Chantal Kreviazuk reimagines songs she wrote for Drake and others with upcoming album

Singer Chantal Kreviazuk performs ahead of the screening of 'Sharkwater Extinction' during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)

TORONTO — Chantal Kreviazuk is putting her own spin on the hits she made with pop and hip-hop superstars.

The Winnipeg-born singer-songwriter is mapping out plans for a new album that will feature her performing stripped-back versions of songs she co-wrote over the years with the likes of Drake, Kelly Clarkson and Kendrick Lamar.

Representatives for Kreviazuk tell The Canadian Press that the album does not yet have a title, but it is expected to be released next year.

Kreviazuk’s team says the idea has been percolating for some time.

In recent years, the singer has shared behind-the-scenes stories of making these hits at her concerts and on social media. Plans for an album accelerated after a TikTok clip of her performing Drake’s “Over My Dead Body” at the piano garnered more than two million views last month.

The song, which Kreviazuk co-wrote with Drake and his frequent producer Noah (40) Shebib, first appeared on the rapper’s 2011 album “Take Care.” Kreviazuk sings the chorus while Drake performed the verses.

Kreviazuk’s version has additional lyrics and much less production. It will be released through streaming services on Thursday.

It will be followed by the release of her take on Pitbull and Christina Aguilera’s “Feel This Moment” later this year.

The album of piano renditions also includes Kelly Clarkson’s “Walk Away,” a song Kreviazuk co-wrote with her husband Raine Maida, as well as Britney Spears’ “If I’m Dancing” and “Pay For it,” which Kreviazuk originally performed with Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock.

It’s not unheard of for popular songwriters to release versions of the tracks they wrote that were made famous by other performers.

Paul Anka re-recorded many of the songs he penned for Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra, including “My Way,” and a few years ago, Avril Lavigne issued her take on “Breakaway,” a song she co-wrote, first released by Clarkson.

Kreviazuk built her name over the years by collaborating with some of the biggest names in the business, but she’s also had a successful solo career that earned her multiple Juno Awards.

Her 1996 debut album included the Canadian hits “Surrounded” and “Wayne,” while her cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” was in the 1998 blockbuster “Armageddon,” and Randy Newman’s “Feels Like Home” on the “Dawson’s Creek” soundtrack.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2025.

David Friend, The Canadian Press