Junos Archives

Junos 365 session: Serena Ryder covers 'Eyes of a Stranger'

A new twist on the Payolas' hit that won single of the year at the 1983 Juno Awards.

A new twist on the Payolas' hit that won single of the year at the 1983 Juno Awards

Serena Ryder | Eyes of a Stranger | Junos 365 Sessions

6 years ago
Duration 4:44
Serena Ryder covers "Eyes of a Stranger" by The Payola$ for CBC Music's Junos 365 Sessions. The song won Single of the Year at the 1983 Junos.

As part of our coverage of the 2019 Juno Awards, we're inviting some of today's hottest Canadian acts to cover a past winner in the single of the year category.

For her Junos 365 session, Serena Ryder picked the Payolas' "Eyes of a Stranger," the winning single of the year at the 1983 Juno Awards.

"I chose 'Eyes of a Stranger' because it was actually the first song that I remember having big emotions over when I was young," explains Ryder. "And it was big, confusing emotions because it was the first time that I felt sexy ... and I didn't even know what that was in my head. It was like, this dark kind of pleasure, like, am I supposed to be feeling these things?"

Another part of the appeal, according to Ryder, is the song's timelessness. "It's a song that I think will be just as good in another 30 years."

Enjoy Ryder's cover of "Eyes of a Stranger," above, and while you're here, check out some of our other Junos 365 sessions:

Whitehorse covers Feist's "How Come You Never Go There"
Jhyve covers Remy Shand's "Take a Message"
The Dead South covers the Beaches' "Money"
Virginia to Vegas covers Brett Kissel's "3-2-1" 
Ria Mae covers Avril Lavigne's "Fall to Pieces"
The Good Lovelies cover k-os' "Crabbuckit"
Scott Helman covers the Tragically Hip's "Bobcaygeon"
Donovan Woods covers Alanis Morissette's "Ironic"
The Beaches cover Loverboy's "Turn me Loose"
Chloe Charles covers the Weeknd's "Can't Feel my Face"
Ralph covers Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet"
William Prince covers Michael Bublé's "Home"
Mappe Of covers Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun"
​James Barker Band covers Avril Lavigne's "Complicated"
Rose Cousins covers Corey Hart's "Never Surrender"

Wherever you are on March 17, you can watch the Juno Awards live from Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont., at cbcmusic.ca/junos.