Jelani Aryeh Covers The xx in His Nostalgic Reinterpretation of "Angels"

image

Photo by Brandon Kwon

Jelani Aryeh has a gift for creating music that's blissfully nostalgic. After two albums Suburban Destinesia and Helvetica, Aryeh has built himself a dedicated fanbase. His 2020 single  "Stella Brown" gained viral success for its optimistic and upbeat tone along with its incredibly catchy hook. Aryeh is back and building off this momentum by paying homage to Alternative Pop legends The xx.  

His new single  "Angels" is a contemporary reimagining of The xx's song by the same title. "This song brought me back to the year 2012," explains Aryeh. "That was around junior high and I think lyrics were just starting to hit me. Some part of me still wishes I could listen to these songs with an unconscious, unassuming perspective where songs just made me feel and not think."  

Jelani Aryeh puts his own modern spin on the classic with his smooth and emotive vocal performance, but he still effectively captures what made the original so attention grabbing.  "Angels" is an atmospheric and envelope-pushing track with Aryeh's reinterpretation giving the throwback new perspective. Although the track is a deviation from Aryeh's self-written material,  "Angels" is another beautifully performed track in his growing discography.  

Listen to  "Angels" by Jelani Aryeh below:

Related Articles

lucky break Conjures a West Coast Dreamland in Debut Album ‘made it!’

lucky break Conjures a West Coast Dreamland in Debut Album ‘made it!’

May 8, 2026 A product of the distinct aesthetic of 2010’s Tumblr culture, lucky break is the perfect find for fans of soft-pop and confessional songwriting.
Author: Giselle Libby
pop
10 Questions With Macy Todd, Your New Favorite Soulful Pop Star [Q&A]

10 Questions With Macy Todd, Your New Favorite Soulful Pop Star [Q&A]

May 8, 2026 Her most recent smash, "bad bad love", joins a winning streak of perfect introductory singles.
Author: Giselle Libby
pop
Sabrina Song On Loosening the Reins and Aiming for a Moving Target [Q&A]

Sabrina Song On Loosening the Reins and Aiming for a Moving Target [Q&A]

May 8, 2026 We chatted with Song about flipping the internal nature of her previous record, allowing collaboration to flow freely, and everything that led to the kismet creation of her "Big Trick" EP.
Author: Giselle Libby
Pop
EP