South African artist Nakhane has delivered a stunning version of George Michael’s A Different Corner, forty years after the song helped launch the Wham! vocalist’s solo career.
Back in 1986, George Michael was preparing to leave Wham! and embark on a solo path. In 1984 he had released Careless Whisper as a solo single in some territories, while in others it appeared as a Wham! track.
In March 1986, the quiet and thoughtful ballad A Different Corner arrived. A BBC Radio 1 DJ loved the tune so much he played it twice in a row when it first landed in the studio.
Just a few days later, Wham! announced they were breaking up. The song was included on their final album, which combined new material with their greatest hits. Now, four decades on, Nakhane has recorded their own version.
Nakhane has released three albums to date: Brave Confusion (2013), You Will Not Die (2019) and Bastard Jargon (2023). Madonna cited You Will Not Die as a major influence on her most recent album Madame X.
The artist played a memorable show for the Perth International Arts Festival in 2023 and also chatted to OUTinPerth about their career.
It’s not the only song Nakhane has recently covered. Last year they released a version of the Adamski track Killer. The original 1990 single was written by acid house DJ Adamski and singer Seal. It marked Seal’s first appearance on the charts, and he later re‑recorded the tune for his debut album.
Killer song was also a favourite of George Michael. He regularly performed it in his live shows and included it on his Five Live EP.
