs, and "Lilac Wine" made the list!
