Althea Legaspi
Contact Althea Legaspi on X View all posts by Althea Legaspi November 13, 2026 Add us as a Google Preferred Source
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Valerie June Lauren Wade* Valerie June has released an uplifting cover of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” The single follows the release of her Brighter Blue EP, which arrived in September via Concord.
In the accompanying visual to the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s rendition of the song, she performs in a space decorated with white flowers, her hair adorned with decorative butterflies. The joy she expresses is contagious as she smiles while delivering the resonant lines over pedal steel accompaniment. It’s clear she relishes each line, as she dances around while playing banjo and brings both empowerment and reflection as she sings.
The feel-good, hopeful vibes are welcome in these times, and deciding to cover this song right now was an intentional, uplifting choice, as June explained in a statement. It was inspired by working with the American Revival program.
“Working with elementary and middle school students through Yo-Yo Ma and Nicholas Ma’s American Revival program gives me hope for a more beautiful world,” she said in a statement. “Many of these young people have been deeply affected by the disruption of families and communities along the border, violence in their neighborhoods, and countless other challenges. Art and music can be powerful healers. They create space for connection, expression, joy, and hope.”
“We often say that the world is a dark place right now, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or powerless to make a difference. But we don’t have to stand on the sidelines, she continued. “We can join the leaders in our own communities and work together to make things better. Change starts at home.”
