Tears for Fears' Curt Smith Goes Viral Again for His Epic 'Mad World' Cover With Daughter Diva Meredith GordonOctober 23, 2025 at 4:00 AM 0 Michael Putland/Getty Images When it comes to iconic bands from the 1980s like Tears for Fears, hits like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout" ne...
- - Tears for Fears' Curt Smith Goes Viral Again for His Epic 'Mad World' Cover With Daughter Diva
Meredith GordonOctober 23, 2025 at 4:00 AM
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Michael Putland/Getty Images
When it comes to iconic bands from the 1980s like Tears for Fears, hits like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout" never go out of style. The band, which consisted of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, who met as teenagers in England, formed Tears for Fears in 1981 and achieved major success throughout the 1980s. While the duo broke up in the early 1990s and reconvened in the early 2000s, Smith has also found success alongside another guitar-playing singer, his eldest daughter Diva Smith, 26.
In 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Curt Smith and daughter Diva, then a budding singer-songwriter with her dad's gift for the guitar, recorded and shared a stunning acoustic version of the 1982 Tears for Fears hit "Mad World" from the band's 1983 debut album The Hurting.
The clip features both Curt and Diva on guitar and vocals, but it's Diva's pitch-perfect harmonies alongside her dad's still-crystal-clear voice that caught fans' attention. The duo's cover is going viral again, with fans calling it "one of the most touching family performances of that time."
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The cover was recorded at home, which adds to the simplicity and intimacy of the song.
Related: '80s Indie Pop Legend, 66, Delivers Jaw-Dropping Performance: 'Absolutely Buzzing'
"Mad World": A Tears for Fears Classic
Written by Orzabal and sung by Curt Smith, "Mad World" reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. In the U.S., reception to the timeless track did not make a major impact. Over time, covers by Gary Jules for the 2001 film Donnie Darko and Diva and Curt's cover have given the song new life and a new audience.
Diva Smith Carves Out Her Own Music Career
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Diva Smith, 26, is the daughter of the Tears for Fears frontman and Frances Pennington. A musician in her own right, Diva Smith released the single "I Can See in the Dark" in May 2025 and released two more singles earlier the same year.
Judging by her stunning harmonies and melodic guitar playing on her and her father's "Mad World" cover, fans can expect a long career ahead for Diva Smith. Hopefully, that means more duets with dad, too.
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This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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