Cody Simpson Covers Chris Brown, Rihanna on “Angels & Gentlemen”

Posted by Emily Exton on 04/29/2012 at 4:12 PM News

The Popdust Files: angels and gentlemen, beautiful people, calvin harris, chris brown, cody simpson, feel so close, Paradise, rihanna, you da one

Following the example set by Scooter Braun and his other famous client, Cody Simpson is putting his penchant for covering his peers into one conveniently organized listening experience. No, not YouTube—that’s so the move of someone without a record deal. To show off the extracurricular work he’s been doing over the last year, Simpson released free mixtape Angels & Gentlemen—a clever nod to both the flattering name for his fan base and what he strives to be on a daily basis, natch—this week, in advance of his debut album, Paradise. It’s the least he can do if he’s going to make his ardent supporters wait an entire month for his very first LP.

Simpson has been open about his eclectic tastes, and the eight tracks serve as further proof that the 15-year-old has many musical weapons available to him; the cover art proves he really does love him some Drake. His recent take on “Feel So Close” makes the cut, which he classifies as a remix, as well as a previously unheard stab at Rihanna’s “You Da One,” which falls under the “re-imagination” label. Auto-tune is relied on heavily across the board, but it’s his straightforward cover of Chris Brown’s “Beautiful People” that sounds the most eerily similar to the Breezy original. Yes, for those born in 1997, Chris Brown is a musical role model. Check out the tracklisting and treat yourselves to a preview below.

Angels & Gentlemen

1. Angels (Intro)
2. Feel So Close (Calvin Harris Remix)
3. Beautiful People (Chris Brown Cover)
4. You Da One (Rihanna Re-Imagination)
5. Interlude
6. Evenings In London (Drake Re-Imagination)
7. What You Wanted (The Weeknd Re-Imagination)
8. Better Together (Jack Johnson Cover)
9. Gentlemen (Outro)

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