Watch Lorde's powerfully understated tribute to David Bowie at the BRIT awards

Lorde performs at the 2016 BRIT Awards
(Image credit: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

Properly paying tribute to the immeasurable, shape-shifting talent that is David Bowie during a national awards show is a tricky task. But New Zealand's most precocious pop star Lorde managed to pull it off at Wednesday's BRIT awards — without the pastiche or high-tech projections that distracted from Lady Gaga's chaotic tribute to the Starman at the Grammys.

The performance starts with a mercifully understated instrumental medley of Bowie's greatest hits, accompanied by a slideshow of his musical evolution. Lorde then takes the stage for a no-frills cover of "Life on Mars" that's full of feeling, with just a touch of otherworldly energy. Watch the tribute, which begins at the 9-minute mark in the video below. Samantha Rollins

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Samantha Rollins

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.