Listen to Mayer Hawthorne Cover Rihanna's 'Stay' — billboard.com

Rihanna's "Stay" was a massive part of 2012's Unapologetic, an emotional Mikky Ekko-aided piano ballad for the ages. Almost two years after the song came into our lives, Mayer Hawthorne has recorded his own loving tribute. "The only thing that was missing from the original version of the song was the funk," the "Reach Out Richard" singer tells Esquire. "So we took it to that sexy Barry White funk zone. Any time I'm doing a cover of a song, I'm trying to do it better than the original. I'm trying to beat the original. Otherwise I don't see the point of doing a cover."

Read More