Alice Deejay’s “Better Off Alone” Played on Piano is Surprisingly Beautiful

It was impossible to escape from the instantly hummable lead synth melody of Alice Deejay’s “Better Off Alone,” when it ruled the commercial dance charts back in 1998. Today, even if you don’t recognize the name, you definitely know the tune.

In a new, stripped-down cover, Rotterdam’s Analogue Dear has turned the chart-topping song into a gorgeously sad composition, gently coaxing out hints of the hook on a reverb-drenched piano. A serious interpretation of a notoriously cheesy Eurodance anthem seems like a stretch, but somehow it works.

Listen to “Better Off Alone in B Major” below (via FACT).

Benjamin Boles is on Twitter.