Hear Lupe Fiasco's version of "Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams)"
Lupe's demo, which was intended for his album Lasers, doesn't differ too radically from Bobby Ray's version: Williams' vocal contributions are exactly the same, and the symphonic, piano-powered instrumentation is intact. Still, it's interesting to hear the lyrical differences: Lupe tells a story of two lovers who are surviving an apocalyptic nightmare, while B.o.B uses the track as a springboard for rapping about his sudden rise to success.
This isn't the first time Fiasco, who butted heads over the release of Lasers with his label Atlantic, has recorded demos that were later used by fellow artists on his label. The rapper originally cut a version of "Nothin' on You," later turned into a smash hit by B.o.B and Bruno Mars.
Paramore - William's Conflict Over Cosmo Cover
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams had mixed feelings about posing for the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine after spending years trying to avoid the spotlight at the start of her career.
In a post on the band's blog, the star writes, "I wanna talk about the Cosmo cover... as much as I tell myself I don't care and I wear whatever I want... there will always be those moments when I'm at the check out line at (U.S. retailer) Target and I see some gorgeous person on the cover of any ol (sic) rag... and I'm like 'Ugh, is that how it's gotta be!?' only to realise that... next month, that girl on the cover is gonna be me. What a hypocrite right?!?!
It never made people focus on me any less... So this time I'm taking a different approach. All three of us in Paramore have our own roles. And finally I will accept mine. I'm going to be okay with being a 'powerful female'. I'm going to use that role to make a difference."
The singer admits the experience was liberating, and she hopes the cover will inspire her fans to feel good about themselves, too.
She adds, "I'm hoping that the more a magazine will take a chance on a girl like me, the more a girl will have a frickin chance in hell to be unique, powerful, strong in her weaknesses, confident in her flaws."