Behind Heidi Klum’s Latest ’80s Cover: Here’s Why It’s So Impactful

You wouldn’t expect one of 2024’s biggest bops to come from Heidi Klum—but she just came out with a banger after collaborating with Dutch DJ Tiësto to cover one of the most popular hits from the ‘80s. 

This year, they released their own spin on Canadian pop star Corey Hart’s Sunglasses at Night. Coming off the Montrealer’s debut album First Offense (1983), it became a hit worldwide, reaching No. 7 after staying for 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The single saw Hart winning the first-ever award for video of the year at the Junos, and eventually saw the crooner inducted into Canada’s Music Hall of Fame. 

However, Klum’s cover of the popular song is more than just an energetic track perfect for the club. On a deeper level, it speaks to society’s increasingly prevalent stigma against getting older. Here’s more on just why this song is so impactful.

For Klum, Sunglasses at Night defined her childhood. She was only 10 when the hit was released, and she remembers constantly listening to it while working as a teenager in Düsseldorf’s club scene. With the song celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Klum thought of coming out with her own twist on the rave anthem—and while hanging out with Tiësto before one of his shows, she instantly knew who she wanted to work with to get the job done. 

“It was completely natural to want to help her with the production,” the DJ shared with Billboard. In fact, Klum was delighted when, after a short discussion with Tiësto, she knew that he “immediately understood” what she wanted to achieve. Soon enough, the German supermodel was in the studio, adding her delicate yet compelling vocals to the Tiësto-produced remake. 

Eventually, the two debuted their take of Sunglasses at Night at one of the DJ’s sets in Las Vegas—and with Heidi constantly teasing it across her social media platforms, the official music video soon racked up more than a million views on YouTube. The song’s pumping energy quickly caught on with a new generation of listeners, and Klum even decided to use it as the new opening track for the latest season of Germany’s Next Top Model. 

However, what truly stands out about this song is the message it brings with it—especially in a modern age of social media that has fueled even 20-somethings to fear aging itself.

Speaking Out Against Ageism 

Today, you’ll find a growing aversion toward getting older. With the images of perfection often touted online, more younger people are turning to anti-aging products and procedures to fit those new societal beauty standards, with over 70% of millennials and Gen Z taking on the skincare routines more suited for people at least three decades older. With Sunglasses at Night, Klum promotes the idea that growing older is a privilege and that there’s ultimately no age limit for having fun. 

The song’s original lyrics don’t promote this message in a similar manner—so to pull off her intended theme, Klum relied on the imagery of sunglasses themselves. We’ve previously noted how the right sunglasses can help build aesthetics that can take us back in time, with the use of the eyewear in Fionn’s 2021 single Let Me Go, calling back to the early 2000s. Similarly, the strategic use of sunglasses frames in the Sunglasses at Night music video helped give Klum an air of youthfulness that told viewers, “I’m 50—but I can still have a night out on the town.” 

Reminiscent of the Cartel and Itinerary models you’d find on Eyebuydirect, the classic oversized black cat-eyes Klum donned in the video effortlessly uplift the eyes, giving the host and supermodel the aesthetic necessary to prove her point. “I’m going out more now at 50 than other people go out in their 20s,” she explained in an interview. “I’m 50, and I feel very much alive. I still want to be out and about and dance.” Tiësto, who’s five years older than Klum, further told Rolling Stone: “Dance is definitely for everybody, young and old. It’s about how you feel and how much energy you express. We’re still very youthful.”

Thanks to how they leveraged sunglasses for a song about wearing sunglasses after dark, it’s safe to say that the two successfully delivered the message they wished to convey. From its iconic opening riff to its strong kickdrums—paired with the powerful accessories and energetic, in-your-face choreography Klum leveraged in the video—Sunglasses at Night appeals to both old and new audiences, telling them that you shouldn’t let your age stop you from doing what you truly love. 

Love From ‘80s Stars 

Given the polished vocals and instrumentals, youthful aesthetics, and inspirational message the 2024 iteration of Sunglasses at Night brings to the table, it’s no surprise that even the ‘80s biggest musical icons saw fit to compliment the new track. That includes none other than one of the decade’s most influential pop superstars, Kylie Minogue. While talking with People, Klum revealed that she considers the 56-year-old Australian singer to be her spirit animal and sent her the track before its release. The response? “Oh my gosh,” Klum shared. “She loves life, she loves having fun, she loves to dance.”

However, the biggest stamp of approval came from Corey Hart himself. On the day the track was released, the Canadian singer took to Instagram, writing: “Dear Heidi – And just like the rest of the world …I’ve got a crush on you too !!” Describing the cover as “a seductive supernova dance explosion on the bright side of the moon,” Hart thanked Klum and Tiësto for breathing new life into his hit single—in ways that brought it front and center in today’s music scene and inspired modern listeners to make the most out of every year they have.