SA’s very own international singing sensation, Oshri, is back with a huge surprise as he releases his unique take on Christina Aguilera’s monster 90’s hit, Genie in a Bottle, adding once again his Middle Eastern signature vibe which is set to delight new and current fans alike.
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And yes, there was a very specific reason why the hitmaker decided on this song to cover amongst the thousands of other choices available…
Why do a cover of ‘Genie in a Bottle’?
“Up until now I was connecting with audiences through my personal stories, communicated through my original music. I decided it was time to connect with them via their own – which a cover song is great at achieving. It’s familiar and we all love the familiar, don’t we?
“I started performing all over Los Angeles and we decided on Genie in a Bottle as the cover that I would be doing for the shows. The reactions to this particular version, which is very similar to the one released as a single, was just incredible and people started asking where they could get it. Therefore, together with Joseph E-Shine who produced the song, we decided to give it to them,” he says.
So, of all the songs in the world to cover, why Genie in a Bottle and does it hold any significance for Oshri? He confesses: “I’m at the stage of my life where I’m finally ready for a serious relationship so that I can say ‘no’ to all the non-serious temptations. This song is exactly about that. And might I add, it’s a damn good song too!”
Oshri states that lyrics from the song such as “my body’s saying let’s go, but my heart is saying no” speaks to him about the internal battle between desires and impulses to the rational and logical. “As many others do, I’ve given myself over to instant gratification – and I felt so bad and guilty after. But before I knew it, I would repeat the cycle again. So yes, it’s time for that one serious person in my life that I can give myself exclusively to.”
Music video for ‘Genie in a Bottle’ shot in Israel by top fashion photographer
Oshri fans will further be delighted to know that they can also feast their eyes on a music video he shot for Genie in a Bottle, which can be viewed below:
He enthuses: “The video was shot in Israel by the incredibly talented and top fashion photographer, Zohar Shitrit. Together we wanted to capture a man who has everything and a full life; everything but the most important ingredient – that special lady in his life. Being locked up in this big, beautiful house is pretty much a metaphor and synonym for the lamp that the genie is locked in. And he’s just waiting for the right one to come along and release him…”
Although Oshri labels himself as a 90’s kid, he admits that he was a bit too young to remember what he thought of the song when it was first released by Aguilera.
He concludes by saying that he is incredibly excited to not only see how South African audiences will relate to his version of the song, but also those around the world as he releases Genie in a Bottle internationally.
Image Courtesy: Supplied