CULTURE

Hear Anya Taylor-Joy Sing A Cover Of The 1965 Hit “Downtown”

Anya Taylor-Joy’s voice makes an appearance in her new film, Last Night In Soho.


Anya Taylor-Joy in a beige shirt in a studio recording the song Downtown for the movie Last Night in...
Photo: YouTube, courtesy of Focus Features.

What can’t Anya Taylor-Joy do? As a lauded actress, she learned how to play pro chess for her role in The Queen’s Gambit, and with her incredible range, she can effortlessly channel a terrifying Puritan teen witch and a 2000s-era cool raver. Taylor-Joy is also a bonafide fashion icon who, along with Zendaya, will be honored with that official title next month at the CFDA Awards. Now, in her quest to take over the world, she’s showing off another of her many talents. As it turns out, Taylor-Joy has a beautiful singing voice! Who knew.

In her newest film, Last Night in Soho, Taylor-Joy plays a 60s-era cabaret bombshell who meets an untimely end. She actually sings the movie’s theme song, a downtempo cover of Petula Clark’s 1965 hit “Downtown.” Accompanied by a string orchestra, Taylor-Joy’s voice is breathy, silky, and shows off her a hint of her native Argentinian accent. Naturally, this begs the questions: when is her Broadway debut? Is there an EGOT on this horizon for this young star? When is her mixtape dropping? We’d pay money to hear her sing lullabies on our sleep sounds app, and now, Italian jokes aside, it makes a lot more sense why she was voice-cast in the new Super Mario movie.

Taylor-Joy’s dominance over pop culture is one of the few that is built on pure dramatic ability. Seeing her succeed in movies and TV have been gratifying, but off-screen, her style brings her hidden talents to life on the red carpet. Law Roach, who styles Taylor-Joy (and fellow CDFA honoree Zendaya), told W that “the right dress at the right moment can really change someone’s profile,” and that couldn’t be more obvious than her rise as a fashion force as she ascends the entertainment ladder.