It’s not every day the writers of your favorite song drop by to watch you play it on the street, and then sing it with you in a heavenly viral duet! That’s exactly what happened to Irish busker Allie Sherlock when she played Joji’s heartbreaking breakout hit “Glimpse of Us.” The tune’s original songwriters Connor McDonough and Riley McDonough happened to be passing by and praised her rendition, and then Riley picked up the mic to turn the performance into a duet with Allie.
12 million viewers were loving the vibes when Riley and Allie sang together, which is no surprise as the pair show off incredible chemistry on their harmonies. Allie’s voice is just as smoky and mesmerizing as always, and Riley brings the kind of passion and feeling to the song that only the original songwriter could bring to it. The Music Man has to say that seeing Allie smile from ear to ear at several points, realizing it’s one of those magical moments, really made the performance a special one.
Fans were loving the chance to see the original songwriter get to shine thanks to the duet with Allie and added comments such as “The writer of the song has an excellent voice. I am so glad we got to hear him sing with such passion and that he got to sing it here in Dublin with Allie” and “I loved his rendition. I felt the emotion in his voice more than all the covers and even the original I heard. What a fantastic insight to the origin of the song.”
Allie has scored many hit videos with her busking performances on Grafton Street in Dublin. One of The Music Man’s favorites is when she delivered an intimate solo acoustic performance of the Bee Gees “I Started a Joke.” It’s great to see Allie perform solo, showcasing her deft touch on guitar and soulful voice. She has a real talent for getting to the heart of a song and telling the story with her voice.
Japanese-Australian star Joji released “Glimpse of Us” on June 10, 2022, as the first single from his third studio album, Smithereens. The song was written by brothers Riley McDonough and Connor McDonough, who appear in the busking video, as well as Alexis Kesselman and Castle. Connor also handled production on the tune. In addition to their work in songwriting and production, Riley and Connor play together in the band Before You Exit, together with their brother Toby. The pop rock band is based in Florida and has released EPs with Sony and Sony flagship label RCA.