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Singers Marirose Powell and Stevie Nicks.

The final performance of singer Marirose Powell has people welling up all over TikTok because of the soulful way she sang “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac while in hospice care. Powell performed as Stevie Nicks in a Fleetwood Mac cover band for over twenty years, so the song was a major part of her life.

A week before she died from cancer, some friends showed up at her home and asked what she would like to sing. "And she said, 'I want to sing ‘Landslide.' And so she sang ‘Landslide’ one last time," Powell’s daughter-in-law, Sam Xenos, who posted the video on TikTok, told People.

In the video, Powell grabs the railing over the medical bed as she sings a song about the inevitability of the passing of time. The song had to have taken on an even greater meaning as Powell was in the final days of her life. “I’ve been afraid of changing because I built my world around you,” Powell sings. “Time makes you bolder, and even children get old and I’m getting older, too.”

“My mother-in-law performed as Stevie Nicks for decades,” Xenos wrote in a video overlay. “This was her final performance before she passed the following week.” In the caption, she added there wasn't “a day that goes by that I wish we’d had more time with her. She was truly the only person I’ve ever known to leave people better than she found them. Until we can be together again, mama.”

Powell passed away on April 10, 2024, at 62.

@samxenos

there isnt a day that goes by that i wish we’d had more time with her. she was truly the only person i’ve ever known to leave people better than she found them. until we can be together again mama…

In her obituary, she is remembered for her “infectious smile” that “guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day and she was known for her incredibly kind soul and generous heart. She had the beautiful ability to leave all those she touched better than she found them.”

In addition to performing as Steve Nicks, Powell released 3 solo albums and worked as an ER nurse. As a lifelong musician, she would probably be more than pleased to learn that her final performance has touched many people.



"I hope Stevie Nick sees this. She would be proud to know that your mom sung her songs for decades,and her choice of this song was heartfelt," one commenter wrote. "I’m sobbing. God bless you and your family. Your mom is beautiful," another added.

"That might be the most touching performance of ‘Landslide’ to ever exist," a commenter wrote.

Xenos and her husband, Powell's son, are overjoyed that the video has gone viral. At first, she was afraid of how her husband would react to the clip being posted on TikTok. "I remember calling my husband nervous because he didn’t know I posted it," Xenos told Upworthy. "He was over the moon after reading the comments and seeing people feel her genuine soul from that small clip. He asked me to post more videos of her and they have generated a phenomenal response. She was the most giving and generous person. I would tell her to post her music and she was worried no one would care. I’m so honored to have proved her wrong on that fact."

Nicks says she wrote “Landslide” in Aspen, Colorado, at 27. "I did already feel old in a lot of ways," Nicks told The New York Times. "I'd been working as a waitress and a cleaning lady for years. I was tired."

She was also having a hard time in her relationship with Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. She composed the song while looking out her window in the snow-covered Aspen mountains. "And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills / Til the landslide brought me down."

Here is a full performance of “Landslide” that Powell gave in 2016 at the Prospect Theater in Modesto, California. Jamie Byous joins her on guitar.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

This article originally appeared last year.

gardinerbrothers/TikTok

You'd have to be living under a rock to not have heard of Kendrick Lamar and, specifically, the hit song "Not Like Us." Not only was the track the biggest song of the summer of 2024, it also won Lamar a ridiculous five Grammy awards (Song of the Year, Best Rap song, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, and even Record of the Year). It was also the lethal dagger in one of the biggest rap beefs in recent history, as the song is a "diss track" that ruthlessly eviscerates rival rapper Drake. Finally, Lamar performed the song in the front of the entire world at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, cementing its place in the cultural zeitgeist. You can't really have a discussion about pop culture and goings on in 2025 without mentioning the rap.

Just when you thought there was nothing more that could possibly be said about the song, the famous Gardiner Brothers — world-champion Irish dancers and TikTok mega stars — decided to drop a little Riverdance-remix.

It started as a joke. The brothers posted a video on TikTok mashing up Kendrick Lamar's moves at the Super Bowl with a few of their own. It playfully poked fun at the light and airy music they often dance to, contrasting Lamar's now famous beat with their own heavy-on-the-fiddle jig tunes.

Then a commenter challenged them to dance to "Not Like Us" for real, and the boys did not disappoint.

@gardinerbrothers

Replying to @Codename:estibestie Just missing the flares 😅 👖 #kendricklamar #notlikeus

Viewers were obsessed with the unique mash up of styles. The footwork on display in the video is hypnotizing, with the clicks and clacks perfectly complimenting the beat of the song and Lamar's lyrics.

"Yeesss McKendrick Lamar," a commenter joked.

"Kendrick O'Lamar," said another.

"Brilliant! Kendrik bringing the whole world together."

"Someone has to send these boys some bootcut flares," one user joked, referencing Lamar's attention-grabbing jeans worn during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Others wished the Brothers could have been included in the Super Bowl performance. It would have made an amazing addition! Just imagine how much more confused America's grandparents would have been if Lamar's politically charged performance, suddenly and without warning, cut to an Irish jig.

Michael and Matthew Gardiner are Irish-American brothers from Denver with millions of followers on social media. These days, they live in Galway, Ireland where they choreograph dances, tour the world, and compete in competitive dance competitions in-between filming content. And yes, they have both performed in Riverdance.

Giphy

TikTok and Instagram reels have helped bring so much exposure to artists, particularly ones that work in a visual medium like dance. It has allowed artists who, before, never would have been able to make money with their craft to build an audience and even, in some cases, earn a living. Some people argue that TikTok is having a negative effect on dance, in the sense that routines are designed for the algorithm and for as much distribution as possible versus from a place of pure creativity. But what's really amazing is that the exposure extends far beyond just modern and street dances. Who would have thought that two guys who specialize in Irish stepdancing could have videos with tens of millions of views?!

