Phoebe Bridgers performs acoustic Lithium cover for Radio 1
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Phoebe Bridgers performed a stripped-back acoustic cover of Nirvana's 'Lithium' for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, broadcast on 19 August 2026, alongside two songs from her new album 'Lost Weekend'. The appearance underlines her continued high profile following the album's release, which has drawn strong reviews and praise from fellow artists including Taylor Swift, though it emerged the session was likely recorded before she was hospitalised with appendicitis this week.
During the session Bridgers also played 'Lost Boys', the lead single from 'Lost Weekend', and the track 'Bobby'. The illness forced her to postpone a run of intimate UK shows; she announced the news on Instagram, saying "I got appendicitis for my birthday" and that she would "make it up" to fans. 'Lost Weekend', released on 14 August, is her third solo album and first in six years, and received a five-star review from NME, which called it "a staggering, strange and stirring opus".
- Bridgers covered Nirvana's 'Lithium' on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge
- Also performed 'Lost Boys' and 'Bobby' from new album 'Lost Weekend'
- Hospitalised with appendicitis, cancelling UK shows this week
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Phoebe Bridgers is an American singer-songwriter known for introspective, often melancholic indie folk music, first with her own solo records and later through collaborations such as the band boygenius. She has built a strong following in both the US and UK over the past several years, and her recent work has continued to earn acclaim from critics and fellow musicians alike.
BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge is a long-running segment in which artists perform stripped-back versions of their own songs alongside a cover of another act's track, recorded for radio broadcast. It's a well-known showcase for musicians, often generating attention when the choice of cover is notable, as with Bridgers taking on a song by Nirvana, the influential 1990s American rock band fronted by Kurt Cobain.
The appearance comes as Bridgers promotes 'Lost Weekend', her third solo album and first in six years, released in mid-August 2026 to widespread praise. Her profile has been especially high in recent days following the album's launch and a run of UK tour dates, making this radio session part of a broader wave of attention around her return to solo music.
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Originally published by NME as “Here’s Phoebe Bridgers covering Nirvana’s ‘Lithium’ for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge”.