M.I.A., Big Boi Pay Tribute to Amy Winehouse in Song—Listen Now!

British soul singer fittingly remembered in set of songs released by fellow artists in wake of her sudden death

By Gina Serpe Jul 25, 2011 2:39 PMTags
M.I.A., Big Boi, Amy WinehouseKevin Mazur/Getty Images; John Shearer/Getty Images; AP Photo/Edmond Terakopian

Tributes for Amy Winehouse continue to pour in in all kinds of forms—but these may be the most fitting of all.

While the music world is still reeling from the sudden death of the British soul singer Saturday, M.I.A. and OutKast's Big Boi have seen fit to remember the troubled Grammy winner in the most apt way possible: song.

British rapper M.I.A. was first out of the gate with her tribute, releasing a track named "27," referring to Amy's age (and that of many other late rockers) when she died.

"I recorded this song…and never put it out," M.I.A. tweeted Saturday night, posting a link to the song. "Its a unfinished demo. R.I.P A.M.Y."

On the song's host site, M.I.A. wrote that the tune was "dedicated to all my friend that died at 27."

"Said you're all mouth and no brains/ all rock stars go to heaven/ you said you'll be dead at 27/ when we drunk in a English tavern/ the owner poured you the Bourbon/ and you drunk yourself so rotten," are among the lyrics.

While the lyrics are not specifically about Amy, M.I.A. went on, "I took you to the clinic/ to get you clean but you couldn't/ said in 2 days you're 27 and you're destiny was coming."

As of Monday morning, the song has already logged more than 111,000 plays.

As for Big Boi, like so many others, he first paid tribute to Amy on Twitter Saturday morning.

"Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and now Amy Winehouse. All died aged 27. RIP to you all #amywinehouse," he wrote.

It wasn't long before he got around to a more fitting tribute, tweeting out a link to a remix of Winehouse's "Tears Dry on Their Own."

"NEW!!!" he tweeted. "Amy Winehouse – 'Tears Dry on their Own' Organized Noize Dungeon Family Remix."

The song has been listened to more than 12,000 times.

Meanwhile, as musical tributes go, Winehouse's fans are also getting in on the tribute act. Her seminal second album, Back to Black, reentered the British charts five years after its release Sunday, managing to climb to No. 59 in the few short hours after Amy's death. The U.S. charts aren't released until Tuesday, but it's obvious where the tide is going: the album is also No. 1 on U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Greece, Spain and countless other nations' iTunes charts, as well as on Amazon.com, and is No. 2 on Australian's iTunes chart.

Her debut album, Frank, also shot to No. 3 on Amazon's bestseller's list.

Her Camden Square home has also been covered in flowers, cards, photos, tributes and fan condolences, for which Amy's father, Mitch Winehouse, offered thanks.

"I can't tell you what this means to us," he said after he, Amy's mother and brother visited the home. "It really is making this a lot easier."