"Our vision was just to show how modern, athletic, and versatile Irish dancing can be," Matthew told Dance Spirit. "We also drew inspiration from places like Riverdance, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and other dancers online that are in a different genre, like hip hop. We just wanted to keep pushing the boundaries of Irish dance—hold on to the tradition from the past, but innovate it for the future and see where we can take it.

It says a lot about the beauty and skill of Irish dancing that it can be so flexibly applied across music genres, and to such viral appeal. But it also says a lot about the talent of Kendrick Lamar and how people from all walks of life can appreciate his lyricism and artistry. In other words, Kendrick Lamar and Irish dancing is a surprisingly perfect pairing.

@joedotie/TikTok

She was made for this.

Any fan of Chappell Roan knows she’s a master of switching back and forth between head and chest voice, to the point where yodeling is a bit of a signature move. And while yodeling isn’t the most mainstream of pop music tricks, when it works, man does it work. Her single “Guilty Pleasure” is a brilliant example of this.

Prior to Roan, there was another female vocalist whose folksy yodel was the stuff of legend that you might fondly remember—Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries. While you can pretty much hear that satisfying keening in every Cranberries song, it really shines in “Dream” during the third verse. If you know the song, you know the part I’m talking about. (Aah, la-ah-la-ah, La-la-la, La-ah-la-ah…you can hear it, can’t you?)

And while “Dream” will always rightfully belong to O’Riordan, a resurfaced clip from Roan’s pre-famous days shows that her unique voice also lends itself perfectly to it, and has made people excited to hear one of the band’s beloved tunes come to life again in a whole new way.

Below, in a video posted to TikTok by the account @joedotie, we see Roan before she was a household name pulling out the cover while opening up for singer Declan McKenna for his concert in Virginia. As the account, and tons of viewers, noted, her voice is so incredibly well suited for recreating that distinct Cranberries sound, it’s a bit unreal.

Watch:

@joedotie A video of Chappell Roan covering Dreams by The Cranberries from 2018 has gone viral before the American singer would become a household name.⁠ ⁠ The video of Chappell Roan is from a Declan McKenna gig in Virginia, USA.⁠ ⁠ The singer's voice is so well suited to The Cranberries. #ireland #dublin #irish ♬ original sound - JOE.ie


Down in the comments, people couldn’t help but share the love.

“This has to be the most respectful cover I’ve ever heard of this song.”

“Possibly the only person who can do this song justice and not butcher it.”

“Hats off to Chappell Roan, that’s probably the best rendition outside of Dolores herself.”

And in case you’re jonesing for more after that short sample, here is a full version of the cover, from the same tour:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Again, people applauded Roan for paying perfect homage to O’Riordan, and noted split similarities between the two icons.

“Chappell brought me back to the ‘90s — an era I miss. She did a terrific job. Dolores would be proud.”

“OMG!!! This was absolutely stunning. It's like Dolores reincarnated into Chappell cuz her voice especially the yodeling at the end was nothing short of heavenly and beautiful and perfect. Thank you for sharing this. I hope one day Chappell sings this again in a huge sold-out arena in the future.”

“Well it’s safe to say, she definitely has some Gaelic roots!! She kills the keening kind of vocal. Dolores would be proud of not only her vocals and talent, but also her fierceness, individuality and her willingness to stand up and fight against the grievances of fame. She is the most exciting artist I’ve listened to since Lana. So proud!”

Like Roan, O’Riordan had a knack for bringing her own distinct expression into everything she did, whether that was an original song or a cover. It’s part of what makes her still such a renowned artist today, long after her tragic passing. And it certainly seems to be the path that Roan has chosen for herself, whether it be through constantly evolving her vocal styles and general aesthetic, to using her platform to bring topics that matter to her into the conversation, as she did recently by using her Grammy speech to advocate for artists to make a more "livable wage.”

Similarly, O’Riordan was an activist herself, particularly advocating for children throughout the world. Heck, “Zombie,” arguably the Cranberries' most popular chart-topper, was a protest song. All this to say, maybe Roan was inspired by more than just O’Riordan’s musical choices. Who knows. If that’s the case, she certainly seems to be succeeding.

Peter Bence's piano cover of "Africa" by Toto

Peter Bence’s performance of “Africa” by Toto has over 17 million views on YouTube because of his creative reimagining of the song and, well, just about everyone loves “Africa.” Bence is a Hungarian composer and producer who has become a viral sensation for his Michael Jackson, Queen, Sia, and Beatles covers. He has over 1.1 million followers on YouTube and has toured the globe, playing in more than 40 countries across four continents.

His performance of “Africa'' is unique because it opens with him creating a rhythm track and looping it by strategically tapping the piano and rubbing its strings to create the sound of shakers and congo drums.

The video eventually becomes rapturous, with Benace making the piano sound like an entire orchestra.

Released in 1982, “Africa” was Toto’s biggest hit, reaching number one 1 in the U.S., number 3 in the UK, and the top 10 globally. It’s a stirring piece of music that’s beautifully arranged with an anthemic chorus. However, the lyrics aren’t that accurate.

The song’s author, Toto keyboardist Jeff Pocaro, describes it as: “A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he's never been there, he can only tell what he's seen on TV or remembers in the past.”

Nevertheless, the song is an iconic tune that captures a specific spirit of the early ‘80s when the world turned its focus to Africa. Over 40 years later, the song’s wholesome sincerity has made it a piece of music that every few years captures the hearts of a new generation.


This article originally appeared two years ago.