Elton John and Years & Years‘ Olly Alexander teamed up for a cover of Pet Shop Boys‘ ‘It’s A Sin’ at the BRIT Awards 2021 tonight (May 11).
- READ MORE: Here are the winners from the BRIT Awards 2021
After teasing the live collaboration on social media yesterday (May 10), the pair took to The O2 Arena stage for a spectacular performance of the 1987 single – which inspired the title of Russell T Davies’ recent drama, starring Alexander.
A studio version of the joint cover – produced by Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers, Scissor Sisters) alongside the Pet Shop Boys – is now available to stream/download here, with proceeds going towards the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“By fighting together, we’ve changed the world.” David Furnish introduces ‘It’s A Sin’ ? #BRITs pic.twitter.com/dstLWTKn6i
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) May 11, 2021
The incredible @eltonofficial and @yearsandyears perform their brand new charity single ‘It’s A Sin’ in support of Elton John AIDS Foundation ? #BRITs
You can download the track now: https://t.co/1llrPerdNW pic.twitter.com/9bOMYBuwqV
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) May 11, 2021
Introducing the collaborative BRITs performance this evening, Elton John’s husband David Furnish compared the reaction to the coronavirus pandemic to that of the AIDs outbreak – which he said was met with “silence” in 1981.
“People with HIV and AIDs were treated with ignorance, fear, shame and stigma,” Furnish added. “That silence allowed AIDs to grow into the greatest disease affecting our planet. But we fought back.”
Airing on Channel 4 earlier this year, the five-part It’s A Sin shone a light on the AIDS crisis of the early 1980s. Alexander portrayed Ritchie Tozer alongside a cast including Keeley Hawes (Valerie Tozer), Callum Scott Howells (Colin Morris-Jones) and Lydia West (Jill Baxter).
Hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall, this year’s BRIT Awards ceremony opened with Coldplay performing their new single ‘Higher Power’ from a pontoon on the River Thames. Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks, Headie One and more also took to the stage at The O2 Arena throughout the evening.
Winners included Haim (International Group), Arlo Parks (Breakthrough Artist), Dua Lipa (Female Solo Artist, Mastercard Album Of The Year) and J Hus (Male Solo Artist).
Check back at NME.COM for all the latest news and interviews from the BRIT Awards 2021.
