The year was 2003. Australia had just discovered the Idol craze sweeping the world and we were hooked. But the show quickly developed from us laughing at the horrendous auditions to being captivated by everyman covers of certified bangers, none more iconic than Guy Sebastian‘s crack at ‘Crazy in Love’ by music power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
It was the final two showdown – Guy vs Shannon Noll – and it was each contestant’s last chance to prove they had what it took to be the first-ever Australian Idol.
Guy basically secured victory when he strutted onstage in a (presumably faux) fur coat, tinted sunnies befitting of the era’s ‘It Girls‘ and dictators alike, and his trademark big hair at the time.
It’s the most obnoxiously 2003-looking outfit outside of the Teen Choice Awards and we, the viewers, simply couldn’t get enough of it.
And – wait… did he just slut drop on stage before he even got to the singing part? You fucken bet he did. In fact all the Idol legends were doing it back then.
The choice of song was also pretty interesting. Twenty years ago it was less common for a bloke to sing a song by an iconic female pop singer and still be taken seriously.
But Guy put his own spin on it with that high-pitch monotone we know and love. His take on the final chorus in particular was just sublime.
The crowd was ecstatic. As were the usually-grumpy judges.
Guy simply couldn’t have ended the show on – quite literally – a higher note.
When some random on a singing TV show attempts to take on one of the biggest songs of the day by one of the biggest artists of the decade, the result is usually passable at best.
After all, ‘Crazy in Love’ is a duet featuring two enormous voices with challenging instrumentals to sing over. Covering it live on stage is no easy feat.
But something about Guy Sebastian and that electric energy of 2003 made his bold cover of a Beyoncé banger amazing in its own right.
It’s no wonder the man took out the gong in the end.
