Yes, Italy's 'Singing Nun' covered Madonna's 'Like a Virgin'

Yes, Italy&#039;s &#039;Singing Nun&#039; covered Madonna&#039;s &#039;Like a Virgin&#039;

(Image credit: YouTube)

last updated 8 January 2015

Sister Cristina Scuccia created quite a splash when she won Italy's version of The Voice in June, and she seems intent on keeping up the buzz with her hard-won record deal. At least that's my explanation for why the "Singing Nun" chose Madonna's sacrelicious "Like a Virgin" as the first single from her debut album, out Nov. 11. Scuccia's explanation, delivered to Italy's Avvenire, is that the song is "more similar to a lay prayer than to a pop piece."

"Reading the text, without being influenced by previous interpretations, you discover that it is a song about the power of love to renew people," she added, "rescue them from their past." Honestly, it's a pretty good cover — and sneakily subversive in its re-appropriation of Madonna's source material. If you like the song, or just want to see beautiful moving imagery of Venice, watch below. --Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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